# List of wars involving Nigeria

This is a list of wars involving the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its predecessor states.

## Other conflicts

* 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.
Part of a series on the :
History of Nigeria :
Timeline :
| Early history | pre-1500 |
| Nok culture | 1500-1 BC |
| Pre-colonial period | 1500–1800 |
| British period | 1800–1960 |
| First Republic | 1960–1979 |
| Civil War | 1967–1970 |
| Second Republic | 1979–1983 |
| Third Republic | 1993–1999 |
| Fourth Republic | 1999–present |
Topics :
Economic
Igbo people
Yoruba people
Hausa people :
By state :
Abia
Adamawa
Akwa Ibom
Anambra
Bauchi
Bayelsa
Benue
Borno
Cross River
Delta
Ebonyi
Edo
Ekiti
Enugu
Gombe
Imo
Jigawa
Kaduna
Kano
Katsina
Kebbi
Kogi
Kwara
Lagos
Nasarawa
Niger
Ogun
Ondo
Osun
Oyo
Plateau
Rivers
Sokoto
Taraba
Yobe
Zamfara :
See also :
List of years in Nigeria :
Nigeria portal :
vte :

## Kingdom of Benin (1180-1897)

| Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Result |
| Idah war (1515-1516) | Kingdom of Benin | Igala Kingdom | Victory Edo conquest of Idah |

## Oyo Empire (1682–1833)

| Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Result |
| Battle of Dahomey (1728) | Oyo Empire | Dahomey | Victory |
| Battle of Atakpamé | Kingdom of Akyem Kingdom of Dahomey Oyo Empire | Ashanti Empire | Victory the Juabenhene was killed |
| Battle of Tabkin Kwatto (1804) | Sultanate of Gobir | Sokoto Caliphate | Decisive Fulani victory |
| Fulani War (1804–1808) | Sokoto Caliphate | Hausa Kingdoms | Fulani victory Establishment of the Sokoto Caliphate |
| Battle of Oyo Ile | Oyo Empire | Nupe | Decisive Oyo victory The Oyo defeated the Nupe and reclaimed Oyo Ile |

## 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/British Republic (1800–1960)

| Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Result |
| Igbo-Igala Wars (18th-19th Century) | East, North and Western Igboland | Idah | Stalemate Nsukka briefly conquered by Igala, Minor Igala influences in certain Western Igbo areas, Nsukka Reconquered by Igbo, Ebonyi conquers multiple Igala areas, Igbo Influence on Igala in Igboland |
| Battle of Nsukka (1792) | Nsukka | Idah | Stalemate Nsukka wins but is eventually conquered |
| Ekumeku Movement (1883–1914) | Ekumeku Organization | British Empire | Stalemate Establishment of the Southern Nigeria Protectorate |
| Anglo-Aro War (1901–1902) | Aro Confederacy | United Kingdom | Defeat Defeat of the Aro People |
| Battle of Kano (1903) | Sokoto Caliphate Kano Emirate | United Kingdom Protectorate of Northern Nigeria | Defeat Defeat of the Sokoto Caliphate and it getting conquered by Britain. |
| African theatre of World War I (1914–1918) | Entente Powers: British Empire  United Kingdom  Australia  Bechuanaland  British East Africa Egypt  Gold Coast  India  New Zealand Nigeria  Northern Rhodesia  Nyasaland  Somaliland  South Africa  Southern Rhodesia Sudan Uganda  France  French West Africa  French Equatorial Africa Morocco  Belgium  Belgian Congo  Portugal  Angola  Mozambique  Italy (1915–1918) Tripolitania Cyrenaica  Eritrea Somalia  Liberia (1917–1918) | Central Powers: German Empire Togoland Kamerun  German South West Africa  German East Africa  Ottoman Empire Co-belligerents:  Transvaal (1914–1915) Senussi Sultanate of Darfur (1914–1916) Dervish State Supported by:  Ethiopian Empire (1915–1916) | Allied victory |
| Kamerun campaign (1914–1916) | Entente Powers: British Empire Nigeria  India  France  French Equatorial Africa  Belgium  Belgian Congo | Central Powers: Germany Kamerun | Allied victory |
| First Battle of Garua (1914) | British Empire British Nigeria | Germany German Kamerun | Defeat |
| Battle of Gurin (1915) | British Empire British Nigeria | Germany German Kamerun | Victory |
| Second Battle of Garua (1915) | British Empire British Nigeria France French Equatorial Africa | German Empire German Kamerun | Allied Victory |
| Bussa Rebellion (1915) | Nigeria | British Empire | Stalemate |
| Adubi War (1918) | British Empire British Nigeria | Egba rebels | Victory |
| East African Campaign (World War II) (1940–1943) | Allied Powers: British Empire  United Kingdom  Australia  Gold Coast  India Kenya Nigeria  Nyasaland  Northern Rhodesia  Southern Rhodesia  Somaliland  South Africa Sudan  Belgium  Belgian Congo  Free Ethiopia  Free France French Equatorial Africa | Axis Powers: Italy  Italian East Africa Supported by:  Germany | Victory Fall of Italian East Africa |

