The Biafran Institute for Strategic Studies (BISS), in partnership with the Biafra Central Intelligence
Agency (BCIA), and the Biafra Liberation Movement (BLM) are delighted to announce the commencement of The
Future of Biafra Project (FOBP).
The FOBP is a long term project that is expected to provide both initial and continued intellectual
leadership to the political and technocratic leadership of the Biafran people. Thus, the output of the project will form a critical input into efforts to design and sustain a well
functioning Biafran State that will be capable of meeting the challenge of delivering on its social contract with her citizens
anywhere in the world.
Project Volunteers: The BISS hereby invites Biafrans across the globe to volunteer their services for the convocation
of the project. Please review the project descriptions below, and contact BISS to volunteer for a particular project. To volunteer, please send an e-mail to [email protected] with the following details: Full Name, Contact Details and 1 or 2 Work Groups you will be interested in working for. A BISS representative will contact you shortly afterwards. For security reasons, BISS reserves the right to conduct verification checks to ascertain the identity
of project participants, as well as the right to reject an applicant.
Participation: A secure electronic platform will be provided at a site to be communicated to each selected participant. The data gathering and analysis will be conducted via electronic mail and collated at the site.
Support: The Future of Biafra Project Director, will be available to act as a resource person to each Work Group. The Director will provide direction as required, clarification, relevant data, suggest analytical
agendas and work plans as well as act as an intermediary when necessary to other groups.
Security: Membership of Work Groups will remain classified except if the participant in question authorizes
the BISS to publish their membership. BISS reserves the right not to publish such information even if a member explicitly requests such
action.
Timetable: The initial assessments and recommendations should be completed by August
27, 2004, with a smaller, semi-permanent team providing continued counsel over the long term.
INITIAL WORKING GROUPS
I. Biafran Economic Competitiveness Program
Synopsis: The Biafran economy suffers from a severe under-utilization of its resources and potential. The scope of problems is vast (high unemployment, high inflation, poor banking system, limited security,
etc.).
Mandate: Develop a strategy for the transformation of the Biafran economy into a competitive, free enterprise
economy based around innovation, trade and intermediation. The target should be a doubling of income within 5-7 years, building up private companies, and developing
infrastructure to support growth for the next 25 years. Biafra�s future lies in building links to the global economy, becoming a global financial, communication
and transportation intermediary, and become a leader in innovation, as measured by the number of patents attributed
to her citizens. The team should offer recommendations about what choices Biafra needs to make in terms of building
up a highly skilled labor force, developing mission critical infrastructure, crafting the software of prosperity
(responsive regulatory systems), and supporting processing systems (capital markets, transport networks, etc.). When feasible, the budgetary requirements and suggested timetable for executing the strategy should
be outlined.
Sub Work Groups:
(i) Agriculture:
Develop strategy (what choices will we make) for developing high productivity agricultural sector that would meet
both Biafran domestic needs, as well export needs; coordinate with Land Use sub-group to ensure that a thoughtful
land use strategy is adopted
(ii) Trade
Policy: Develop strategy for building a trading economy, using Singapore as
an operating model. Advise on trade strategy � membership in WTO versus specific bilateral trade agreements with selected
partner nations.
(iii) Innovation: Map
strategy for nurturing public and private innovation via investment in basic science research, process design and
advanced materials. Suggest potential framework � institutions and rules � for advancing intellectual property rights
as measured by successful global patent applications.
(iv) Land
Use Policy, Erosion Control, Recovery, and Environment Policy: Develop a strategy for rebuilding erosion devastated land, and increasing quality and intensity
of land use; explore how innovative technology can be utilized to create world class living spaces for 50 million
Biafrans at any given point in time.
(v) Currency: Advise
on feasibility of an interim currency such as the US Dollar while transitioning to a permanent Biafran currency such as the Biafran Dollar versus maintaining the US Dollar as Biafra�s permanent currency.
(vi) Census: Develop
a strategy for conducting a short term census of the global Biafran population, as well as lay the foundation for
a long term census and planning mechanism for Biafra.
