I always taught on how names are generated particularly in Igbo land. For every name in Igbo land, the must be something that is synonimous to it. Eg, "Ebonyi" from the river - ebonyi,"Enugu" from the hills of Udi, "Anambra" from the Anam people, etc. How did our father come up with the name - BIAFRA? No insult please.

me too i wan know

op, i'm asking the same also.

I think it came from an Ijaw man. The region wasn't only made up of the Igbo speaking nations. It included most of the "South South" States too.

Ask Late Ojukwus Wife, His Son or Nnamdi Kanu... They should Know. Am typing this message live from the Federal Republic Of Biafra. I wish to know too.

"bia" is come so "fra" is what?

i think it Originated from the "Bight of Biafra" which is an area made up of the old south east region and even some parts of Cameroun. Dont ask me the Origin of Bight of Biafra cos i dunno.

In Nigeria, we have WaZoBia... Bia is come in Igbo land while Fra is the name of....

Asiri1991:
I always taught on how names are generated particularly in Igbo land. For every name in Igbo land, the must be something that is synonimous to it. Eg, "Ebonyi" from the river - ebonyi,"Enugu" from the hills of Udi, "Anambra" from the Anam people, etc. How did our father come up with the name - BIAFRA? No insult please.

The word Biafra is a geographical term that has existed well before the formation of Nigeria.
Just like the geographical terms like gulf of Guinea or gulf of Mexico, so too is the Bight of Biafra.
After the civil war Nigeria authorities renamed the term as the Bight of Bonny.
Biafra as the name for independent state was first suggested by Chief Kemte Giadom (an Ijaw man) on the floor of the old Eastern Regional Assembly. It was debated and was overwhelmingly adopted and was recommended to the executive that adopted it. Not Ojukwu's idea as many are meant to believe.

Asiri1991:
I always taught on how names are generated particularly in Igbo land. For every name in Igbo land, the must be something that is synonimous to it. Eg, "Ebonyi" from the river - ebonyi,"Enugu" from the hills of Udi, "Anambra" from the Anam people, etc. How did our father come up with the name - BIAFRA? No insult please.

Anambra comes from 'Omambara' which is Omambara river.


Bia-Fra.... Means heart of Africa.

Engine room of Africa. Once the zoo fall,.....

The name can be attributed to various sources..
1]Be Afra(place/residence of Afra):the land was thought by the first nations to be the habitation of the god Afra.those first nations later established the Biafran empire around 2500BC and called themselves "Ndi Gboo" meaning the ancients. This term was later corrupted to Igbo!
2]Bi Afrika: this meant at the center of Africa and it was used by the Portuguese to describe the area bkos they thought it lay in the center of the continent!
3]Biafulo(uncooked): this is from the kalabari ijo group and to them its used in reference to one of the creeks there(agaghim echetali aha ya ) that was always rumbling.. As if something is cooking inside .the Portuguese came and changed the name first to biafara before its present term,Biafra!
These are the accounts I've heard on how the name originated...for me am going with the first one

Eziachi:
The word Biafra is a geographical term that has existed well before the formation of Nigeria.
Just like the geographical terms like gulf of Guinea or gulf of Mexico, so too is the Bight of Biafra.
After the civil war Nigeria authorities renamed the term as the Bight of Bonny.
Biafra as the name for independent state was first suggested by Chief Kemte Giadom (an Ijaw man) on the floor of the old Eastern Regional Assembly. It was debated and was overwhelmingly adopted and was recommended to the executive that adopted it. Not Ojukwu's idea as many are meant to believe.

Good one. This actually takes me back to my GST 103 "Nigeria Peoples and Culture" where a man name John B. Croft was in charge of the bight of biafra during the slave trade days. Thank you.

runzlord:
"bia" is come so "fra" is what?

"fra" means join.

Bia'Afra is the name of animal , place or thing !!!

Asiri1991:
I always taught on how names are generated particularly in Igbo land. For every name in Igbo land, the must be something that is synonimous to it. Eg, "Ebonyi" from the river - ebonyi,"Enugu" from the hills of Udi, "Anambra" from the Anam people, etc. How did our father come up with the name - BIAFRA? No insult please.

