Biographies & Cultural Icons of Nigeria
Life stories of Nigerian political leaders, monarchs, activists, writers, artists, and other influential historical figures.
The L.A. Catalyst: Sandra Izsadore’s Role in Fela Kuti’s Musical Rebirth
In 1969, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti arrived in the United States with his band, then evolving from Koola Lobitos into what would soon become Nigeria ’70....
A Life Measured in Grace: How Akin Mabogunje Redefined African Development
In A Measure of Grace: The Autobiography of Akinlawon Ladipo Mabogunje, Nigeria’s eminent geographer and development thinker offers an expansive account of his life’s...
Major-General Yakubu Gowon Marries Victoria Hansatu Zakari During Civil War
On 19 April 1969, Nigeria’s Head of State, Major-General Yakubu Gowon, married Miss Victoria Hansatu Zakari at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos....
Christy Essien-Igbokwe: Nigeria’s Lady of Songs and a Pioneer of Music and Leadership
Christy Uduak Essien, later known as Christy Essien-Igbokwe, MFR, was born on November 11, 1960, in Okat, Onna Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State,...
Baba Sala: The Life and Legacy of Moses Olaiya MON
Moses Olaiya Adejumo was born in Ilesa, a historic town in present-day Osun State, southwestern Nigeria. Most reliable records list his birth as 18...
The Reign and Legacy of Sir Ladapo Samuel Ademola II, Aláké of Egbaland
Born in 1872 into the royal house of the Ake division of the Egba people in Abeokuta, southwestern Nigeria, Sir Ladapo Samuel Ademola II...
The Political Journey of Peter Ayodele “Ayo” Fayose, Two-Term Governor of Ekiti State
Peter Ayodele “Ayo” Fayose was born on 15 November 1960 in Afao-Ekiti, a town in what is today Ekiti State, Nigeria. He spent much...
Brigadier Benjamin Adesanya Maja Adekunle: The “Black Scorpion” of the Nigerian Army
Brigadier Benjamin Adesanya Maja Adekunle (26 June 1936 – 13 September 2014) remains one of the most recognized military figures in Nigeria’s post-independence history....
Andrew Wilkinson Thomas (c.1856–1924)
In the vibrant world of early twentieth-century Lagos, one name stood out among the city’s rising African businessmen, Andrew Wilkinson Thomas. A man of...
Nigeria at the Brink, March 1967, as Council Haggles over Aburi and Emergency Powers
March 1967 was one of the most fragile months in Nigeria’s history. The country stood at a crossroads, its leaders struggling to keep the...