## First Nigerian Republic (1960–1979)

| Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Result |
| Congo Crisis (1960–1964) | Congo-Léopoldville ONUC  Ireland  Sweden  Norway  India  Nigeria  Ethiopia | Katanga South Kasai Belgium | Victory Katanga and South Kasai dissolved |
| South African Border War (1966–1990) | SWAPO (PLAN) MPLA (FAPLA)  Cuba SWANU ANC (MK)  Zambia Material Support:  Nigeria | South Africa Transitional Government of South West Africa  Portugal (until 1975) UNITA (from 1975) FNLA (1975) | Military stalemate Angolan Tripartite Accord, leading to: Withdrawal of South African forces from Namibia; withdrawal of Cuban forces from Angola |
| 1966 Nigerian coup d'état (1966) | Government of Nigeria | Rebel Army Officers | Government Victory Overthrow of Abubakar Balewa Assassination of 11 senior Politicians Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi seized power Instigation of Northern-led counter-coup Nigerian Civil War starts in 1967 |
| 1975 Nigerian coup d'état (1975) | Military government Supreme Military Council (SMC) | Armed Forces faction Supreme Military Council (SMC) | Coup succeeds Yakubu Gowon is ousted and replaced with Murtala Mohammed. |
| 1976 Nigerian coup d'état attempt (1976) | Military government Supreme Military Council (SMC) | Armed Forces faction | Coup fails Murtala Mohammed is assassinated and succeeded by Olusegun Obasanjo. |

## Civil War (1967–1970)

| Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Result |
| Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970) | Nigeria Egypt | Biafra | Victory Reincorporation of Biafra into Nigeria |
| Operation UNICORD (1967) | Nigeria | Biafra | Victory |
| Midwest Invasion of 1967 (1967) | Nigeria | Biafra | Victory |
| First Invasion of Onitsha (1967) | Nigeria | Biafra | Biafran victory |
| Operation Tiger Claw (1967) | Nigeria | Biafra | Nigerian victory |
| Fall of Enugu (1967) | Nigeria | Biafra | Victory |
| Second Invasion of Onitsha (1968) | Nigeria | Biafra | Victory |
| Abagana Ambush (1968) | Nigeria | Biafra | Indecisive |
| Invasion of Port Harcourt (1968) | Nigeria | Biafra | Victory |
| Operation OAU (1968) | Nigeria | Biafra | Defeat |
| Operation Hiroshima (1968) | Nigeria | Biafra | Victory |
| Siege of Owerri (1968–1969) | Nigeria | Biafra | Defeat |
| Operation Leopard (1969) (1969) | Nigeria | Biafra | Victory |
| Invasion of Umuahia (1969) | Nigeria | Biafra | Victory |
| Operation Tail-Wind (1970) | Nigeria | Biafra | Decisive Nigerian victory Capitulation of Biafra |

## Second Nigerian Republic (1977–1991)

| Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Result |
| Shaba I (1977) | Zaire Morocco Egypt France Belgium Supported by:  United States  China Sudan  Nigeria | Front for the National Liberation of the Congo (FNLC) Supported by: Angola  East Germany  Soviet Union | Victory FNLC expelled from Shaba |
| Chadian–Libyan conflict (1978) | Anti-Libyan Chadian factions FAT (1978–79) FAN (1978–83) FANT (1983–87) GUNT (1986–87)  France Inter-African Force  Zaire  Nigeria  Senegal | Libya Islamic Legion Pro-Libyan Chadian factions FROLINAT GUNT (1979–86) Codos (1983–86)  PLO (1987) Supported by:  Soviet Union  East Germany | Victory |
| 1983 Nigerian coup d'état (1983) | Nigeria | Nigeria Rebel Officers | Coup succeeds The ousting of the democratically elected government of President Shehu Shagari |
| Chadian–Nigerian War (1983) | Nigeria | Chad | Victory |
| 1985 Nigerian coup d'état (1985) | Military government Supreme Military Council (SMC) | Armed Forces faction Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC) | Coup succeeds |
| First Liberian Civil War (1990–1997) | Liberia ULIMO ECOMOG | NPFL INPFL | Indecisive (ECOMOG mission successful) Elections held, Charles Taylor becomes President. |

