Military history of Nigeria during World War II  Nigeria participated in World War II as a British colony in September 1939, following the government's acceptance of the United Kingdom's declaration of war on Nazi Germany. As a British colony, Nigeria entered the war on the side of the Allies. Nigeria was a key country in the African theatre of war, with Nigeria serving as a critical part of the Allied African strategy. In addition to Nigeria's importance as a staging point in Africa, several infantry regiments were raised to serve the British armies around Africa and Asia. Throughout the war, 45,000 Nigerian soldiers served in the British Army in Africa and southeast Asia. Nigerian regiments formed the majority of the 81st and 82nd West Africa Divisions of the British Army. Nigerian soldiers fought in most notably Burma and India. Despite the successful fighting record of the Nigerian troops, none of the commanding officers of the Nigerian corps were from Nigeria. These were instead selected from around the British Commonwealth. The first Nigerian officers were selected towards the war's end. Nigeria's involvement in WWII helped fuel the struggle for independence from colonial rule. This was partly because participation of Africans in these wars exposed them to ideas of self-determination and independent rule. Nigeria's entry was first marked by a verbal agreement to join the Allied Forces in declaration of war against Germany. Nigeria accepted the British invitation to join the war almost unanimously. Influential Nigerian political leaders such as Nnamdi Azikiwe and Herbert Macaulay, hitherto critics of British colonial rule, reversed gear and appealed to all Nigerians to support the war effort. Within days of the declaration, the Nigerian War Relief Fund (NWRF) was established, a volunteer fundraising movement designed to increase local support for Britain. Initially, the war had significant popular support in Nigeria. While many soldiers joined the British Army willingly, there were instances of forced conscription of Nigerian men, some as young as 16. In response to critical manpower shortages following the invasion of Europe by Axis Powers, England and France began to scour their colonies for supplies of able-bodied fighting men. These men included combatants, military laborers and specialist units, and from 1942 onward, their role transformed from a defensive role in defending the empire in Africa, to an offensive role in repelling Japanese invaders in the far eastern parts of the British Empire. The British Home office was aware that by sending colonial soldiers it would risk exposing them to radical political ideas which could eventually destabilize British rule in Africa, African forces were therefore sent more commonly to south-east Asia.