IDEAL INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL

This study offers a critical assessment of Nnamdi Kanu’s detention, the Biafran self-determination quest socioeconomic progress and geopolitical competitiveness. Primarily this study aims at analysing how contested nationhood and state tensions within Nigeria shape regional stability and Africa’s strategic positioning in an evolving global order. The specific objectives are to: (i) trace the historical and structural drivers of Biafran self-determination; (ii) interrogate the political and legal dynamics surroundịng Kanu’s detention; (iii) evaluate the regional and continental implications of Nigeria’s internal instability (iv) propose governance reforms that strengthen national cohesion and Africa’s global competitiveness. The study is mainly anchored on Relative Deprivation Theory, which explains how perceived marginalisation, weak statebuilding, and global interconnectedness shape contemporary self-determination conflicts. Methodologically, the research employs a qualitative and descriptive design, relying on documentary analysis of legal texts, human rights reports, policy papers, academic literature, and regional governance frameworks. Data were analysed through thematic content analysis. Findịngs indịcate that the persistence of the Biafran question derives from unresolved historical grievances, governance deficits, structural exclusion, and the securitisation of political dissent. The study further reveals that Nigeria’s instability, expanded by the Kanu–Biafra detention, weakens investor confidence, disrupts regional economic integration, and limits Africa’s influence in global political negotiations. The study concludes that durable resolution requires inclusive governance, constitutional reforms, rule-of-law co‘‘‘mpliance, demilitarisation of dissent, and structured political dialogue. It recommends dialogue-driven conflict management, protection of civil liberties, sub-national economic empowerment, and regionally coordinated peace-building strategies to enhance Africa’s socioeconomic and geopolitical competitiveness.

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