*sigh

ekenedegreat:
"fra" means join.

that explains the name
come join

Eziachi:
The word Biafra is a geographical term that has existed well before the formation of Nigeria.
Just like the geographical terms like gulf of Guinea or gulf of Mexico, so too is the Bight of Biafra.
After the civil war Nigeria authorities renamed the term as the Bight of Bonny.
Biafra as the name for independent state was first suggested by Chief Kemte Giadom (an Ijaw man) on the floor of the old Eastern Regional Assembly. It was debated and was overwhelmingly adopted and was recommended to the executive that adopted it. Not Ojukwu's idea as many are meant to believe.

That is correct! It was an Ijaw man that told ojukwu to name the new country BIAFRA.

Whatever it means....I just love the name

Op all i can tell you is that Biafra is the portuguese corrution of the word "Bi'ephraim"

Eziachi:
The word Biafra is a geographical term that has existed well before the formation of Nigeria.
Just like the geographical terms like gulf of Guinea or gulf of Mexico, so too is the Bight of Biafra.
After the civil war Nigeria authorities renamed the term as the Bight of Bonny.
Biafra as the name for independent state was first suggested by Chief Kemte Giadom (an Ijaw man) on the floor of the old Eastern Regional Assembly. It was debated and was overwhelmingly adopted and was recommended to the executive that adopted it. Not Ojukwu's idea as many are meant to believe.

The bolded is not true. The name, Biafra, for the eastern region of Nigeria was suggested by Chief Frank Opigo, an Ijo man, former principal of Okirika Grammar School, former administrator of Yenagoa Province of Biafra and Minister of Natural Resources in Biafra.

We've been talking about it here: https://www.nairaland.com/520493/what-does-word-biafra-mean/2

Eziachi:
The word Biafra is a geographical term that has existed well before the formation of Nigeria.
Just like the geographical terms like gulf of Guinea or gulf of Mexico, so too is the Bight of Biafra.
After the civil war Nigeria authorities renamed the term as the Bight of Bonny.
Biafra as the name for independent state was first suggested by Chief Kemte Giadom (an Ijaw man) on the floor of the old Eastern Regional Assembly. It was debated and was overwhelmingly adopted and was recommended to the executive that adopted it. Not Ojukwu's idea as many are meant to believe.

Giadom should be an Ogoni name not Ijaw

Asiri1991:
Good one. This actually takes me back to my GST 103 "Nigeria Peoples and Culture" where a man name John B. Croft was in charge of the bight of biafra during the slave trade days. Thank you.

Did you by any means attend University of Abuja,?

UnknownT:
Giadom should be an Ogoni name not Ijaw

Bros you are correct. Chief Kemte Giadom was Ogoni not Ijo.

s3nn2x:
Did you by any means attend University of Abuja,?

No.

s3nn2x:
Did you by any means attend University of Abuja,?

No. EBSU has it.

What does ogoni mean?

Is it derived from guinea?

Duru1:


The bolded is not true. The name, Biafra, for the eastern region of Nigeria was suggested by Chief Frank Opigo, an Ijo man, former principal of Okirika Grammar School, former administrator of Yenagoa Province of Biafra and Minister of Natural Resources in Biafra.

Ok, let's agree to disagree. I should know as not only that I was around at the time but my father was a member of the assembly and special assistant to Ojukwu through out the war as a major.

Duru1:


Bros you are correct. Chief Kemte Giadom was Ogoni not Ijo.

He.Could have been, we all call them Ijaw by omission. I met him in the early 80s at Obi Wali's residence in Port Harcourt during the NPP days.

Ijaws is Biafra, Igbo is Biafra Yoruba please leave us alone!

Eziachi:
The word Biafra is a geographical term that has existed well before the formation of Nigeria.
Just like the geographical terms like gulf of Guinea or gulf of Mexico, so too is the Bight of Biafra.
After the civil war Nigeria authorities renamed the term as the Bight of Bonny.
Biafra as the name for independent state was first suggested by Chief Kemte Giadom (an Ijaw man) on the floor of the old Eastern Regional Assembly. It was debated and was overwhelmingly adopted and was recommended to the executive that adopted it. Not Ojukwu's idea as many are meant to believe.

What is the meaning of Nigeria?

Bollove:
Bia'Afra is the name of animal , place or thing !!!

Biafra is a local language to Ijaw. Not Portugal language. Meaning not rite food