The origin of the name ‘Nigeria’ lies in one of Africa’s most popular rivers, the River Niger. It is important to know that Lord Lugard’s wife, Flora Shaw, was credited for naming the country ‘Nigeria’. History has it in profile that Flora Shaw coined the name ‘Nigeria’ in 1897. How did it happen? Who…
Known as ‘wole-wole’ in Yorubaland, ‘Nwaole-ala’ among the Igbos and ‘duba-gari’ among Hausa people, sanitary inspectors are government officials saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the sanitation of houses and neighbourhoods in every part of Nigeria. The office of the sanitary inspector was established during the colonial era of Nigeria. At the dawn of…
Background of the Battle of Imagbon In 1891, the Ijebu people, dwelling between 50 and 60 miles north-east of Lagos on the Magbon river, set a blockade and charged customs dues on the trade route to Lagos which as at then was a crown colony. The Awujale (traditional ruler of Ijebu) closed down Ejirin market,…
Moshood Adisa Olabisi Ajala aka Ajala the traveller on his vespa Who was Olabisi Ajala The Traveller? Moshood Adisa Olabisi Ajala, popularly known in Nigeria and across the globe as ‘Ajala the traveler ‘, was the man who toured the United States of America on a bicycle, and the world, on a motor scooter better known…
Footage of the Queen’s visit to Nigeria in 1956. The Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II, visited Nigeria for the first time on the 28th of January, 1956, four years to Nigeria’s independence and stayed for 20 days. She was received with a military parade at the Ikeja Airport in Lagos and welcomed by dignitaries…
Members of the National Congress of British West Africa (NCBWA) The National Congress of British West Africa (NCBWA) was founded in Accra, Gold Coast (now Ghana) in 1920 by the educated elites from English-speaking West African colonies led by Joseph Casely Ephraim Hayford, a Ghanaian and Dr. Akinwande Savage from Nigeria. Other co-founders and early officials…