THE WOMEN WHO FOUGHT COLONIAL RULE: FROM QUEEN AMINA TO THE ABA WOMEN’S WAR
THE WOMEN WHO FOUGHT COLONIAL RULE: FROM QUEEN AMINA TO THE ABA WOMEN’S WAR How Nigerian Women Exercised Political, Economic and Military Power—and Challenged Colonial Authority The history of Nigeria’s formation is often narrated through the exploits of kings, emirs, military commanders, colonial officials and nationalist politicians. Yet this male-centred narrative can obscure a crucial […]
The Amalgamation of 1914: Why Northern and Southern Nigeria Were Joined Together
The Amalgamation of 1914: Why Northern and Southern Nigeria Were Joined Together On 1 January 1914, a major constitutional and administrative change took place in British West Africa. The British Protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria were amalgamated under a single central administration, with Sir Frederick Lugard becoming the first Governor-General of the new Colony […]
The British Conquest of Nigeria: How Colonial Rule Was Established
The British Conquest of Nigeria: How Colonial Rule Was Established The British conquest of Nigeria was not a single war, nor was it accomplished in a single year. It was a prolonged process of imperial expansion that unfolded over several decades through commercial penetration, diplomatic treaties, political manipulation, military campaigns and the gradual destruction or […]
The Igbo Before Colonial Rule: Society, Governance and the Age-Grade System
The Igbo Before Colonial Rule: Society, Governance and the Age-Grade System Before British colonial rule transformed the political geography of southeastern Nigeria, the Igbo-speaking peoples lived in a remarkably diverse network of autonomous communities governed through kinship, assemblies, title institutions, age grades, religious authorities, market organisations and other associations. There was no single Igbo kingdom, […]
The Hausa City-States: Trade, Scholarship and Power in Northern Nigeria
The Hausa City-States: Trade, Scholarship and Power in Northern Nigeria Long before the creation of modern Nigeria, the savannahs of northern West Africa were home to a remarkable network of urban states whose influence extended far beyond their immediate territories. Among the most important were Kano, Katsina, Zazzau (Zaria), Gobir, Daura, Rano, Biram and Zamfara. […]
Kanem-Bornu: The Ancient Empire That Survived for Centuries
Kanem-Bornu: The Ancient Empire That Survived for Centuries Long before the emergence of the modern states of Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon, the Lake Chad region was home to one of Africa’s most enduring political traditions: Kanem-Bornu. For centuries, successive rulers known as the Mai presided over a state whose political influence, commercial networks and […]
The Oyo Empire: How the Yoruba Built One of West Africa’s Greatest Empires
The Oyo Empire: How the Yoruba Built One of West Africa’s Greatest Empires The Alaafin, Oyomesi, cavalry, political institutions, trade and eventual decline Long before the emergence of Nigeria as a modern political entity, the Yoruba-speaking peoples of West Africa had developed sophisticated urban centres, kingdoms and systems of government. Among these states, the Oyo […]
The Benin Kingdom: The Empire That Built One of Africa’s Greatest Civilisations
The Benin Kingdom: The Empire That Built One of Africa’s Greatest Civilisations The Obas, Benin City, bronze works, military power, trade and the British invasion of 1897 Long before the creation of Nigeria as a modern state, the Kingdom of Benin had already developed into one of West Africa’s most sophisticated political and cultural powers. […]
The Great Nigerian Kingdoms: Benin, Oyo, Kanem-Bornu and Beyond
The Great Nigerian Kingdoms: Benin, Oyo, Kanem-Bornu and Beyond How Powerful Pre-Colonial States Developed Sophisticated Political, Military, Economic and Cultural Systems Long before the emergence of Nigeria as a modern state, the territory now known as Nigeria was home to powerful kingdoms, empires, city-states and complex societies. Across the forests of the south, the savannahs […]
The History of Nigeria: From Ancient Civilisations to the Modern Nation
The History of Nigeria: From Ancient Civilisations to the Modern Nation From Nok terracotta and the great kingdoms of Ife, Benin, Oyo, Kanem-Bornu and Sokoto to British colonialism, independence, civil war and the Fourth Republic, Nigeria’s history is not the story of one people—but of many peoples whose histories eventually converged within one state. What […]