In January 1967, two of Nigeria’s most powerful military leaders — General Yakubu Gowon and Lt. Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu — met in Aburi, Ghana, in what would become one of the most historic peace meetings in Nigeria’s history.
The meeting, hosted by General Joe Ankrah, then President of Ghana, took place at his Hilltop Mansion. The purpose was clear: to find a peaceful resolution to growing tensions between the federal government and the Eastern Region, and to prevent a looming civil war.
At Aburi, both leaders reportedly reached a mutual understanding known today as the Aburi Accord, outlining how Nigeria would continue as a united country “during the period of military rule.” The atmosphere was hopeful, and the symbolic handshake between Gowon and Ojukwu represented a moment of unity and potential reconciliation.
However, upon returning to Nigeria, General Gowon’s government introduced Decrees 14 and 15, effectively centralizing power and nullifying key parts of the Aburi agreement. In response, Ojukwu declared the independence of Biafra in May 1967 — a move that led to one of Africa’s most devastating conflicts: the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970).
The photograph of the Aburi handshake remains a haunting reminder of what could have been — a peace that slipped away just before the war began.
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