The Biafra Independence Movement and Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (BIM-MASSOB) has called on the United Nations to support the restructuring of Nigeria into six independent republics.
The group made the demand ahead of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, scheduled to take place from September 14 to 28, 2026.
BIM-MASSOB described the 1914 amalgamation of Northern and Southern Nigeria as unsuccessful, arguing that it had failed to produce the unity, security and development expected from the arrangement.
The organisation said Nigeria's persistent insecurity and underdevelopment demonstrate the need for what it described as a fundamental political restructuring of the country.
In a statement signed by its Director of Information and Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mazi Chris Mocha, the group urged the international community to consider what it described as a peaceful solution to Nigeria's longstanding challenges.
The organisation proposed that Nigeria's six geopolitical zones — South-East, South-West, South-South, North-Central, North-East and North-West — should become independent republics.
BIM-MASSOB argued that granting independence to the six zones would provide what it considers a more sustainable response to the country's security challenges.
The group specifically appealed to the United Nations to support the proposal, saying the international body should intervene if it is committed to promoting peace and resolving conflicts around the world.
According to BIM-MASSOB, the proposed restructuring would also protect the assets, investments and other interests of citizens across the six regions under international law.
The organisation, which campaigns for the actualisation of a Biafra state under Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, maintained that the present political structure has failed to adequately address Nigeria's deep-rooted problems.The group said the upcoming UN General Assembly provides an opportunity for its proposal to receive international attention and consideration.
The demand represents another escalation in the long-running debate over Nigeria's political structure, with separatist and restructuring advocates continuing to question whether the country's current federal arrangement adequately serves its diverse regions.
Nigeria's modern political structure traces its origins to the British colonial amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates in 1914, although the country subsequently underwent major constitutional and administrative changes before gaining independence in 1960.
Biafran separatist movements have historically advocated greater autonomy or outright independence for parts of southeastern Nigeria, with the former Republic of Biafra having declared independence in 1967 before the Nigerian Civil War ended the secession attempt in 1970.
BIM-MASSOB's latest proposal therefore comes against a long history of debates over federalism, regional autonomy, resource control, security and the distribution of political power in Nigeria.
The group said its proposed six-republic arrangement would offer what it considers a peaceful pathway towards addressing the country's current challenges without further escalation of conflict.
The proposal is expected to generate further debate among political leaders, constitutional experts and Nigerians as discussions about restructuring, federalism and national unity continue.