Sir David Hunt: British High Commissioner in Lagos During the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1969)

Sir David Hunt served as the United Kingdom’s High Commissioner to Nigeria from 1967 to 1969, a period that coincided with the outbreak and most intense years of the Nigerian Civil War.

Military and Diplomatic Background

Before entering the diplomatic service, Hunt had a distinguished career in the British Army during World War II, where he served with distinction. After the war, he joined the British Diplomatic Service and held various postings before being appointed High Commissioner to Nigeria in 1967, shortly after Nigeria’s Eastern Region declared independence as Biafra.

Role During the Nigerian Civil War

Hunt’s tenure in Lagos was dominated by Britain’s controversial policy toward the war between the Federal Military Government of Nigeria and the secessionist state of Biafra, led by Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.
The British government, under Prime Minister Harold Wilson, maintained official support for Nigeria’s federal government, including the continued supply of arms. This policy attracted heavy criticism from sections of the British Parliament, humanitarian groups, church organizations, and segments of the press, particularly as images of widespread starvation in Biafra circulated internationally.
Critics argued that British military support helped sustain the Federal blockade that contributed to severe humanitarian suffering in the secessionist region. Supporters of the policy maintained that Britain was backing Nigeria’s territorial integrity and preventing the fragmentation of a former colony.
Allegations circulated at the time—and later in memoirs and commentary—that Hunt harbored personal animosity toward Ojukwu. Claims included suggestions of strained personal interactions and social tensions in Lagos. Some accounts also mention his second wife, Iro Myrianthousis, niece of businessman Anastasios George Leventis, though such personal narratives remain part of contested and anecdotal discussions rather than established diplomatic record.

Later Career and Public Recognition

Hunt left Nigeria in 1969 and was subsequently appointed British Ambassador to Brazil. Beyond diplomacy, he became widely known in Britain for winning the BBC quiz program Mastermind, further adding to his public profile.

Historical Assessment

Sir David Hunt remains a controversial figure in discussions of Britain’s role during the Nigerian Civil War. His tenure reflects the complexities of Cold War-era diplomacy, post-colonial relations, and humanitarian crises in newly independent African states.

Sources

UK National Archives records on British policy during the Nigerian Civil War

Parliamentary debates (Hansard), 1967–1969

Biographical entries on Sir David Hunt

Contemporary British press coverage (1967–1970)

BBC archives on Mastermind

Photo referenced as 1970 (internet source).