Nigerian music video director Meji Alabi is set to release his documentary feature, “Surviving Biafra,” on June 1, 2026.
The 75-minute directed by Meji Alabi and Leke Alabi Isama, revisits the Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War, which raged from 1967 to 1970 in eastern Nigeria.
Through eyewitness testimonies from soldiers and civilians on both sides of the conflict, along with rare archival footage, the film offers an unflinching look at one of the Nigeria’s most traumatic periods.
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At the heart of the documentary is a clandestine interview with Alabi’s own grandfather, a former army general. The film also features conversations with soldiers and elderly survivors who witnessed the the Civil War that claimed between 60,000 and three million lives and left behind a devastating trail of famine, war crimes, and mass displacement.
Meji Alabi, best known for directing music videos for artistes including Davido, Beyoncé, Wizkid and Burna Boy, described the project as a necessary act of historical preservation.
“Like so many Nigerians, my grandfather’s life was forever shaped by the Biafran War,” he said. “With each year passing, fewer survivors remain, but the memories of what they witnessed never left them. It is now the responsibility of younger generations to preserve these stories before they disappear forever.”
The “Surviving Biafra” documentary, produced by the BBC World Service in collaboration with the award-winning BBC Africa Eye team, will be available on June 1, 2026, via BBC iPlayer and YouTube.