II. Parliamentary Democracy and Bill of Rights
Mandate: Develop a draft constitution for a Biafran parliamentary democracy built around independent candidates
and political parties. The draft constitution must also include a draft Bill of Rights. The proposed political system should provide flexibility and
proportional representation, as well as a mechanism for new communities to vote for membership in the Biafran State. The
team should build its recommendations around a village/city/town based political structure of the Biafran State. It is assumed that each village/city/town will be governed by a Mayor and a Council. A regional level of government may or may not exist between the national parliament and the village/city/town
councils. A critical principle is for the team to keep in mind and reflect in their deliberations is the sovereignty
of the people above and beyond the State. Therefore, the constitution should also have a mechanism for any Biafran community to secede from
the Republic without fear.
III. Domestic Security Issues
Mandate: Develop baseline recommendations on the structure of policing in Biafra. The proposed structure should reflect the constitutional structure of Biafra and
the critical importance of individual cities, towns and villages maintaining control over their own affairs. Thus, the recommendations should be actionable output on how individual communities or clusters of
such communities can develop policing capabilities. The recommendations should also provide for a national support infrastructure for local police groups,
as well as a coordinating national domestic intelligence and law enforcement capability.
IV. Veterans Affairs
Synopsis: The Nigeria-Biafra War created a number of military veterans some of whom are disabled and
require military pensions and/or similar support. There will likely be future need for veteran services for Biafran
servicemen and women.
Mandate: Develop a plan for conducting a census of Biafra�s veterans, developing a Biafran War Memorial, instituting a pension system, and developing a physical,
mental and intellectual health support system. The proposed program of interventions should reflect choices the Government of Biafra will make over
a 2 year implementation schedule. When feasible, budgetary estimates should be attached to major program recommendations as well as
a suggested time frame.
V. Special Friendship with Niger Delta Republics
Synopsis: Maintaining high quality relations with Biafra�s neighbors is a critical policy objective for the Biafran people and state.
Mandate: Develop a strategy for building high quality relations with Biafra�s Niger Delta neighbors, particularly those who have chosen the path of independence. The focus of such a strategy would be to understand what the issues are that could derail Biafra-Niger
Delta relations, what the priorities are for either side (access to the sea, trade etc), and identify what choices
both parties can make to advance their common cause. The output should also include recommendations on institutional changes and structures that could
be utilized such as the appointment of Ambassador Plenipotentiaries, constitution of Joint Commissions, Cultural
Exchange and Scholarship Programs etc.
VI. Foreign and Diplomatic Relations
Mandate: Develop recommendations for addressing Biafra�s transitional and long term foreign policy challenges,
including seeking recognition for a the Biafran State. The recommendations should include an analysis of the key issues of concern to Biafra and
the position of potential allies such as the United States, Israel, Japan and the European Union on the aforementioned issues.
VII. Defense Policy/Military Strategy
Mandate: Develop a strategy for Biafra�s defense policy based on an assessment of who its potential enemies are, and how best to contain
and/or militarily defeat such enemies, including non-state actors such as militant Islamists. The scope of the strategy should include recommendations on the overall doctrine of the Biafran military
(such as mobile warfare), its technology research and development program, and the requirements for simultaneously
conducting two offensive campaigns and one defense of the homeland campaign. While a detailing of battlefield strategy may be helpful, it should only serve as an illustration
of a broader conceptual layout of Biafran military thinking, potential allies, training issues, and reviving the
revered Research & Development Directorate.
VIII. Public Health
Synopsis: The Biafran public is today faced with a number of critical challenges. These challenges include an alarming rise in infant mortality in the last 20 years, the absence of
an accurate census of disease status especially HIV/AIDs and Tuberculosis, and the lack of well functioning community
health services.
Mandate: Maintaining a healthy population is a priority objective for the Biafran state. The team should identify key public health issues such as childhood immunization, HIV/AIDs prevention,
senior care, managing disease proliferation from neighboring states, healthcare infrastructure (hospitals, community
health centers), training of medical personnel, and development of an US FDA standard pharmaceutical manufacturing
capability. The output should include a taxonomy of issues, institutional design recommendations (and/or examples),
and potential rollout plan and budget.
Estimated Requirements
Work Group
Membership
Biafran Economic Competitiveness Program
30
Parliamentary Democracy & Bill of Rights 10
Domestic Security Issues
10
Veterans Affairs
10
Special Friendship with Niger Delta Republics 10
Foreign & Diplomatic Relations
10
Defense Policy/Military Strategy
10
Public Health
10
BISS reserves the right to increase the sizes of the Work Groups as required.
About BISS: The Biafran Institute for Strategic Studies (BISS) is a new and independent public policy and research
institution dedicated to providing the intellectual foundations of a new Biafran republic.