Independence & Nationalism in Nigeria
The nationalist movements, leaders, constitutional changes, and events leading to Nigeria’s independence in 1960.
How Awolowo Tried to Hold Nigeria Together, Through Federalism, Regions, and Real Development
Nigeria did not enter independence as a country formed by one people with one political culture. It was brought together under British rule from...
What True Federalism Would Mean in Nigeria Today
“True federalism” is one of the most repeated expressions in Nigerian public life, yet it is also one of the most misunderstood. Politicians use...
Why Many in Eastern Nigeria Stopped Believing Nigeria Could Protect Them After 1966
By the mid 1960s, Nigeria was still a young country trying to hold together very different regions, political traditions, and elite rivalries. Independence had...
Aburi 1967, The Final Negotiation That Could Not Save Nigeria from Civil War
By the time Nigeria’s military leaders arrived in Aburi on 4 and 5 January 1967, the country had already passed through a year of...
How Aburi Broke Down and Nigeria Slid Toward Civil War
When Nigeria’s military leaders gathered at Aburi in Ghana on 4 and 5 January 1967, the country was already in deep crisis. The January...
How the Mid-West Region Was Created Through Constitutional Procedure in 1963
Nigeria’s Mid-West Region occupies a special place in the country’s constitutional history because it was created before military rule turned territorial restructuring into an...
Northern Cameroons and the 1961 Plebiscite, Why It Chose Union with Nigeria
Northern Cameroons was part of the former German Kamerun, which was divided between Britain and France after the First World War. The British-controlled portion...
Why Federalism Became Nigeria’s Safest Path to Independence
When Nigeria moved toward self government in the final years of British colonial rule, the central question was not only how to end imperial...
Ahmadu Bello and the Northern Bargain That Helped Shape Nigeria
Ahmadu Bello stands among the most influential figures in Nigeria’s journey to independence. As Premier of Northern Nigeria and leader of the Northern People’s...
Ahmadu Bello and Sharia in Northern Nigeria, He Did Not Introduce It, He Reshaped Its Place in Law
Long before Nigeria gained independence in 1960, Islamic law was already deeply rooted in Northern Nigeria. Its presence dated back to the emirate system...