List of wars involving Nigeria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of wars involving the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its predecessor states.
- Mbaise Rebellion Battles against the British 1902–1917 – In 1900, the British created the Southern Nigeria Protectorate. The resistance to British colonisation from the people of modern mbaise and igbo's throughout Eastern Nigeria is well documented.
- Bende Onitsha Hinterland Expedition 1905–1906 – The Bende Onitsha Hinterland Expedition is also referred to as the Ahiara Expedition due to the impact it had on the area. There was a lot of hostility between the British and the people of Mbaise following the Aro Expedition.
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Kingdom of Benin (1180–1897)
| Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idah war (1515-1516) part of the European exploration of Africa |
Igala Kingdom |
Benin-Portuguese victory |
Oyo Empire (1682–1833)
| Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle of Dahomey (1728) |
Oyo Empire | Dahomey | Victory |
| Battle of Atakpamé | Victory
| ||
| Battle of Tabkin Kwatto part of the Fulani War (1804) |
Sokoto Caliphate |
Decisive Sokoto victory | |
| Fulani War part of the Fula jihads (1804–1808) |
|
Sokoto victory
| |
| Battle of Oyo Ile | Oyo Empire | Nupe | Decisive Oyo victory
|
Battles (1901–1902)
- Battles in the Oguta/Owerri area (November 1901)
- Battles of Esu Itu (December 1901)
- Anglo-Aro war (December 1901)
- Battle of Edimma (January 1902)
- Battle of Ikotobo (January 1902)
- Battle of Ikorodaka (February 1902)
- Battle of Bende (March 1902)
Colonial Nigeria (1800–1960)
| Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Igbo-Igala Wars (18th-19th century) |
Stalemate | ||
| Ekumeku Movement (1883–1914) |
Ekumeku organisation |
British victory
| |
| Anglo-Aro War part of the Scramble for Africa (1901–1902) |
British victory | ||
| Battle of Kano part of the Pacification of Northern Nigeria (1903) |
British victory | ||
| African theatre of World War I part of the First World War (1914–1918) |
 Italy (1915–1918)
|
Allied victory
| |
| Kamerun campaign part of the African theatre of World War I (1914–1916) |
Allied victory
| ||
| First Battle of Garua part of the Kamerun campaign in World War I (1914) |
German victory | ||
| Battle of Gurin part of the Kamerun campaign in World War I (1915) |
British victory | ||
| Second Battle of Garua part of the Kamerun campaign in World War I (1915) |
Allied victory | ||
| Bussa Rebellion part of World War I (1915) |
Supporters of the Emir of Bussa |
British victory | |
| Adubi War
(1918) |
Egba rebels |
British victory | |
| East African Campaign (World War II) part of the Mediterranean and Middle East theatre of the Second World War (1940–1943) |
 United Kingdom and Empire: Ethiopian Arbegnoch Belgium
|
Allied victory
|
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First Nigerian Republic (1960–1979)
| Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Congo Crisis part of the decolonisation of Africa and the Cold War (1960–1964) |
1960–1963:
Supported by:
1963–1964: Supported by:
|
1960–1963:
Supported by:
1960–1962: Supported by: 1963–1964: Supported by: |
Victory
|
| 1966 Nigerian coup d'état (1966) |
|
Coup failed but government was still overthrown
| |
| 1975 Nigerian coup d'état
(1975) |
|
|
Coup succeeds
|
| 1976 Nigerian coup d'état attempt
(1976) |
|
|
Coup fails
|
Civil War (1967–1970)
| Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigerian Civil War part of the Cold War and the decolonisation of Africa (1967–1970) |
|
Nigerian victory
| |
| Operation UNICORD part of the Biafran War (1967) |
Nigerian victory | ||
| Midwest Invasion of 1967 part of the Biafran War (1967) |
|
Nigerian victory | |
| First Invasion of Onitsha part of the Biafran War (1967) |
Biafran victory | ||
| Operation Tiger Claw part of the Nigerian Civil War (1967) |
Nigerian victory | ||
| Fall of Enugu part of the Nigerian Civil War (1967) |
Nigerian victory | ||
| Second Invasion of Onitsha part of the Biafran War (1968) |
Nigerian victory | ||
| Abagana Ambush part of the Nigerian Civil War (1968) |
Decisive Biafran victory | ||
| Invasion of Port Harcourt part of the Biafran War (1968) |
Victory | ||
| Operation OAU part of the Biafran War (1968) |
Biafran victory | ||
| Operation Hiroshima part of the Biafran War (1968) |
Decisive Nigerian victory | ||
| Siege of Owerri part of the Nigerian Civil War (1968–1969) |
Biafran victory | ||
