Nigeria's Minister of Works, David Umahi, has made a significant appeal to the Igbo people, both at home and in the diaspora, urging them to put an end to the long-standing agitation for a separate Biafran nation.
Umahi's Argument for a United Nigeria
The minister, a key figure in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's cabinet and a former governor of Ebonyi State, delivered this message during an end-of-year press briefing held in Abuja on Wednesday, December 17, 2025. Umahi firmly stated that "we are better as Nigeria" and downplayed the current significance of the secessionist movement.
He argued that the Tinubu administration has proactively tackled the core grievances often cited by pro-Biafra groups. "President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, having done all these things, that there will be no need for agitation of Biafra again," Umahi declared. He referenced a morning television discussion on Arise TV where analyst Reuben Abati noted that feelings of marginalisation are not exclusive to any single region in Nigeria.
Addressing Historical Grievances
Umahi directly engaged with common historical complaints. He acknowledged the sentiment among some Igbos that the region has never produced a Nigerian president but questioned the logic of expecting Tinubu to solve this instantly. "If I've never been president since, is it Bola Ahmed Tinubu that will make it overnight by ceding his own position? No, he has to complete his two tenures," he said.
Instead, the minister emphasised the current administration's strategy of inclusion and integration as the right path to healing the wounds of the past, including the devastating 1967-1970 civil war which claimed over a million lives. "By including us, it means it's the right step. Whatever that went wrong, he (Tinubu) has the capacity and the good heart to redeem it," Umahi asserted.
He clarified that the government's inclusive approach extends beyond the South-East, also encompassing the South-South region. Umahi concluded his appeal by highlighting Nigeria's collective resources and the leadership of President Tinubu. "So, I want to boldly say that there is no need for Biafra agitation. We are better in Nigeria... under this kind, high-hearted president who has included us, it (Biafra agitation) is not being wise."
Context of the Biafra Agitation
Umahi's comments come against a backdrop of renewed calls for secession, primarily driven by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group led by Nnamdi Kanu and officially designated as a terrorist organisation by Nigerian authorities.
For many Igbo people, the civil war remains a defining historical event, and complaints of political and economic marginalisation by successive federal governments have persisted for decades. These grievances have fuelled the push for an independent Biafran state, with supporters often pointing to a lack of infrastructure development in the South-East.
The minister's statement represents a high-level attempt from within the Igbo political elite to steer the narrative towards national unity, banking on the perceived corrective actions of the current federal government.
