Programmed forgetfulness

Uwadinma hails from the southeast where, 50 years ago, the military governor in charge of the region, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, declared an independent republic of Biafra for the Igbo majority there.

That triggered a bloody civil war that lasted 30 months and left more than 1 million dead.

But Uwadinma, 35, said: “This story, like the atrocities committed by successive military regimes, is not taught at school.”

Ten years ago, the federal government even withdrew history from primary and secondary school teaching, deeming it not to be an essential subject for students as job seekers.

There have been mounting calls in politics and academia for it to be reintroduced.

For Uwadinma, “the way we recycle the news is a symptom of the way we trash our memory and look for the next trendy story”.

This “programmed forgetfulness” has not stopped the West African oil giant, with its population hurtling towards 200 million, from developing at a pace since the return of civilian rule at the end of the 1990s.

Nigeria - a driver of the whole continent - is a source of fascination with its economic dynamism, flourishing cinema industry Nollywood and billionaire pop stars.

But the glitzy icons are a far cry from the music legend of the 1970s and 80s, Fela Kuti and his anti-Establishment Afrobeat.

“We only hear about money, girls and parties, it’s out of touch with reality,” said Uwadinma. –