7 Books That Will Transport You to Nigeria Under IBB

IBB became the military president of Nigeria in 1985, after overthrowing General Muhammadu Buhari in a military coup. On becoming president, IBB sold himself as the military leader who would usher in Nigeria’s democracy; but what continues to puzzle historians is why he repeatedly delayed the democratic transition until 1993. All of these and more form the crux of episode one (listen here).

In this curated recommendation, we have compiled a list of seven books to understand the state of the Nigeria under IBB. Our book recommendations served as resources for the first episode and are highly recommended for anyone looking to understand Nigeria during the period in context.

For our recommendations, read on.

Nigeria has had a chequered political history before and since independence from British colonial rule on October 1, 1960. Two sets of actors—the civilian politicians and the military politicians—have been on the national political stage since January 15, 1966. General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) was one of them. In his eight years in power as military president, he affected the course of Nigeria’s events. It is not possible to tell Nigeria’s story without Babangida’s part in it.

The book is the story of IBB, the orphan from Minna, Niger State and his meticulous rise to the top of his profession and the leadership of his country. Perhaps, more importantly, it is the story of Nigeria, its post-independence politics and power, told from the perspective of the actions and decisions of one of the main actors on the country’s political stage. The events that shaped the Babangida era did not begin on August 27, 1985, the day he staged a palace coup against General Muhammadu Buhari. They began long before that. This book is the definitive story of the military, politics and power in Nigeria.

Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and one of the world’s largest oil producer, but its success has been undermined in recent decades by ethnic and religious conflict, political instability, rampant official corruption and an ailing economy. Toyin Falola, a leading historian intimately acquainted with the region, and Matthew Heaton, who has worked extensively on African science and culture, combine their expertise to explain the context to Nigeria’s recent troubles through an exploration of its pre-colonial and colonial past, and its journey from independence to statehood. By examining key themes such as colonialism, religion, slavery, nationalism and the economy, the authors show how Nigeria’s history has been swayed by the vicissitudes of the world around it, and how Nigerians have adapted to meet these challenges. This book offers a unique portrayal of a resilient people living in a country with immense, but unrealized, potential.