Ken Saro-Wiwa: Writer, Environmental Activist, Martyr
It took five attempts to hang Ken Saro-Wiwa before he spoke his last words and his body went limp.
40 Interesting Facts about Ibadan
Ibadan was founded by the Yoruba people in 1750. It became a Yoruba military headquarters in 1829 and came under British rule in 1893...
Sir Ahmadu Bello: The Sardauna of Sokoto
As the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello is still venerated by millions of Nigerians, especially among his kinsmen in Northern Nigeria.
Ore Green: West Africa’s First Female Pharmacist
Ore Green worked in London, before returning in 1917 to Lagos where she first worked as a Midwife at the hospital of Dr. Richard Akinwande Savage (1874-1935).
Amílcar Cabral: Who killed Guinea-Bissau’s Revolutionary Leader in 1973?
On January 20, 1973, Amílcar Cabral was shot and killed outside his home in Conakry, where his political party had established its headquarters. He was just 48.
Muhammadu Ribadu: Nigeria’s First Minister of Defence
As Minister of Defence, Muhammadu Ribadu presided over a rapid expansion of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, as well as the creation of the Nigeria Air Force.
Josiah Ransome-Kuti: The Singing Minister of Abeokuta
Josiah Ransome-Kuti was also the first Nigerian to release a record album after he recorded many hymns (in the Yoruba language) in gramophone through Zonophone Records, London in 1925.
Ernest Shonekan (1936-2022): A Child of Circumstance
At around 3:30 p.m. on August 26, 1993, Ernest Shonekan was sworn in as Nigeria’s new Head of State by Chief Justice Mohammed Bello.
Samuel Ladoke Akintola: 13th Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland and Last Premier of the...
Samuel Ladoke Akintola was responsible for the establishment of the University of Ife in 1962 and the creation of the Cocoa House in 1965.
Mansa Musa: The Financial Recklessness of the Richest Man in History
Mansa Musa amassed so much wealth that he has been described by historians as the richest man in history...
10 Powerful African Women Who Shook the 20th Century
Every 31st day of July is celebrated as African Women’s Day to affirm the role of the African woman in the evolution of a strong Pan-African identity.
Usman dan Fodio: Progenitor of the Sokoto Caliphate
Usman dan Fodio wrote more than a hundred books on religion, administration, culture, and community. He promoted literacy and education, particularly for women, and many of his daughters became scholars and authors. His works and sayings are still very much quoted today.
Bashorun Gaa: The “Wicked Prime Minister” of the Old Oyo Empire
It was impossible for Bashorun Gaa to become an Alaafin of the Oyo Empire as the Prime Minister bore no blood of Oranmiyan to claim the throne...
Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti: Teacher, Nation-Builder, Clergyman
Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti holds the record of the longest-serving president of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (23 years) and the principal of Abeokuta Grammar School (22 years).
Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi: Did the General deserve to die?
Ironsi's proclamation of Decree 34 on May 24, 1966, marked the beginning of the end for him. The decree strengthened the centre, thereby removing the powers granted to the regions.
Why Chinua Achebe never won the Nobel Prize in Literature
Chinua Achebe twice declined the Nigerian award of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) in 2004 and 2011.
25 Interesting Facts About Cross River State
Cross River State is the leading tourism state in Nigeria. Especially the capital, Calabar. Visitors from different parts of Nigeria come to the city in large numbers all year round.
Mallam Aminu Kano: Once Upon a Radical
Professor Chinua Achebe wrote in 1983 that “Nigeria cannot be the same again because Aminu Kano once lived here.”
Was Joseph Gomwalk guilty of the 1976 Dimka Coup?
Joseph Gomwalk was only 41 years old when he was executed on May 15, 1976, in Lagos, the federal capital.
Obafemi Awolowo: The Best President Nigeria Never Had
Obafemi Awolowo rose to become the first Premier of the Western Region of Nigeria and the leader of the Action Group Party in the First Republic.
Adegoke Adelabu: The Unforgettable Peculiar Penkelemesi
Adegoke Adelabu is often mentioned in Yorùbá and Nigerian history as the author of "penkelemesi", a Yorubanisation of the phrase, "peculiar mess".
Is Lagos a No Man’s Land?
Lagos was the capital city of Nigeria for 77 years until the seat of government was moved to Abuja, which was planned and built specifically for that purpose.
