Recommended reading by The Republic‘s editors, on Nigeria’s independence and wider political history.
Editors Picks: Independence Day
7 Books to Read if You Didn’t Study Nigerian History in School
In 1977, historian Obaro Ikime delivered a lecture, ‘History and the Changing Cultures of Nigeria’, responding to Alhaji Shetima Ali Munguno’s disapproval of what he saw at the University of Calabar. Ikime argued that one of Nigeria’s greatest problems is our ‘inadequate knowledge of history and the ways of life of the various groups that make up Nigeria.’ As Nigeria turns 65, it is important to return to that history. Read More...
Remembering the Past, Rewriting the Future Creating a New Nigerian Narrative
As Nigeria prepares to usher in another government in 2023, forming a clear and cohesive national narrative is crucial. Read More...
From Soft Life to Soft Power Reconsidering Nigeria’s Regional and Global Influence
Nigeria is currently experiencing a creative and cultural renaissance. According to a UNDP Imagine Nigeria report, Nigeria needs a new economic roadmap. One in which the creative economy is center stage. Read more Read More...
The Making of a King The Historical Significance of Olu Atuwatse III
Last year, Olu Atuwatse III’s coronation captured the public imagination and shifted the trajectory of Warri’s history. What is this history in the first place? Read more Read More...
Young, Gifted and Radical The Figures Behind the Zikist Movement
Zikists were ahead of their time in espousing national interests over ethnic interests. Even today, Nigeria has yet to catch up with the vision the Zikists had in 1946. Read more. Read More...
Elizabeth Adekogbe and the Women’s Movement of Nigeria How Elizabeth Adekogbe’s Nationalism Promoted Women
Elizabeth Adekogbe was a nationalist, journalist, teacher, and women’s rights activist, who was the founder and leader of the Women’s Movement of Nigeria. Read more. Read More...
Nationalist: Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti The Radically Progressive Twentieth-Century Leader
Often understated today as the first woman to drive a car in Nigeria, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti's achievements were exceptional, multi-faceted and far-reaching. Read more. Read More...
Who Was Tanimowo Ogunlesi?
Tanimowo Ogunlesi was a women’s rights activist, teacher, and founding member of the women’s section of Obafemi Awolowo’s, Action Group (AG). Read more. Read More...
From Well-Worn Fatigues to Well-Tailored Suits Joseph Garba’s ‘Diplomatic Soldiering’
In ‘Diplomatic Soldiering’, the late General Joseph Garba, one of Nigeria’s earliest foreign ministers, presents a case for the tacit but present ‘Big Brother’ role that Nigeria has sought to play across Africa. Read more. Read More...
Who Was Ojukwu? The Many Perceptions of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu
Before he died in 2011, leader of the Biafran secessionist movement, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, had assumed four personalities: he was a hero, a villain, a rebel, and even a ‘one-Nigerianist’. Read more. Read More...
