Democratic Nigeria
Nigeria’s democratic governments from 1999 to present, including presidential administrations, reforms, protests, and state politics.
Palaver 1926: 100 Years On, the Powerful Colonial Film That Complicates Nigeria’s Cinema Origins
Palaver 1926 occupies an unusual place in Nigerian cultural history. Made a century ago under British colonial rule, Palaver: A Romance of Northern Nigeria...
Eko Bridge History: How the 1965 Second Mainland Bridge Launched Julius Berger in Nigeria
The Eko Bridge history is closely tied to the transformation of Lagos after Nigerian independence and to the beginnings of one of the country’s...
Nigerian Radio Times: The Revealing 1954 Window Into Nigeria’s Early Broadcast Age
The Nigerian Radio Times offers a remarkable window into a period when broadcasting was becoming an increasingly important part of Nigerian public life. An...
The Nigeria Electricity History
Nigeria electricity history is often reduced to three familiar abbreviations: ECN, NEPA and PHCN. That shorthand is convenient, but it obscures a much deeper...
Kongi’s Harvest: The Powerful 1971 Battle Over Wole Soyinka’s Vision
Kongi’s Harvest occupies a distinctive place in the history of Nigerian cinema. Made in 1970 and publicly premiered in Lagos in April 1971, the...
Fọlákẹ́ Solanke, T.O.S. Benson, and the 1957 Old Bailey Case
Long before Chief Fọlákẹ́ Solanke became one of the most respected figures in Nigerian legal history, she was Fọlákẹ́ Odulate, a young woman from...
Ilojo Bar: The Lost Lagos Landmark That Exposed Nigeria’s Heritage Crisis
Ilojo Bar is no longer standing, but its story remains one of the most important heritage lessons in modern Lagos. The building, also known...
Sunday Best in 1974 Lagos: Bruno Barbey’s Photograph of Faith, Fashion and Urban Respectability
In 1974, Lagos stood at the centre of Nigeria’s public life. It was still the federal capital, the seat of government, the city of...
The African Diplomatic Pressure Behind Mandela’s Rivonia Sentence
In June 1964, Nelson Mandela and his co accused stood at one of the most dangerous crossroads in modern African history. The apartheid state...
Nigeria, 1964: The Photograph That Revealed a Nation’s Battle for Books
In August 1964, Esther J. Walls and Femi Oyewole were photographed in Nigeria standing before a Nigerian map. The image appears simple, but its...