Independence & Nationalism in Nigeria
The nationalist movements, leaders, constitutional changes, and events leading to Nigeria’s independence in 1960.
Before Aburi, Nigeria Was Already in Deep Crisis
The Aburi meeting of 4 and 5 January 1967 stands as one of the most important moments in Nigeria’s early post independence history. It...
The Willink Commission: How Nigeria Confronted Minority Fears Before Independence but Left Questions Unresolved
Before Nigeria gained independence in 1960, the country faced a pressing internal challenge: the fears of its minority communities. The Willink Commission, appointed in...
Minority Groups in Nigeria’s Founding Crisis, Why the “Big Three” Story Leaves Out the Niger Delta and the Middle Belt
Nigeria’s journey to independence is often framed as a struggle among the North, West, and East. This story captures the prominence of the three...
State Creation in Nigeria, Remedy for Minority Fears or a Shift Toward Federal Centralisation?
Nigeria’s journey from a federation of regions to a nation of thirty-six states is a story of political negotiation, minority protection, and federal consolidation....
What Canada, Scotland and Ethiopia Reveal About Nigeria’s Struggle to Manage Diversity
Nigeria is often discussed as though its diversity is an unusual burden, but history shows otherwise. Many states have had to hold together peoples...
If Aburi Had Held, Nigeria Might Have Entered a Looser Union Before War Closed That Door
Nigeria arrived at Aburi in January 1967 as a country already torn open by fear, suspicion, and bloodshed. The coups of 1966 had broken...
Nnamdi Azikiwe, the Eastern Region, and the Federal Path to Nigerian Independence
Nigeria’s emergence as a nation was the result of a gradual constitutional process rather than a single founding agreement. Beginning with colonial administration and...
Why Northern Cameroons Chose Nigeria in 1961
Northern Cameroons occupies a unique place in West African history. It was closely tied to Nigeria in administration, politics, and daily governance, yet it...
How British Colonial Rule Left Nigeria Uneven Before Independence
Nigeria did not become one country because its many peoples came together to negotiate a shared national future. The state that became modern Nigeria...
Life and Celebration on Colonial Lagos Island, Igbosere in 1946
In 1946, a colonial era publication described a place called “Igboshere Fishing Village” on Lagos Island. The scene was colourful and lively. Visitors arrived...