The SOJA IDUMOTA Monument, How It Was Transferred to Abuja by General Ibrahim Babangida

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  This monument was erected by the colonial authorities at a strategic location in Idumota, a part of central Lagos, directly overlooking the Carter Bridge, the first and important artery connecting Lagos Island to the mainland, built in 1899. The monument was erected in 1935 as a cenotaph to honor the more than 3 million Nigerian-African soldiers who lost their lives while serving in the British Army in defense of the British Empire during the First World War in 1914-1918 and was celebrated annually as a harvest festival on November 16 by the former colonial regime before Nigeria’s independence. Celebrations continued after World War II in 1939-1945 and after the end of the 1967-1970 Nigerian Civil War, the annual celebration…

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Origin of the Itsekiri People and Their Diversification

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The Itsekiri ethnic group, also known as Jekri, Isekiri or Ishekiri, inhabits the westernmost part of the Niger Delta in southern Nigeria. The Itekiri make up the majority of the modern towns of Sapele, Warri, Burutu and Forcados. Itekiri is also a subgroup of the Yoruboid people who live mainly in the Warri South, Uvwie, Warri North and Warri Southwest local government areas of Delta State on the Atlantic coast of Nigeria. This means that the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria, as well as the Okpe and Edo peoples, are relatives of the Itsekiri. In addition, there are large Itekiri communities in many Nigerian cities, including Lagos, Sapele, Benin City, Port Harcourt and Abuja,…

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Meet First Ever Nigerian First Lady, Flora Ogbenyeanu Ogoegbunam Azikiwe

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Flora Ogbenyeanu Ogoegbunam Azikiwe (August 7, 1917 – August 22, 1983) was the first wife of Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first president of Nigeria. She was First Lady of Nigeria from October 1, 1963, to January 16, 1966. Ogoegbunam was born in Onitsha, a town in present-day Anambra State, to Chief Ogoegbunam, an Adazii of Onitsha (Chief Ndichie) of Ogboli Agbor Onitsha. There she met Nnamdi Azikiwe in 1934 and they married on April 4, 1936. Their wedding took place…

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Operation and Expansion of Leventis Store in the 1950s

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Leventis Store, Marina, Lagos. The car appears to be a 1949 Studebaker Land Cruiser, right-hand drive; Registration A6672. The store was located at the marina, between Abibu Oki and Williams streets. The first Leventis Stores opened in Marina Lagos in the 1950s and soon expanded to include several stores; Many more stores were opened such as in Benin, Calabar, Abuja, Owerri, Kano, Kaduna and Maiduguri etc. Leventis stores were synonymous with quality and affordable household items. It became a household…

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Inspection of the Imperial Airways by Northern leaders in 1934

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A picture of northern leaders, the Sultan of Sokoto, the Emir of Gwandu and the Emir of Kano inspect imperial Airways’ brand new ‘Syrinx’ aircraft at Croydon Airport on July 2, 1934. Imperial Airways was one of Britain’s first long-haul commercial airlines, operating from 1924 to 1939, serving primarily British Empire routes to South Africa, India, Australia and the Far East, including Malaysia and Hong Kong. Imperial Airways never reached the level of technological innovation…

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Celebration of the Ofala Festival and its Significance to the Igbo Culture

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The Ofala festival is an annual ceremony practiced by the Igbo people, particularly the indigenous people of Onitsha, Umueri, Umuoji and other nearby communities such as Aguleri, Nnewi and Ukpo in Dunukofia Local Government Area. It serves as a renewal ritual for the king, Igwe or Obi, and is similar to the Igue festival in Benin and the Ine, Osi or Ogbanigbe festival in many Igbo communities in west-central Nigeria. The term Ofala comes from two Igbo words: ọfọ…

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Prolific Artist, Odinigwe Benedict Enwonwu Speaks on His Inspiration and Influence of European Artists

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  Odinigwe Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu MBE, better known as Ben Enwonwu, worked in the 1950s. He was a Nigerian and Igbo painter and sculptor. Without a doubt the most influential African artist of the 20th century. I will not accept a subordinate position in the art world. My art was not called African because I expressed my reality wrongly and rightly. I have constantly fought against this kind of philosophy because it is wrong. European artists such as Picasso, Braque and Vlaminck were influenced by African art. Everyone sees it and…

