Abia Government Approves Major Renovation of Ojukwu Bunker and National War Museum
Umuahia, Abia State – November 25, 2025
In a landmark move to preserve history and boost tourism, the Abia State Government has approved the comprehensive renovation and upgrade of two of Nigeria’s most important civil-war heritage sites: the Ojukwu Bunker and the National War Museum in Umuahia.
The decision, announced by the state’s Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, follows the conclusion of agreements between the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) and the state’s Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy.
The plan is part of a broader cultural-economic vision championed by Governor Alex Otti to reposition Abia as a centre for heritage tourism and creative economy.
The project is set to modernise the physical infrastructure of the sites, restoring and upgrading exhibits and facilities to international standards.
The Ojukwu Bunker, built during the Biafran War as a wartime command centre, and the National War Museum, which houses memorabilia and relics from the civil war (tanks, aircraft wreckage, historical documents), will be repositioned as leading tourist attractions for state, national and international visitors.
The squabble between Western and Northern political elites quickly degenerated into the slaughter of the Igbos. With the illegal incarceration of Obafemi Awolowo, and the January 1966 coup, which the British using the BBC deceitfully branded an “Igbo coup,” widespread and coordinated massacres broke out in the Northern Region, and until today remains one of the darkest turning points in Nigeria’s history, an eruption of violence that reshaped Nigeria’s destiny.
Tens of thousands of Igbo civilians men, women, children, traders, professionals, and soldiers were hunted down and brutally killed in their homes, workplaces, markets, and military barracks. Trains and lorries carrying fleeing families were ambushed; entire communities were wiped out.
Despite desperate pleas for protection, the federal government unwilling to stop the killings, creating a climate of fear and national fracture. This mass slaughter, often described as a pogrom, shattered trust between ethnic groups and set the stage for a profound national crisis.
In response to the continued massacres and the failure of the state to guarantee the safety of Eastern Nigerians, the Eastern Region led by Lt. Col. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu declared the independent Republic of Biafra in May 1967, after several efforts for the government to protect them.
What followed was the invasion of Biafra by the same Nigerian government that refused to protect them, and a brutal 30-month Nigerian-Biafran War, a genocide marked by air, land, and sea blockade of Biafra, creating a devastating humanitarian catastrophe.
Over five million civilians, mostly women and children, died from starvation, disease, and bombardment, making it one of the deadliest genocides in post-colonial Africa. The killings ended in January 1970, but its scars remain deeply etched in Nigeria’s political, cultural, and emotional landscape.
Today, the government of Abia state expects the intervention on these Biafra war heritage sites to create jobs, boost local business opportunities, and enhance the state’s cultural-historical heritage profile.
According to Commissioner Kanu, the retrofitting is “a fulfillment of the governor’s campaign promises,” and a demonstration of the government’s “unwavering commitment to preserving history while elevating the state’s tourist potential.”
This initiative comes after Abia State earlier identified more than 55 heritage and cultural-history sites worth reviving across the state, ranging from caves and colonial-era landmarks to important civil-war relics, in an effort to diversify and deepen the state’s tourism portfolio.
The government is working closely with the NCMM and the federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy to finalise a Memorandum of Understanding, signalling federal-state collaboration on heritage preservation.
Officials say the renovation is not only about bricks and mortar, but also about preserving collective memory, educating younger generations about Nigeria’s past, and promoting fairness through heritage awareness.
With agreements concluded, the works are expected to begin soon. In parallel, the state government plans to leverage cultural revival with other initiatives: a series of festive activities this Christmas season, beginning with a Comedy Fest in Umuahia (scheduled for December 12, 2025), to drive attention and interest toward Abia’s growing cultural economy.
Once completed, the upgraded Ojukwu Bunker and National War Museum could significantly reshape Abia State’s visibility on Nigeria’s tourism map, offering Nigerians and foreigners alike an opportunity to reflect on the country’s history while enjoying a modern heritage destination.
The renovation of these war-era landmarks underscores a growing recognition that Nigeria’s painful history, especially the traumatic events of the genocidal war, must be preserved as part of national memory. More than just tourist attractions, these sites carry the stories, lessons, and scars of past conflict.
By restoring and promoting them, Abia State is sending a powerful message: that remembrance, heritage, and cultural education are vital components of healing and identity.
As the project moves from blueprint to reality, many will be watching, not just to see restored monuments, but to witness historical memory become the foundation for knowledge, tourism, and sustainable development in Abia and Nigeria as a whole.
