In 1953, Sir Ahmadu Bello referred to Nigeria as the "mistake of 1914". Interestingly, the country's Democracy Day is now celebrated on his birthday.
Samuel Adegboyega was named Gbadebo after Oba Gbadebo I, the sixth Alake of Egbaland, Abeokuta, as he was from a royal house himself.
Ibadan was founded by the Yoruba people in 1750. It became a Yoruba military headquarters in 1829 and came under British rule in 1893...
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...
Alvan Ikoku and his son, Samuel Goomsu Ikoku (1922–1997), were political rivals. Samuel won an election against his father at the Eastern Regional Assembly elections on March 15, 1957.
Nigeria had been driving with British imported right-hand-drive cars, but after the civil war, it shifted to using left-hand drive cars on April 2, 1972.
Chinua Achebe twice declined the Nigerian award of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) in 2004 and 2011.
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.
Aguiyi-Ironsi adopted the name “Johnson” as his first name from his elder sister’s husband, Theophilus Johnson, who was a Sierra Leonean diplomat in Umuahia.
Shehu Shagari was the 6th child of his father, 6th Head-of-State of Nigeria, and also had 6 federal government appointments before he became President.
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.
President Goodluck Jonathan promised to revive the Groundnut Pyramids but he failed to fulfil that promise until he left office in 2015.
Murtala Muhammed remains the youngest Nigerian Head-of-State to die in office at the age of 37, and the only one to die before the age of 40...
As of the time of his death in 1955, Alhaji Alhassan Dantata was the richest man in all of West Africa...
Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (1912- January 15, 1966) was Nigeria's first Prime Minister. He was popularly known as "The Golden Voice of Africa".
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.
In his No Victor, No Vanquished speech on January 15, 1970, General Yakubu Gowon asserted that “the so-called 'Rising Sun of Biafra' is set forever.”
Flora Nwapa (1931–1993), was the first African woman to publish a novel in the English language in 1966.
The first church service which ushered in Christianity to Abeokuta took place on Sunday, January 8, 1843. The service was conducted in Chief Sodeke's residence.
Professor Kenneth Onwuka Dike was the first Nigerian Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan and the roaming Ambassador of Biafra to Côte d'Ivoire...