Colonial Nigeria
Explore Nigeria’s colonial era (c. 1861–1960), from the annexation of Lagos and the Royal Niger Company to the 1914 amalgamation and the road to independence. This category examines British administration, missionary education, commerce and railways, taxation and labor, cultural change and urban life, and the rise of nationalist movements, including women’s protests, unions, and political parties. Discover biographies, key events, and documents that reveal resistance, collaboration, and everyday experiences across Nigeria’s regions.
The C.M.S. Bookshop Corner on Broad Street
Broad Street has always carried weight in the story of Lagos Island. It is a street shaped by trade, administration, education, and movement, a...
Carter Bridge and Street Lighting in Colonial Lagos, How Power and Inequality Shaped the City After Dark
A 1940s black and white photograph shows a lone man walking west to east along the northern side of Carter Bridge. Near him stands...
The First Target, Why British Colonialism Moved Against Indigenous Religion Early in Nigeria
British colonialism in Nigeria did not treat indigenous religion as a private or symbolic part of life. In many Nigerian societies, religion was inseparable...
The Olympic Hotel, Broad Street, Lagos
The Olympic Hotel once stood on Broad Street, Lagos Island, at a time when the street formed the backbone of the city’s commercial and...
Yoruba Monarchs and Colonial Period
In mid‑20th century southwestern Nigeria, traditional Yoruba monarchs continued to play influential roles within their societies, while simultaneously navigating colonial authority and emerging nationalist...
Colonial Foundations and Legal Continuities, How British Rule Shaped Nigeria’s Justice System
Nigeria’s justice system did not emerge from a single historical moment. Long before colonial consolidation, communities across the region governed themselves through customary law,...
Colonial Nigeria’s Hidden War, How World War II Remade Civilian Life Far From the Front
When people in Britain remember the Second World War, Africa is often mentioned only in passing, as a distant theatre that supplied troops and...
Vaughan House, Kakawa Street, Lagos
Vaughan House at 29 Kakawa Street on Lagos Island stands as one of the documented residential buildings reflecting the Afro‑Brazilian architectural heritage that characterised...
Latifu Awoyale: Yoruba Goldsmithing in Ibadan
Goldsmithing and metalwork occupy a central place in Yoruba culture, with traditions extending across centuries. Yoruba metalworking encompasses ironwork, brass and copper casting, and...
Egungun Masquerade and Ritual Music in Abeokuta, 1951
Egungun masquerade traditions occupy a central position in Yoruba religious and cultural life. Rooted in ancestral veneration, Egungun represents both the collective ancestors of...