In one of the pivotal scenes, the character Odogwu, portrayed by veteran actor Kanayo O. Kanayo, claims that after the Nigerian Civil War, all Igbos were given only £20, regardless of how much they had in their bank accounts. While this story has long circulated in public discourse and popular memory, it is, in fact, historically inaccurate when examined against verified records and expert accounts.
🔍 The Origin of the £20 Narrative: What Really Happened?
The myth stems from a well-intentioned but misunderstood policy enacted by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, then Nigeria’s Federal Commissioner for Finance, after the end of the Biafran War in 1970. Here are the verified facts:
During the Biafran War (1967–1970), the secessionist state of Biafra, led by Colonel Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, introduced its own currency — the Biafran Pound — on January 29, 1968, rendering the Nigerian Pound illegal within its territory.
In response, the Federal Government of Nigeria, under General Yakubu Gowon, immediately declared the Biafran currency invalid and warned that it would not be recognized in any federal transaction.
Many Biafrans, wary of losing access to their wealth, began hoarding their Nigerian Pounds at home, while others continued using Biafran currency throughout the war.
💷 The £20 Policy: A Gesture, Not a Punishment
After the war ended in January 1970, the Nigerian government faced the dilemma of how to handle the financial claims of former Biafrans, many of whom had either lost access to their bank records or held their wealth in now-worthless Biafran Pounds.
Chief Awolowo, bypassing the Federal Executive Council for fear of internal opposition, initiated a compassionate financial policy: all former Biafrans who could not prove their account balances in Nigerian Pounds (either due to loss of records or having converted to Biafran currency) were granted a flat £20 as ex-gratia relief.
👉 Those who could verify their Nigerian Pound balances were paid in full.
Prominent Igbo figures like:
Senator Arthur Nzeribe,
Chief Alex Ekwueme, and
Chief John Nwodo’s father
...were all able to recover their pre-war bank funds in full, as they had bank accounts outside the Biafran territories or retained proof of account balances.
---
🌍 International Context: A Comparison with U.S. Civil War History
The decision by Chief Awolowo becomes even more striking when compared to global precedents. After the American Civil War, for instance, holders of Confederate dollars received no compensation whatsoever. The Confederate currency was instantly rendered worthless, with no relief or recompense provided by the Union.
In contrast, Nigeria’s £20 policy was not a punishment, but an act of mercy, designed to aid displaced citizens during reintegration, even when they held funds in a currency that had no legal basis or gold backing.
📜 Historical Evidence & Eyewitness Accounts
In a CNN feature titled “Biafra war: Survivors relive account 50 years after Nigerian civil war ends” (published January 16, 2020), survivor Evelyn Okororie detailed how she, like many others, kept Nigerian Pounds hidden during the war in hopes of reclaiming them post-conflict — a strategy that proved beneficial for those who didn’t convert entirely to the Biafran Pound.
Additionally, SG Ikoku, Commissioner for Economic Development in East Central State, publicly acknowledged in Daily Times (May 22, 1971) that Chief Awolowo returned unspent federation allocations from 1967–1970 back to the East Central state after the war — a gesture rarely acknowledged in popular narratives.
🎥 The Danger of Misinformation in Entertainment
While Afamefuna is undeniably a cinematic triumph in many respects, its propagation of the £20-only narrative distorts Nigeria's delicate post-war history and risks entrenching historical inaccuracies among new generations.
🎬 As the Nigerian film industry continues to grow in global influence, filmmakers must take greater responsibility in fact-checking historically sensitive content. Misrepresenting the facts not only dishonors the complex realities of our past but also fuels divisive sentiments.
📝 Final Thoughts
Historical truth matters — especially in a country still healing from the scars of its civil war. While art has the power to reflect trauma and provoke empathy, it must do so with a commitment to truth and context. The myth of the £20 payout as a punitive measure against the Igbos has been debunked by multiple credible sources, eyewitnesses, and historical documentation.
📢 Let’s honor our past not with myths but with truth, healing, and integrity — in our conversations, our classrooms, and most importantly, our films.
---
#AfamefunaMovie #BiafraWar #NigerianHistory #ObafemiAwolowo #CivilWarTruth #NollywoodFacts #£20MythDebunked #AfricanCinema #NigeriaCivilWar #PostWarReconciliation #IgboHistory #HistoricalAccuracyMatters #CinemaWithTruth
0 Comments