## Third Nigerian Republic (1992–1999)

| Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Result |
| Operation Restore Hope (1992–1993) | UNITAF  Australia  Bangladesh  Belgium  Botswana  Canada  Egypt  Ethiopia  France  Germany  Greece  India  Italy  Kuwait  Malaysia  Morocco  New Zealand  Nigeria  Norway  Pakistan  Saudi Arabia  Spain  Tunisia  Turkey  UAE  United Kingdom  United States  Zimbabwe  Nigeria | United Somali Congress | UN operational success |
| Sierra Leone Civil War (1993–2002) | Sierra Leone ECOMOG United Kingdom UNAMSIL | RUF NPFL AFRC | Victory Lomé Peace Accord Defeat of the Revolutionary United Front |
| 1998 Monrovia clashes (1998) | Johnson's forces (ex-ULIMO-J) Limited involvement:  Nigeria  United States | Liberian government (Taylor loyalists) | Stalemate |

## Fourth Nigerian Republic (1999–present)

| Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Result |
| Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present) | Algeria  Mauritania  Tunisia  Libya  Mali MINUSMA (from 2013)  Nigeria AFISMA (from 2013)  Niger  Chad  France  Turkey | GSPC (until 2007) AQIM (from 2007) Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (from 2017) MOJWA (2011–13) Al-Mourabitoun (2013–17) Ansar Dine (2012–17) Ansar al-Sharia (Tunisia) (from 2011) Uqba ibn Nafi Brigade (from 2012) Ansar al-Sharia (Libya) (2012–17) Salafia Jihadia Boko Haram (from 2006, part of ISIL since 2015)  Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (from 2014) Libyan provinces Wilayat Gharb Ifriqiyyah Wilayat al-Jazair | Ongoing |
| Conflict in the Niger Delta (2004–present) | Nigeria | MEND NDPVF NDLF | Ongoing Amnesty agreement in 2009 |
| Operation Juniper Shield (2007–present) | Algeria  Morocco  Mauritania Tunisia  Burkina Faso  Chad  Mali  Niger Nigeria  Senegal | al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (2007–present) Ansar Dine (2012–17) Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (2017–present) Supported By: Boko Haram (2009–15) MOJWA (2011–13) ISIL Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (2015–present) | Ongoing |
| Bakassi conflict (2009) | Democratic Republic of Bakassi Pro-Nigerian militia | Cameroon | Ongoing |
| Somali Civil War (2009–present) | Somalia  United States  United Kingdom AMISOM  Nigeria (from 2010)  Kenya | Al-Shabaab Hizbul Islam Islamic State in Somalia Supported by:  Eritrea | Ongoing |
| Boko Haram insurgency (2009–present) | Nigeria Cameroon Chad Niger Turkey | Boko Haram Ansaru | Ongoing |
| 2009 Boko Haram uprising (2009) | Nigerian Government | Boko Haram | Violence quelled |
| War on terror (2009) | Main countries:  United States United Kingdom France Russia Other participant countries:  Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2004–2021)  Armenia  Australia  Austria  Azerbaijan  Bahrain  Benin  Brunei  Burkina Faso  Cameroon  Cape Verde  Chad  China  Democratic Republic of the Congo  Cyprus  Egypt  El Salvador  Finland  Gabon  The Gambia  Georgia  Guinea  Guinea-Bissau  India  Indonesia  Iran  Iraq  Israel  Ivory Coast  Japan  Jordan  Kazakhstan  Kyrgyzstan  Lebanon  Liberia  Malawi  Malaysia  Mali  Malta  Mauritania  Mongolia  Morocco  Mozambique  New Zealand  Niger  Nigeria  Pakistan  Palestine  Philippines  Rwanda  Saudi Arabia  Senegal  Sierra Leone  Singapore  South Africa  South Korea  Sweden  Tajikistan  Taiwan  Tanzania  Thailand  Togo  Tonga  Turkmenistan  Uganda  Ukraine  United Arab Emirates  Uzbekistan  Vietnam  Yemen  Zimbabwe | Terrorist groups: Al-Qaeda Lashkar al-Zil AQAPAnsar al-Sharia (Yemen) AQIM AQIS al-Shabaab Tahrir al-ShamKhorasan Nusrat al-Islam AQKBAbdullah Azzam Brigades Tawhid al-Jihad (Gaza Strip)Abu Hafs al-Masri BrigadesImam Shamil BattalionIslamist lone wolves | Ongoing |
