Abstract
Abstract
This paper reconceptualises Igbo–Nigerian relations as a persistent nation-state conflict rather than a mere regional grievance. It traces the historical trajectory from colonial amalgamation through the 1966 pogroms, the 1967–1970 Civil War, post-war reconstruction policies, and contemporary IPOB-related tensions. The study aims to identify how state formation, political exclusion, and unequal access to federal power have shaped Igbo strategic interests in Nigeria. Using historical-qualitative analysis and time-series event tracing, the paper is anchored in the Relative Deprivation Theory, the Internal Colonialism Theory, and the Conflict Theory. Findings indicate that recurrent crises emerged from the interaction of ethnic nationalism, centralised state power, security coercion, and perceived distributive inequities. The paper concludes that durable stability requires rule-bound federal inclusion, equal citizenship, historical acknowledgement, and institutional safeguards against ethnic exclusion. It recommends constitutional, political, and reconciliation reforms to rebuild reciprocal trust between the Igbo nation and the Nigerian state.