Democratic Nigeria
Nigeria’s democratic governments from 1999 to present, including presidential administrations, reforms, protests, and state politics.
Ife, Modakeke Crisis, The Dispute Over Land and Authority in Osun State
In Osun State, the relationship between Ile Ife and Modakeke has been shaped by a history that stretches back to the nineteenth century. What...
Zangon Kataf 1992, The Market Dispute That Ignited a Kaduna State Tragedy
In early 1992, tensions in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State intensified around the administration and relocation of a major market in...
Akintola vs Awolowo, How a Party Split Triggered the Western Region Emergency and Unravelled Nigeria’s First Republic (1962–1963)
During the 1950s, the Action Group emerged as the dominant political party in Western Nigeria. Founded in 1951, the party quickly built a strong...
Warri Crisis, How a Dispute Over a Local Government Headquarters Ignited Ethnic Violence in the Niger Delta (1997–2003)
Warri, located in Delta State in southern Nigeria, became the centre of repeated intercommunal violence in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The crisis...
Nigeria’s Second Republic, Oil Revenue Decline, Fiscal Strain, and the Road to the 1983 Coup
On 1 October 1979, Nigeria formally returned to civilian government when the military administration led by Olusegun Obasanjo transferred power to President Shehu Shagari....
Gowon’s 12 States and the Biafra War, 1967 Explained
Nigeria’s civil war story is often told as though one moment triggered everything, the declaration of Biafra, the rush to battle, and a country...
Sahara Reporters and the Sowore Effect, How a Diaspora Newsroom Shook Nigeria’s Public Square
Sahara Reporters was founded in 2006 by Omoyele Sowore, a Nigerian activist and publisher. Operating from New York City, the online platform focused heavily...
How Omoyele Sowore’s #RevolutionNow Shook Nigeria’s Democracy
Omoyele Sowore entered Nigeria’s political arena with the reputation of an activist journalist and the defiance of a protest organiser. His presidential campaigns in...
Omoyele Sowore, from campus organiser to Sahara Reporters publisher and opposition candidate
Omoyele “Yele” Sowore stands as one of the most visible figures shaped by Nigeria’s culture of protest and reform activism. His public life stretches...
When Lagos Briefly Became the Capital of the Black World
On 15 January 1977, Lagos opened one of the most ambitious cultural gatherings ever organised on African soil. The Second World Black and African...