Ancient & Pre-Colonial Nigeria
Histories of Nigerian kingdoms, empires, trade routes, and cultures before colonial rule, including Nok, Benin, Oyo, Sokoto, and Kanem-Bornu.
Archibong I: 4 Powerful Forces That Shaped Old Calabar’s Succession Crisis
Archibong I emerged as king of Duke Town during one of the most unsettled periods in nineteenth-century Old Calabar. His reign, from his formal...
The Crucial 1901 to 1906 Reign of Obong Adam Ephraim Adam I
Obong Adam Ephraim Adam I occupied the Obongship of Calabar during one of the most consequential periods in the political history of the Efik...
The Historic Struggle of Etubom Eyo Ephraim Adam
Etubom Eyo Ephraim Adam occupies an important place in the political history of Old Calabar. His leadership came at a moment when longstanding Efik...
Igunnuko in Abeokuta: The Powerful Nupe Roots Behind a Towering Yoruba Masquerade
Igunnuko in Abeokuta presents one of the most striking examples of how Nigerian cultural traditions have travelled across communities and acquired new local meanings....
Erin-Ile History: The Powerful Ife Tradition Behind a Historic Kwara Community
Erin-Ile history is rooted in the memory of an old Yoruba community whose people trace their political and cultural origins to Ile-Ife. Located in...
The Benin Oba Who Fought for Stolen Royal Treasures Before the World Finally Listened
Oba Akenzua II stands among the most important modern rulers of the Benin Kingdom. His reign, from 1933 to 1978, came after one of...
The Ijebu Chief Whose Cloth Revealed the Power of Oshugbo
The image of Chief Adesina Adeyemi of Ijebu Ife is more than a portrait of a man dressed in ceremonial Yoruba cloth. It is...
The Standard of Ibadan War and the Worship of Oranyan Before Jalumi
In October 1878, Ibadan faced a dangerous military crisis in the northern Yoruba country. The pressure centred on Ikirun, a town whose position mattered...
Igbodigo’s Obagberume Stool and the Royal Title Now Shaping Ikale History
The recognised royal title of Igbodigo is Obagberume of Igbodigo. In Ikale history and in contemporary references to traditional authority in Okitipupa Local Government...
Oba Michael Kuye Arójòjoyè II and the Royal Reawakening of Ijebu-Jesha
Oba Michael Kuye Arójòjoyè II stands among the most important twentieth century rulers of Ijebu-Jesha. His reign came at a time when Yoruba towns...