Nigerian Subdivisions (Overview)

Formerly, Nigeria subdivisions consisted of only 3 regions (Western, Northern, Eastern) and Lagos Capital District. As a result of the beginning of the Nigerian Civil War, or Biafra crisis, (secession of the Igbo peoples) an administrative reform was made in Nigeria. The reform weakened the power of the separate regions and the power of the ethnic groups. (Haussa peoples in Northern region, Yoruba peoples in Western Region and Igbo peoples in Eastern Region). In 1964, the Mid Western Region was separated from the Western Region. Thus it gave a "remix" in the balance of power of the peoples of Yoruba and Igbo.

In 1967, in a move towards greater autonomy for minority ethnic groups, the military under leadership of Major General Yakubu Gowon divided the four regions into 12 states. However the Igbo rejected attempts at constitutional revisions and insisted on full autonomy for the east. On May 29, 1967 Lt. Col. Emeka Ojukwu, the military governor of the eastern region who emerged as the leader of increasing Igbo secessionist movement, declared the independence of the eastern region as the "Republic of Biafra." The ensuing Nigerian Civil War resulted in over 30,000 deaths before ending in the defeat of Biafra in 1970.

In the year 1976 with a further reform of the administrative divisions the structure of Nigerian subdivisions was changed. In all further reforms of the administrative divisions in Nigeria, states did not have symbols.*
Jens Pattke, 8 July 2006

*[ed: see Nigeria: Flags of Subdivisions since 1970 for an update to this post]

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The coats of arms of the Nigerian regions was created by the Royal Warrent in 1958. The later coat of arms of the Nigerian states have more African motifs.
Jens Pattke, 23 December 2009