Independence & Nationalism in Nigeria
The nationalist movements, leaders, constitutional changes, and events leading to Nigeria’s independence in 1960.
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...
Ibadan in the Early 1960s, The City That Moved Western Nigeria
In the early 1960s, Ibadan stood as one of the most influential cities in Nigeria. It was a place of movement and ambition, a...
The 1969 National Curriculum Conference and the Birth of Modern Nigerian Education
In September 1969, while Nigeria was still in the midst of the civil war, an important national gathering took place in Lagos that would...
Is Nigeria Economically Self Reliant?
Economic self reliance refers to a country’s ability to sustain its development primarily through domestic production, supported by its own resources, labour, institutions and...
Rebuilding a Nation Through Learning, Nigerian Education After Independence and the Struggle for Relevance
When Nigeria gained independence on 1 October 1960, the country inherited an education system that had grown under colonial rule but was not designed...