In 1953 when Northern Nigerians were beginning to consider secession from the Nigerian colony that would soon be a nation, Nnamdi Azikiwe gave a speech before the caucus of his political party, the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) in Yaba, Nigeria on … Read More … Read More(1953) Nnamdi Azikiwe, “Speech on Secession”
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Ile Ife, or Ife, is an ancient Yoruba city in southwestern Nigeria famous for its art. Between 700 and 900 A.D., the Ife began to develop as an important artistic center. By the 12th Century, its artists were creating bronze, stone, and terracotta sculptures, … Read More … Read MoreIle Ife, Nigeria (ca. 500 B.C.E.- )
Ibadan, located in Western Nigeria, is the country’s second largest city and capital of the Oyo state. A 2006 Nigerian Census shows the population of Ibadan at 1,138,639 citizens. Home to the University of Ibadan, it is a leader in the nation’s institutions of education, … Read More … Read MoreIbadan, Nigeria (1829- )
Rotimi Adebari is a Nigerian-Irish Politician who was elected the first black mayor in Ireland. Adebari was born in 1964 to unnamed parents in Okeodan, Ogun State, Nigeria. Although much of his early life is unknown, Adebari did receive a bachelor’s degree in economics from … Read More … Read MoreRotimi Adebari (1964- )
Abuja has been the capital of Nigeria since 1991 and the name refers not only to the city itself but also to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in which it is located. The current Minister for the territory is Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed who was appointed … Read More … Read MoreAbuja, Nigeria (1991- )
The University of Ibadan, founded in 1948, is the oldest university in Nigeria and the only institution founded before the country became independent in 1960. The University of Ibadan is a federally-controlled public university located in Ibadan, Oyo State. As of 2009 it had an … Read More … Read MoreUniversity of Ibadan (1948- )
The four century (1460-1860) transatlantic slave trade is responsible for the involuntary migration of 388,000 enslaved Africans to the United States according to historians’ best estimates. However, the U.S. has witnessed a much larger influx of voluntary African migration since the 1960s. Whether it was … Read More … Read MoreAfrican Immigration to the United States (1965- )
Queen Amina was a warrior and ruler of Zaria, a Hausa city-state in what is now Northern Nigeria. She ruled for 34 years from 1576 until she died in 1610. Around 1533, Queen Amina was born as Aminatu, a royal family member. Her grandfather was … Read More … Read MoreQueen Amina (1533-1610)
Musician, composer, professor, and conductor Fela Sowande was born May 1905 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. He was the son of Emmanuel Sowande, who was an Anglican priest and influential in the development of Nigerian sacred music. Fela Sowande was a musician and composer of music in … Read More … Read MoreOlufela Sowande (Fela) Obafunmilayo (1905-1987)
Godwin Ajala is remembered as a U.S. national hero who fought to save the lives of countless people as they escaped from the World Trade Center Towers on September 11, 2001. He is also the only Nigerian listed among the nearly 3,000 people who died … Read More … Read MoreGodwin O. Ajala (1968-2001)
