This is a deeply human story, and although it may seem that Achebe's personal story is somehow disconnected from Nigerian history would be to misunderstand the memoir entirely. Rather, they should be taken in tandem. It's as if Achebe is saying, "We had a horrific war, and the world ignored it almost entirely." And, he offers his own personal life as a picture of the Nigerian person, challenging the stereotypes that people often believe about Africa.
Some people think all of Africa is the same, basically. The tribal warfare among the Nigerians should remind the reader that actually, no, Africa is as diverse, expansive, and culturally dense as any other part of the world. By showing that he had an opportunity at a real education at a real university (on scholarship, no less), Achebe reminds the reader that if their mental version of "Africa" doesn't have universities and artists, that it is sadly misinformed. Achebe is in the business of proving his human worth, but honestly, his story speaks for itself. It's the story of an underdog who sacrifices his desires for his family, and in the end, he earns a brilliant career as an artist, his dream life. What could be more human that this story?
And yet, the major point of the story is that the world ignored one of the most serious, brutal, and tragic wars in recent history. Perhaps, the novelist meant to suggest that people don't care about African politics because they don't really feel that African people are real people, or because their problems don't seem as real and valid as our own. Whatever the case, the book is intended to remind people what it was that happened, as a matter of fact, for consideration.
