TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY AND SELF-DETERMINATION UNDER THE UNITED NATIONS CHARTER: THE RENEWED BIAFRA SECESSIONIST CLAIM IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The tension between territorial integrity and the right to self-determination remains
one of the most contested issues in international law, particularly in post-colonial states confronting
renewed separatist movements. Yet, while international legal scholarship largely emphasizes the
primacy of territorial integrity under the United Nations Charter, less attention has been paid to how
domestic political grievances sustain secessionist mobilization even when legal claims lack
international validity. This study examines this dilemma through the resurgence of the Biafra
secessionist claim in Nigeria. Drawing on Relative Deprivation Theory, the study explains how
perceived political, economic, and representational marginalization can generate collective
grievances that sustain separatist agitation. Using qualitative documentary analysis, the research
interrogates whether the Indigenous People of Biafra’s (IPOB) demands align with international
norms of self-determination, the socio-political drivers of the renewed secessionist agenda, and the
implications for national stability. The findings indicate that, although international law strongly
protects Nigeria’s territorial integrity and does not legitimize unilateral secession, persistent
perceptions of marginalization among sections of the Igbo population contribute to a continuing
internal self-determination deficit. The study, therefore, argues that legal prohibition alone cannot
extinguish secessionist claims when governance grievances remain unresolved, highlighting the
need for inclusive governance, constitutional dialogue, and rights-based federal reforms.