Grammy-winning director Meji Alabi has released a new documentary. It explores his Nigerian grandfather's role in the Biafran war.
The film, titled 'Surviving Biafra: Voices from the Nigerian Civil War,' uses previously unseen footage from the front lines. It also features interviews with survivors. The war, which lasted from 1967 to 1970, tore apart the young nation of Nigeria. Meji Alabi, who won a Grammy for his work on Beyoncé's music video 'Brown Skin Girl,' stated the project was an eye-opener. He grew up knowing little about the war.
Nigeria's civil war began after military coups. Massacres of Igbo people in the north triggered secession. Around a million Igbos moved to the south-east. Three states there formed the Republic of Biafra. The Nigerian government declared war. Estimates suggest between 500,000 and 3 million people died. Many were children. It became the world's first televised humanitarian disaster. History teaching in Nigerian schools after September 2025 has not fully covered this suffering. For years, it was only a sentence or two in textbooks.
Meji Alabi collaborated with his uncle, filmmaker Leke Alabi-Isama. Their grandfather, Godwin Alabi-Isama, was a former army commando. He fought for the federal army against Biafra. Leke Alabi-Isama said he only saw the war from the Nigerian federal army's perspective. He did not know of the horrors faced by the other side. He learned of mass starvation in Biafra and his father's controversial role. Allegations of war crimes, including executing civilians, have been made against the federal army.
The documentary aims to fill a gap in Nigerian storytelling. Meji Alabi noted the topic is often whispered. It has not been confronted directly before. The film seeks an inquisitive, younger generation's perspective. Ghanaian composer Ray Michael Djan Jr. contributed to the project. This documentary brings a critical historical event to a wider audience.