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Meeet Fela’s American Girlfriend, Sandra Izsadore, A Significant Aid To His Musical Success

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  Sandra Izadore, an American who was also Fela’s girlfriend. Fela met Sandra Izsadore in California during a ten-month tour of the United States with Koola Lobitos in 1969. Izsadore, a black rights activist, introduced him to the writings of Malcolm Brown and Stokely. Carmichael, Huey Newton, Frantz Fanon and other revolutionary thinkers. Fela credits her with inspiring his philosophy of Blackism. Fela told…

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Mbari Club: A Hub of Creativity in the 1960s

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Achebe Mbari suggested the name, an Igbo concept for “creation.” Other Mbari members included Christopher Okigbo, JP Clark and South African writer Ezekiel Mphahlele, Frances Ademola, Demas Nwoko, Mabel Segun, Uche Okeke, Arthur Nortje and Bruce Onobrakpeya. The Club Mbari was founded in 1961 by various writers and other groups of visual artists and was originally located on the site of an old Lebanese stall in the Dugbe Market in Ibadan. Mbari has become an important…

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Ekwensu- The Igbo Deity of War and Victory

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  Let’s all take a moment to read and learn. Africa has a rich history and Nigeria is particularly rich and productive. Ekwensu is a deity in Igbo mythology who represents the forces of chaos and deception; he is the god of war and victory; and the god of opportunity and commerce. Ekwensu is known for his ability to disrupt the natural order of things and cause confusion and chaos, which the Yoruba also…

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Abraham Adesanya – A Hero Forever

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Abraham Adesanya was an honored political leader in the lineage of Obafemi Awolwo and Adekunle Ajasin with the title of Asiwaju of Yorubaland. Adesanya was born on July 24, 1922, in Ijebu Igbo into the family of the famous traditional healer Ezekiel. He completed his secondary education at Ijebu Igbo High School. After a short stint as a teacher, he went to Holbon College to study law. After returning to Nigeria in 1959, Adesanya joined the Awolowo Action Group and was elected to the Western…

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Babangida and Wife Conferred Knights by the British Monarch

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General Ibrahim Babangida and his wife Maryam Babangida are knighted by the British Monarchy during their state visit to the United Kingdom. He was accompanied by Ooni Sijuwade Olubuse II (in purple), Ermir Ado Bayero of Kano (in cream), Obi Okagbue of Onitsha, General Yakubu Gowon (in blue Agbada “Adire”) and other prominent Nigerians such as the Benin Chiefs in the background.

Meet the First Executive Governor of Lagos State, Lateef Kayode Jakande

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The first Executive Governor of Lagos State, Lateef Kayode Jakande, also known as “Baba Kekere”, was sworn in in 1979 before the Chief Justice of the state, Adetunji Adefarasin. Lateef Kayode Jakande was born on July 29, 1929 in Epetedo area of ​​Lagos Island, Lagos State. Both parents hail from Omu-Aran, Kwara State. He studied at the Lagos Public School in Enu-Owa on Lagos Island and then at the Bunham Memorial Methodist School in Port Harcourt (1934-1943). He studied at King’s College, Lagos in 1943 and enrolled at Ilesha Grammar School in 1945, where he edited the literary magazine The Quarterly Mirror. In 1949, Jakande began his journalistic career, first with…

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History of the Postal Service in Nigeria

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The image portrays three children sending letters to a barracks in Lagos. A mailbox is a type of freestanding mailbox that was introduced in 1852. The illustration shows the cipher of King George VI. from the beginning of his reign. The history of the postal service in Nigeria dates back to the 19th century. The first post office was founded in 1852 by the British colonial rulers. It was considered part of the British postal system. It was a branch of the General Post Office in London and remained so until 1874 (1862), when the Post Office…

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TGIF: Nightlife in the 1960s

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In 1960s Nigeria, TGIF nightlife was nothing new. In this photo, residents of Yaba, Lagos enjoyed dancing at a popular nightclub. The owner of the club emphasized the unity among customers, regardless of their origins: Lebanese, Chinese, Cameroonian, Indian, Ghanaian, Togolese, Yoruba, Hausa, Ibo, Itsekiri or Edo, everyone is always welcome as friends to have a drink and to drink drinking fun. A notable difference between then and now is clothing; Women used to dress modestly, unlike today where many women wear less clothing in nightclubs.

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