PHD THESIS
 

Title: The British Commonwealth and United States’ Financing of Biafra Relief, 1967-1970 (provisional title)

PhD Supervisor: Aidan Russell

Expected completion date: September 2027

This PhD project brings to light a crucial component of the Nigerian Civil War by analyzing the financial underpinnings of humanitarian aid for Biafran children and other victims during the Nigerian Civil War, framed within the larger Cold War context. Exploring how the United States and key Commonwealth nations—including the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia—mobilized and managed funding for extensive relief operations, the project reveals the ways in which Cold War rivalries shaped the humanitarian response. By analyzing the roles of governments and transnational agents, the research illustrates how global alliances influenced funding channels, resource distribution, and the logistics of relocating Biafran children to safer areas in neighboring African countries. Beyond identifying the sources and rationale behind specific contributions, this study sheds light on the scale of global campaigns and international reactions these appeals provoked. Ultimately, this work illuminates how Cold War geopolitics intersected with humanitarian efforts, influencing both the strategic financing and global reach of aid initiatives during the crisis.
 

Profile
 

Michael was educated in African History at the University of Ibadan where he earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in history. His master’s dissertation examined the colonial history of Nigeria and presented the impact amalgamation had on its post-1914 socio-economic and political developments. The research, seeking to explore how colonial actions and legacies fueled conflicts in post-colonial Africa, revealed that the post-1914 activities of the British and that of the Nigerian peoples conditioned the evolutionary nature of the emerged Nigerian state. In 2021, Michael proceeded to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in the State of Israel where he completed an MA in African Studies.
 

RESEARCH INTERESTS

 

• Colonial legacies and conflicts in post-colonial Africa
• Relief actions in war and conflict
• Financial interventions in humanitarianism
• Child refugee crisis and plight of girls in wartime period
• Financial inclusion, protection, and empowerment of women in “third world” countries
• International organizations and development in Africa
  
   

Fellowships, Grants and Awards
 

• Tamar Golan Africa Centre, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Full Scholarship and Research Grant, 2021-2022
• Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Full Scholarship, 2023-2024
   

AFFILIATIONS

Lagos Studies Association
 

OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE
 

Aug 2022–Oct 2022: Programme Support Intern at Mentoring Assistance for Youths and Entrepreneurs Initiative (MAYEIN)