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.
How the 1804 Sokoto Jihad Reordered Northern Nigeria, and Why It Changed Islam’s Social Reach
Long before 1804, Islam had taken root in Hausaland through trans Saharan trade, clerical scholarship, and court patronage. Cities such as Kano and Katsina...
Britain’s Abolition of the Slave Trade and the Transformation of Commerce in Southern Nigeria
In 1807, the British Parliament passed the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, banning British ships and British subjects from participating in the transatlantic...
Bauchi and the Early Years of Aviation in Northern Nigeria
For many people in Bauchi, the story of the town’s first aeroplane arrival has long been told as a dramatic moment of wonder, noise,...
The Exact Day Nigeria Abandoned Pounds, How the Naira Was Introduced, and Why 1973 Matters More Than 1971
Nigeria’s move from pounds, shillings, and pence to naira and kobo stands as one of the most important economic transitions in the country’s modern...
How the Royal Niger Company Constabulary Turned River Commerce Into Authority, 1888 to 1900
In the closing decades of the nineteenth century, British influence along the Niger River was secured through more than treaties and commerce. It was...
Mungo Park and the River Niger, What He Really Did, and Why “Discovery” Is the Wrong Word
The River Niger is one of Africa’s great waterways, stretching across much of West Africa and shaping human life along its banks for thousands...
The Stuttgart Photograph and Akintola’s Daughter, What History Can Confirm About a 1963 Arrival
A widely shared black and white photograph, usually dated 15 May 1963, shows a young Nigerian woman stepping down from an aircraft in Stuttgart,...
Liberty’s of Igbosere Road, The Lagos Island House Known by a Photograph and Little Else
Liberty’s is the name attached, in modern circulation, to a striking old residence associated with Igbosere Road on Lagos Island. The building is most...
The Death That Sparked the 1897 Benin Expedition
During the late nineteenth century, British colonial administration in the Niger Delta expanded rapidly through trade, treaties, and military presence. As officials moved inland,...
Chief Amodu Tijani Oluwa and the Lagos Land Case That Reached the Privy Council
Chief Amodu Tijani Oluwa, an Idejo White Cap Chief of Lagos and head of the Oluwa family, entered history through a legal struggle that...