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.
When Satiru Refused to Obey and Paid the Ultimate Price
In the early twentieth century, British colonial authority in Northern Nigeria depended less on constant force than on routine compliance. Governance functioned through intermediaries,...
Colonial Rule Turned Daily Work into Compulsory Service Across Nigeria
In colonial Nigeria, ordinary work ceased to be merely a matter of household need, local obligation, or seasonal activity. Tasks that had once supported...
When Colonial Oversight Reshaped Palm Oil Trade and Family Life in the Niger Delta
For families in the Niger Delta, the first sign of colonial change appeared at the riverbanks and in local markets. Palm oil, long produced...
When Every Home Counted: How Hut Tax Made Colonial Authority Personal in Northern Nigeria
In Northern Nigeria, the colonial state reached inside the walls of ordinary homes. A simple dwelling, once a private shelter, was recorded, counted, and...
When Taxation Crossed a Line and Women Rose Up Against Empire
For women in southeastern Nigeria, colonial rule did not become unbearable through speeches or distant decrees. It became real when it reached into the...
The Women’s War of 1929, How Igbo Women Confronted Colonial Rule
In late 1929, a sweeping women led protest erupted across large parts of south eastern Nigeria under British colonial rule. Colonial officials commonly referred...
King Duke IX of Old Calabar in the 1890s, power, trade, and survival under British protection
Old Calabar entered the 1890s as one of the most important political and commercial centres on the Cross River. For generations, its rulers and...
The Woman Who Refused to Look Away, Mary Slessor’s Calabar Years That Changed Lives
Mary Slessor remains one of the most compelling figures connected to Calabar and the Cross River region. She is remembered not for comfort or...
Slavery in the Oyo Empire, Power, War Captives, and the Atlantic Connection
The Oyo Empire, centred on Oyo Ile in present day south western Nigeria, emerged as one of the most powerful inland states in West...
Eko to Lagos, A Coastal Polity Shaped by Trade, Power, and Enslavement
Lagos began with water. Long before modern streets and skylines, the island and creeks at the edge of the lagoon system offered fish, canoe...