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From music videos to war: Meji Alabi's documentary journey
Grammy Award-winning director Meji Alabi, known for his work with global music icons like Beyoncé, Burna Boy, and Davido, has turned his lens toward one of Nigeria's most painful historical chapters. His latest project, Surviving Biafra: Voices from the Nigerian Civil War, produced by BBC Africa Eye, uncovers previously unseen footage from the 1967-1970 conflict that left deep scars on the nation.
The war's hidden legacy
Alabi, 37, admitted the documentary was a revelation. Born in London to Nigerian parents and raised in Texas, he grew up with little knowledge of the war that pitted Nigeria's federal army against ethnic Igbo separatists fighting for the breakaway state of Biafra. "It was very much an eye-opener for me," he said. "I just grew up not knowing much about the war at all, or who was fighting who."
The conflict erupted after a series of military coups and massacres targeting Igbo people in northern Nigeria. An estimated one million Igbos fled to their ancestral homeland in the southeast, where three states declared independence as Biafra. The Nigerian government responded with force, sparking a brutal 30-month war that killed between 500,000 and three million people, many of them children. The crisis became the world's first televised humanitarian disaster, with harrowing images of starving children broadcast globally.
Family ties and uncomfortable truths
Alabi's collaboration with his uncle, Leke Alabi-Isama, a filmmaker and co-founder of Lagos-based PriorGold Pictures, drove the project forward. Their shared family history-rooted in the war-added a personal dimension. Leke's father, Godwin Alabi-Isama, a former army commando, fought for the federal army. "I only just saw it from a Nigerian [federal army] perspective," Leke, 44, said. "I never knew of the horrors. I never knew of the suffering and the pain of the other side."
For decades, Godwin Alabi-Isama was seen as a war hero in his family. But as Leke researched the conflict in his 30s, he uncovered disturbing truths: mass starvation in Biafra, allegations of war crimes against the federal army, and his father's controversial role. "The first time I saw those clips of people, children starved... it was horrific," Leke recalled. "That was the moment for me where the horrors of the war then became facts."
"When you find out that, you know, your truth is not the only truth, it was a humbling moment."
Leke Alabi-Isama
Survivors' voices and historical gaps
The documentary features firsthand accounts from survivors now in their 70s and 80s, many speaking publicly for the first time. Among them are two former female soldiers who fought on opposing sides, an aid worker, and former BBC correspondent Martin Bell, who criticizes the international response to the crisis.
Nigeria's government blocked food supplies to Biafra during the war, leading to famine. Starvation is believed to have caused hundreds of thousands of deaths. In a poignant moment, Leke showed his father footage of emaciated children. "Until then in my 43 years of existence, I had never heard my father's voice shake," he said. The interview also revealed a shocking detail: Godwin Alabi-Isama unknowingly ate human flesh during the conflict, served to his unit by villagers in occupied Biafran territory.
Why this story matters now
History was removed from Nigeria's national school curriculum for over a decade before being reinstated in September 2025. Many Nigerians, like Leke, grew up with only "a line or two" about the war in textbooks. "It's still not fully covered, you know, the extent of the suffering," he said. "And I think, for me, Nigeria is just scared to confront its own truth."
Alabi and Leke hope the documentary will spark broader conversations. "It's a topic that is whispered," Meji said. "It hasn't been attacked head-on and presented from an inquisitive younger generation like this before." The film also features a score by Ghanaian composer Ray Michael Djan Jr., known for his work on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and relies on expertise from the BBC's Igbo service and historians.
"This generation is slowly fading, and if we do not preserve their testimonies now, we risk losing not only their memories, but the chance to fully document this history in a way that can contribute to understanding and healing."
Leke Alabi-Isama
A call for reconciliation
In response to the documentary, Nigeria's government stated it hoped the film would serve as a reminder of the country's progress over the past 59 years and "the enduring importance of dialogue, reconciliation and shared purpose in building a stronger nation."
Both directors want more. "My hope is that this film encourages Nigerians to confront the darker parts of our shared history with honesty, reflection, and empathy," Leke said. Meji added, "We really hope this documentary encourages more survivors to tell their stories and document our history further. It's up to us to do it."
