Usman Dan Fodio, born into the Torokawa family in 1754, was the leader of the largest jihad in Nigeria and West Africa. He studied law, theology and philosophy in Agades under the tutelage of a certain Umar. His studies on these topics inspired him to embrace the religion of Islam. Usman Dan Fodio migrated to…
Who was Malcolm X? Malcolm His charisma and oratorical skills helped him gain national prominence within the Nation of Islam, a belief system that combined Islam and black nationalism. He later changed his name to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. Malcolm X in Nigeria Malcolm X visited Nigeria twice, once in 1959 and again in 1964.His first…
The late Apala musician Ayinla Waheed Yusuf, popularly known as Ayinla Omowura, is considered one of the most original Yoruba musicians of post-colonial Nigeria. Omowura was born in 1933. His music was popular in southwestern Nigeria in the 1970s and gave him cult status. Unfortunately, at the peak of his career, he was killed by…
Title: The Amalgamation of Nigeria’s Northern and Southern Protectorates: Blessing or Curse? Author: Mathias Chukwudi Isiani & Ngozika Obi-Ani, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Summary This study is a creative examination of the interesting results of the merger of Nigeria’s two protectorates in 1914. This remains as controversial as the partition of Africa, reflected in particular in…
If you want to download Samuel Johnson’s Yoruba History in PDF format, you have come to the right place. This is a very detailed book about the origins, history and traditions of the Yoruba people of southwest Nigeria. The book entitled “History of the Yoruba: From the Earliest Times to the Origins of the British…
Kanuri is a dialect continuum spoken by about four million people in 1 , mostly in northeastern Nigeria, western Niger, southeastern Chad and northern Cameroon, as well as by small minorities in southern Libya and the diaspora in Sudan. The Kanuri Kingdom as well as other cities, provinces and states such as Borno in Nigeria,…
The 19th century saw several slave rebellions, particularly in the Caribbean, where slavery increased enormously despite abolitionists’ efforts to end it. During this time, sugar and cotton plantation owners were booming and needed as much cheap labor as possible to increase production, which would then have a positive impact on their income. As African slaves…
Like any other average African American, James Churchwill Vaughan lived a decent life and tried to make ends meet in America, despite several social problems that still leave the black community a step behind the white community. James was born in South Carolina in 1828 and lived with his extended family, knowing no other place…
Justin Fashanu was the first black footballer to be offered a £1 million transfer fee in 1981. He was also the first professional footballer to openly admit his homosexuality. Fashanu, a talented footballer beloved by many, committed suicide in the United Kingdom on May 2, 1998 after a 17-year-old boy accused him of sexual assault…
Offa is a city in Kwara State and has a population of about 100,000. Offa is famous for weaving and dyeing with vegetable dyes made from indigo and other locally grown plants. Offa is also known for growing sweet potatoes and maize, which were a popular staple food of the city’s indigenous people. Offa is…
Seated left to right: Captain Harley Empere, Major Gideon Orkar, Captain Perebo Dakolo, Lieutenant Cyril Ozoalor and Lieutenant Nicholas Odeh during their trial before the Special Military Court for their involvement in the failed April 1990 coup against the military government of Ibrahim Babangydy. Thanks for reading.
This is a photo of an old advertisement for Lipton tea that appeared in Toli Adenle’s Emotan magazine on February 2, 1980. Lipton tea was sold for 75 kobo back then. Thanks for watching,
General Yakubu Gowon officially ties the knot with his love interest Miss Victoria Zakari at the Christ Church Cathedral, Lagos It was a joyful and memorable day for Nigerians even though the country was at war. Below are some beautiful photos from the state wedding. Entrance of the bride accompanied by her father …
The Men’s Revolt was one of several slave rebellions that occurred in Brazil between 1807 and 1835. It was probably the most significant slave revolt in Brazilian history. The Malê Revolt involved black slaves, mainly Hausa, Kanuri and Yoruba from what is now Nigeria, and freedmen, who attempted to seize power from the white authorities…
Who was Bode Thomas? Olabode Akanbi Thomas, popularly known as Bode Thomas, was born in October 1919 to Andrew Thomas, a wealthy and influential Yoruba trader. He attended the C.M.S.Grammar School, Bariga, a missionary school founded on June 6, 1859 by the Church Missionary Society. Bode Thomas studied law in London with FRA director Williams…
Adegoke Olubummo was the first professor of mathematics in Nigeria in 1964. He was born on April 19, 1923 to the first honored literate musician of Orin, His Royal Highness Oba William Adekolawu Olubummo II and Chief Abigael Osarayi Olubummo in Orin Ekiti. As a royal child, Olubummo received a quality education at the Methodist…
The Owu-Ife War, as the name suggests, was a bloody conflict that broke out between the people of Ile-Ife and the natives of the nearby town of Owu between 1821 and 1828. It opened doors of tragedy to other wars in Yoruba land. Causes of the Owu-Ife War The Owu-Ife War broke out barely four…
The Richards Constitution of 1946 is another link in the chain of colonial or pre-independence constitutions in Nigeria. After Hugh Clifford became Governor of Nigeria, three successive governors held the office (Graeme Thompson, Donald Cameron and Bernard Bourdillon) before another constitution was adopted, namely the Richards Constitution of 1946. Governor Bernard Bourdilloun took office in…
Stanley Enekwe shortly before his execution The robber Stanley Enekwe was executed in April 1972 for stealing an official vehicle of the Nigerian Army. Stanley was reportedly a former Biafran soldier who fought in the Nigerian Civil War and returned in one of the official war vehicles. He was accused of theft and later sentenced…
Lawrence Anini, also known as “Law”, was born in 1960, the same year Nigeria gained independence, to the Owuo family in Orogbo village in Orhionmwon region, about 30 km from Benin City, the capital of Bendel today’s Edo State, away, born. A 26-year-old thief has terrorized parts of Benin and several other nearby towns; With…