| Operation Leopard (1969) part of the Biafran War |
Victory | ||
| Invasion of Umuahia part of the Biafran War (1969) |
Victory | ||
| Operation Tail-Wind part of the Biafran War (1970) |
Decisive Nigerian victory
|
Second Nigerian Republic (1977–1991)
| Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaba I part of the Shaba Invasions and the Cold War (1977) |
Supported by: |
|
Zairian victory
|
| Chadian–Libyan conflict part of the Cold War and the Arab Cold War (1978-1987) |
|
Pro-Libyan Palestinian and Lebanese groups[25] Supported by: |
Chadian and French victory
|
| 1983 Nigerian coup d'état
(1983) |
|
Coup succeeds
| |
| Chadian–Nigerian War
(1983) |
Nigerian victory | ||
| 1985 Nigerian coup d'état
(1985) |
|
|
Coup succeeds
|
| First Liberian Civil War part of the Liberian Civil Wars and spillover of the Sierra Leone Civil War (1990–1997) |
|
Anti-Doe Armed Forces elements |
NPFL victory
|
Third Nigerian Republic (1992–1999)
| Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Unified Task Force |
Operational success
| ||
| Sierra Leone Civil War part of the spillover of the First and Second Liberian Civil Wars (1991–2002) |
|
|
Commonwealth victory |
| 1998 Monrovia clashes part of the aftermath of the First Liberian Civil War (1998) |
|
|
Partial victory of Charles Taylor
|
Fourth Nigerian Republic (1999–present)
| Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conflict in the Niger Delta (2003–present) |
List |
Niger Delta Marine Force[41]
Supported by: Bandits |
Ongoing
|
| Operation Juniper Shield part of the Global War on Terrorism (Islamist insurgency in the Sahel) (2007–present) |
|
|
Ongoing |
| Somali Civil War part of the Somali Civil War, conflicts in the Horn of Africa, the Ethiopian–Somali conflict, war against the Islamic State, Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa, and global war on terrorism (2009–present) |
Regional forces:
Supported by:  UNPOS (1995–2013)
UNSOM (2013–2024) UNTMIS (2025–present) UNSOA (2009–2016) UNSOS (2016–present)
Independent regional forces |
Alleged non-state allies:
Allies Alleged support: |
Ongoing
|
| Boko Haram insurgency part of the religious violence in Nigeria, the war against the Islamic State, the Islamist insurgency in the Sahel, and the war on terror[87] (2009–present) |
|
|
Ongoing (Map of the current military situation)
|
| 2009 Boko Haram uprising part of the Boko Haram insurgency (2009) |
Violence quelled | ||
| Nigerian bandit conflict part of the Herder–farmer conflicts in Nigeria (2011–present[115]) |
Vigilante groups
|
Various bandit groups
Islamist rebels:
|
Ongoing |
| War in the Sahel part of the war on terror, spillover of the Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present) and the War against the Islamic State (2012[j]–Present) |
Supported by: |
Nigerien anti-coup movement: |
Ongoing
|
| Operation Serval part of the Mali War and the Islamist insurgency in the Sahel (2013–2014) |
|
|
Malian/French victory
|
| Chibok ambush part of the Boko Haram insurgency (2014) |
Boko Haram victory
| ||
| 2015 West African offensive part of the Boko Haram insurgency (2015) |
|
Multinational Joint Task Force victory | |
| ECOWAS military intervention in the Gambia part of the 2016–2017 Gambian constitutional crisis (first three days of the intervention) (2017-Present) |
ECOWAS forces
|
Protestors against continued ECOWAS presence |
Ongoing
|
| Chad Basin campaign (2018–2020) part of the Boko Haram insurgency |
Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF) Self-defense militias |
|
Partial Multinational Joint Task Force victory
|
| Insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria part of the herder–farmer conflicts in Nigeria and the conflict in the Niger Delta (2021–present) |
 NigeriaSpillover into Bakassi:  Cameroon |
|
Ongoing
|
| Anambra Ambush part of the insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria (2023) |
|
|
Suspected Biafra separatists victory
|
| Nigerien crisis (2023–2024) part of the aftermath of the 2023 Nigerien coup d'état |
Supported by:
|
|
ECOWAS takes no military action
|
Peace agreements
Peace agreements signed
- Banjul III Agreement (1990-10-24)
- Bamako Ceasefire Agreement (1990-11-28)
- Banjul IV Agreement (1990-12-21)
- Lomé Agreement (1991-02-13)
- Yamoussoukro IV Peace Agreement (1991-10-30)
- Geneva Agreement 1992 (1992-04-07)
- Cotonou Peace Agreement (1993-07-25)
- Akosombo Peace Agreement (1994-09-12)
- Accra Agreements/Akosombo clarification agreement (1994-12-21)
- Abuja Peace Agreement (1995-08-19)