| Nigerian bandit conflict(2011–Present) | Nigeria Nigeria Police Force Nigerian Armed Forces Nigerian Army Nigerian Air Force Vigilante groups Vigilante Group of Nigeria Yan Sakai | Various gangs Hausa militias Fulani militias Alleged involvement Islamic State's West Africa Province Boko Haram Ansaru | Ongoing |
| Northern Mali conflict (2012–present) | Mali  France  Turkey  China  Benin  Ghana  Cape Verde  The Gambia  Ghana  Guinea  Guinea-Bissau  Ivory Coast  Liberia  Niger  Nigeria  Sierra Leone  Senegal  Togo  Chad  Burundi  Gabon  South Africa  Rwanda  Tanzania  Uganda  Germany | ISIL Ansar al-Sharia Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin | Ongoing |
| Operation Serval part of 2012 Northern Mali conflict and the War on Terror (2013–2014) | Mali  France  Nigeria  Sierra Leone  Poland MNLA | Islamic militants MOJWA AQIM Ansar Dine | Victory |
| Military intervention against ISIL (2014–present) 2014 Jos bombings | United States  United Kingdom  Iraq Syria  Australia  Belgium  Canada  Denmark  France  Germany  Italy  Netherlands  New Zealand  Norway  Portugal  Spain  Turkey  Bahrain  Jordan  Morocco  Greece  Qatar  Saudi Arabia  United Arab Emirates  Egypt  Libya  Nigeria  Cameroon  Chad  Niger  Russia | Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Boko Haram al-Nusra Front Khorasan | Ongoing |
| Chibok ambush (2014) | Nigeria | Boko Haram | Defeat |
| 2015 West African offensive (2015) 30 June and 1 July 2015 Borno massacres | Multinational Joint Task Force  Nigeria  Cameroon  Chad  Niger Local militias STTEP (foreign mercenaries) Supported by: African Union Belgium Benin Canada China Colombia France Iran Israel Italy Spain United Kingdom United States | ISIL Wilayat Gharb Afriqiya (from March 2015) Boko Haram (until March 2015) | Multinational Joint Task Force victory |
| Invasion of the Gambia (2017) Dalori attack | Senegal Nigeria Ghana Mali Togo Coalition 2016 | Gambia MFDC | Victory Yahya Jammeh steps down peacefully, minimal combat between the two sides. |
| Chad Basin campaign (2018–2020) | Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF)  Nigeria  Niger  Cameroon  Chad Self-defense militias | Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) Boko Haram | Partial Multinational Joint Task Force victory Much territory is retaken from rebel forces Insurgents retain significant presence in the Chad Basin ISWAP experiences extensive leadership struggles, resulting in the successive purges of two leaders and several sub-commanders$^{:6}$ |
| Orlu Crisis (16-28 January 2021) | Nigeria | IPOB | Ceasefire Nigerian troops intervention repulsed |
| Insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria 2021–present | Nigeria | Biafra Seperaists | Ongoing |
| Anambra Ambush (2023) | Nigeria  USA | IPOB | Defeat Suspected Biafra seperaists victory Ambush Successful |
| 2023 Nigerien Crisis | Government of Niger Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism|PNDS-Tarayya ECOWAS  Benin  Cape Verde  The Gambia  Ghana  Guinea-Bissau  Ivory Coast  Liberia  Nigeria  Senegal  Sierra Leone  Togo Supported by:  France  United States  African Union | National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland M62 Movement  Burkina Faso  Mali Supported by:  Guinea Indigenous People of Biafra | Defeat *French withdrawal in December. |

## 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)