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.
Ahebi Ugbabe: The Only Female King of Colonial Nigeria
Ahebi Ugbabe has been described succinctly by Nwando Achebe in her book, The Female King of Colonial Nigeria: Ahebi Ugbabe, published in 2011...
The Tragic Story of Hadiza Oboh, Nigeria Airways’ First Female Pilot
Hadiza Oboh was the first and only female pilot of the defunct Nigeria Airways in the 1990s. She was an amazon in, not only, the Nigerian aviation industry but the world at large.
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...
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.
Flora Nwapa: Mother of Modern African Literature
Flora Nwapa (1931–1993), was the first African woman to publish a novel in the English language in 1966.
Herbert Macaulay: 17 Interesting Facts About the Man on the One Naira Note &...
On December 5, 1893, Herbert Macaulay became the first Nigerian to qualify as a civil engineer and a member of the British Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).
How Alhassan Dantata became West Africa’s Richest Man in the 1950s
As of the time of his death in 1955, Alhaji Alhassan Dantata was the richest man in all of West Africa...
How Mobolaji Johnson built Lagos with £10,000
Mobolaji Johnson was only 31 years old when he was appointed as the first military governor of Lagos State in May 1967.
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".
How Dele Giwa was Bombed to Death in 1986
Dele Giwa kept moaning the refrain, “They have got me.” Who he referred to as “they” still remains a riddle to this day.
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.
MKO Abiola: The Nigerian President who never ruled
MKO Abiola’s death succeeded in discrediting military rule in Nigeria, and his outstanding contribution to his country...was acknowledged six years after his death when the New African magazine listed him among the hundred greatest Africans of all time.
Festus Okotie-Eboh: Nigeria’s most flamboyant Politician
As the Federal Minister of Finance, Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh was instrumental in the founding of Nigeria's Central Bank in 1959.
How Ameyo Adadevoh stopped the 2014 Ebola Plague in Nigeria
When the swine flu spread to Lagos in 2012, Ameyo Adadevoh was the first doctor to diagnose and notify the Ministry of Health.
Gambo Sawaba: Married at 13, Politician at 17, Imprisoned at 20
Gambo Sawaba was an Amazon and an enigma in the 20th century Northern Nigeria. Right from the start, the major aspects of her character emerged very boldly.
Dora Akunyili: The African Woman Who Won 930 Awards
During her lifetime, Dora Akunyili received 820 awards. After her death, 110 more were discovered in her boxes, bringing the total to 930. No Nigerian has more.
50 Interesting Facts about Ahmadu Bello
Bello once referred to Nigeria as the "mistake of 1914" but later worked for and gave his best for the new nation of Nigeria.
Top 5 African Cities that are most vulnerable to Climate Change
According to the Africa Growth Initiative, Africa...has 7 out of the 10 countries that are considered the most threatened by climate change all over the world.
Kaduna Nzeogwu: Hero or Villain?
Major Kaduna Nzeogwu was the first Nigerian to become an officer in Military Intelligence. Born on February 26, 1937, Nzeogwu was only 20 when he joined the Nigerian Army in March 1957.
Jonathan Adagogo Green: Nigeria’s First Professional Photographer
Jonathan Adagogo Green was also responsible for the now very famous photograph of Oba Ovonramwen of Benin in 1897.
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).
