Biographies & Cultural Icons of Nigeria
Life stories of Nigerian political leaders, monarchs, activists, writers, artists, and other influential historical figures.
Hassan Katsina: The 32 Year Old Prince Who Became a Military Governor
On 15 January 1966, Major Hassan Usman Katsina woke up to a Nigeria that was rapidly coming apart.In Kaduna, gunfire had announced the beginning...
Alajo Somolu: How One Lagos Thrift Collector Became a Legend
There is a peculiar thing about Alajo Somolu.His real name was Alphaeus Taiwo Olunaike, but the name almost disappeared beneath the legend.People who never...
Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala: 6 Languages and the Remarkable Rise of Oyo’s Policeman-Governor
Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala occupies an unusual place in the political history of Oyo State. Long before his years in Government House, he had experienced...
The Abacha Stove: The Forgotten Kitchen Survivor That Helped Nigerians Cook Through Hard Times
Long before gas cookers became common in many homes, a small locally made stove became a familiar sight in Nigerian kitchens, student hostels and...
Taiwo Olowo: The Lagos Merchant Who Built a Fortune Before Modern Nigeria
There was a time when a man's name could become a monument.In nineteenth century Lagos, one such name was Taiwo Olowo.Before Nigeria existed as...
Mary Nzimiro: The Woman Who Built a Commercial Empire
Mary Nwametu Onumonu Nzimiro was born on 16 October 1898 in Oguta, in present day Imo State, Nigeria. She was the first of six...
Sir Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu: The Business Titan Who Built a Fortune Before Nigeria Was Independent
When the name Ojukwu is mentioned in Nigerian history, many people immediately think of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the military officer who became the leader...
Madam Efunroye Tinubu: The Woman Who Turned a Fortune Into Political Power
The palace doors were guarded by kings. The markets belonged to merchants. But in nineteenth century Lagos, one woman learned how to move between...
King Ibanichuka of Okrika: 5 Defining Events Behind the 1896 British Expedition That Ended His Reign
King Ibanichuka of Okrika ruled during one of the most consequential periods in the nineteenth-century history of the Niger Delta. Installed as Ado VI...
Mojola Agbebi: The Powerful Nigerian Clergyman Who Challenged Missionary Control
Mojola Agbebi emerged in the closing decades of the nineteenth century as one of the most distinctive voices in the movement for African control...