COLLECTIVE TRAUMA, IDENTITY FUSION, AND ENDURING SEPARATISM: REEXAMINING POST-BIAFRAN NARRATIVES IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The Nigeria-Biafra War (1967–1970) inflicted profound collective trauma on Igbo communities through pogroms, famine, and defeat, with legacies persisting in contemporary separatist sentiments. This qualitative study reexamines post-Biafran narratives to explore how collective trauma contributes to the formation of enduring separatist identities. Grounded in cultural trauma theory (Alexander et al., 2004), postmemory (Hirsch, 1997), and identity fusion theory (Swann et al., 2012), the research employed thematic analysis of oral interviews, focus group discussions, survivor memoirs, relevant literature, and separatist discourses from south-eastern Nigeria. Findings revealed four interconnected themes: persistent collective trauma as a foundational wound; postmemory as the mechanism of intergenerational transmission; manifestations of identity fusion through visceral oneness with Biafran/Igbo identity; and the conversion of fused identities into separatist persistence amid perceived marginalization. The study demonstrates that shared dysphoric war experiences, transmitted via mediated narratives, catalyze fusion, sustaining extreme pro-group commitment and challenging post-war reconciliation efforts. By bridging Nigerian historiography with social psychology, this work extends identity fusion theory to postcolonial intergenerational contexts, underscoring the need for trauma-informed acknowledgment in peacebuilding. Implications include narrative-based interventions to foster defusion and inclusive national identity.