Acclaimed music director and filmmaker Meji Alabi expands his documentary portfolio with Surviving Biafra, a BBC World Service production set to premiere on June 1 on BBC iPlayer and YouTube.
The 75-minute documentary revisits the Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War, through multiple perspectives from individuals on both sides of the conflict. It combines eyewitness testimonies, previously unseen frontline archive footage, and personal accounts from soldiers and civilians.
A central thread of the film follows Alabi’s interview with his grandfather, a former army commander, alongside conversations with people who served with and against him. With most survivors now in their 70s and 80s, the documentary highlights the urgency of preserving their memories.
Alabi describes the project as a personal responsibility tied to generational memory.
“Like so many Nigerians, my grandfather’s life was forever shaped by the Biafran War,” he says. “With each passing year, fewer survivors remain, but the memories of what they witnessed have never left them. It is now the responsibility of younger generations to preserve these stories before they disappear forever.”
The Nigerian Civil War, which lasted from 1967 to 1970, is estimated to have claimed between 600,000 and three million lives, with widespread accounts of famine, displacement, and alleged war crimes.
Produced by the award-winning BBC Africa Eye team, Surviving Biafra situates these historical accounts within a broader effort to document lived experiences of the conflict. The film also reflects on the continuing emotional and historical impact of the war, particularly in Nigeria’s eastern region.
