Ancient & Pre-Colonial Nigeria
Histories of Nigerian kingdoms, empires, trade routes, and cultures before colonial rule, including Nok, Benin, Oyo, Sokoto, and Kanem-Bornu.
Alaafin Olúàṣo of Oyo and the Enduring Memory of an Early Yoruba King
Alaafin Olúàṣo is remembered as one of the early rulers in the long history of the Oyo kingdom. His name appears in the traditional...
Oba Oyekan I and the Quiet Decline of Royal Power in Colonial Lagos
Oba Oyekan I became the ruler of Lagos in 1885 after the death of his father, Oba Dosunmu. He inherited a throne with deep...
The Fall of Okikilu and the End of Old Egba Rule
Before the nineteenth century city of Abeokuta came into existence, the Egba people lived across a network of settlements scattered through the forest region...
How Marriage Worked in Traditional Yoruba Society
Marriage, ìgbéyàwó, occupied a central place in traditional Yorùbá society. It was never regarded simply as a private relationship between two individuals. Instead, it...
Ìlẹ̀ Olúji Kingdom, History of the Jegun and Ondo Town
Ìlẹ̀ Olúji is one of the historic towns of present day Ondo State in southwestern Nigeria. It serves as the headquarters of Ìlẹ̀ Olúji,...
How Ogbomoso Was Founded and Why Its Early History Still Matters
Ogbomoso is one of the historic towns of Yorubaland, with roots that reach back to the seventeenth century. The settlement began as a modest...
Peoples of Nigeria’s Sudan Savanna
The Sudan Savanna forms part of a wide ecological belt stretching across West Africa between the Sahel to the north and the Guinea Savanna...
Fulani, Fulɓe, and Peul, Names, Language, and the Sahelian Story of a Widely Dispersed People
Across West Africa, the people widely known in English as Fulani often refer to themselves as Fulɓe, while the singular form Pullo is commonly...
Idah and the Rise of the Igala Kingdom, Power, Kingship, and Origins in the Niger–Benue Corridor
The Igala are one of the major ethnic groups of central Nigeria, concentrated largely in the eastern Niger–Benue confluence region within present day Kogi...
The Igala Kingdom, Central Authority and Provincial Governance at Idah
The Igala Kingdom developed around Idah, a riverine settlement whose strategic position along the River Niger gave it political and economic importance. Over time,...