African Politics
Africa Was Civilised Before Colonisation: The Great Kingdoms and Empires That Built a Continent’s History
When people talk about civilisation, they often mention ancient Greece, Rome, and other parts of the world. But how often do we hear about...
The Cement Armada: How Nigeria Ordered More Cement Than Its Ports Could Handle
In the years immediately after the Nigerian Civil War, Nigeria entered one of the most ambitious periods of reconstruction and development in its history.The...
Blaise Compaoré’s 27 Years in Power: What Happened After Sankara?
On 15 October 1987, Thomas Sankara was killed in Ouagadougou. Within hours, Blaise Compaoré, his former comrade and one of the most powerful figures...
From Silence to Justice: How Burkina Faso Finally Confronted Sankara’s Murder
On 15 October 1987, Thomas Sankara was killed in Ouagadougou during a violent coup that brought his former ally, Blaise Compaoré, to power.Sankara was...
October 15, 1987: The Day Thomas Sankara Was Killed
At about 4:00 in the afternoon on Thursday, 15 October 1987, Thomas Sankara arrived at the Conseil de l’Entente in Ouagadougou for a meeting...
King Leopold II and the Congo Free State: The Private Empire That Became a Global Scandal
When Leopold II became King of the Belgians in 1865, Belgium was a young European state with an expanding industrial economy but without the...
Human Zoos: When Humans Were Put on Display Like Animals
Imagine walking into a zoo and seeing people instead of animals.A crowd gathers around a fenced area. Children point. Adults stare. Some take photographs....
The Scramble for Africa and the Destruction of Nigerian Sovereignty
Before Nigeria appeared on any map, there were already kingdoms, emirates, city states and independent communities across the territory it would eventually occupy.The Oba...
Umaru Dikko: The Nigerian Minister Who Was Abducted and Found Drugged Inside a Crate at Stansted Airport
On a summer afternoon in 1984, British customs officials at Stansted Airport opened a wooden crate that was supposed to be part of a...
Alhassan Dantata: The Merchant Who Built a Fortune Before Nigeria Had Billionaires
Long before Nigeria became an independent country, long before oil transformed the nation’s economy, and decades before modern Nigerian billionaires became household names, a...