By FRANCIS KUMAH Kofo Abayomi and a Marriage That Defied Colonial Norms Introduction: An Unusual Love Story in Colonial Lagos IN the social world of colonial Lagos, where lineage, titles and propriety governed personal relationships, few stories stand out as boldly as that of Dr. Kofo John, a man who changed his surname in 1930 to […]
Beyond the South-West: Rethinking the Geographic Spread of the Yorùbá People Introduction: A Common Misconception IN popular discourse, the Yorùbá people are often portrayed as an ethnic group confined exclusively to Nigeria’s South-West geopolitical zone. While the South-West remains the historical and cultural heartland of Yorùbá civilisation, this perception overlooks the group’s extensive demographic and […]
By AROH ANTHONY Igbo by Name: A Historical Linguistic Reconstruction The Myth of a Single Origin Name THE idea that the Igbo people have always been known by one collective name does not align with historical evidence. What exists instead is a layered evolution of terminology shaped by external contact and internal consolidation. Early references such […]
The Legal Moment Responsibility Attaches IN family law, the defining moment is not acceptance, preparation, or agreement. It is birth. From that moment, a child acquires legal rights, and corresponding duties are imposed on the parents. This framework reflects decades of jurisprudence aimed at insulating children from adult indecision. Legal responsibility arises automatically. It does […]
A Plantation Colony on the Brink BY the early 19th century, Jamaica stood as one of Britain’s most valuable colonial possessions, sustained almost entirely by enslaved African labour. Sugar estates dominated the island’s economy, while enslaved people—numbering over 300,000—vastly outnumbered the white planter class. This demographic imbalance, coupled with brutal working conditions and rigid racial […]
By JULIET EKANEM Talent Abundance, Systemic Deficit ACROSS major African cities such as Lagos, Abuja, Johannesburg and Cape Town, a consistent pattern emerges: a population rich in skill, creativity and entrepreneurial drive, yet constrained by structural weaknesses that limit sustainable success. Observers of Africa’s informal and formal economies frequently encounter young men and women capable […]
Historical Analogy and the Return of Power Politics A World Drifting from Rules to Force RECENT global developments have reignited an uncomfortable debate among scholars and policymakers: is the international system retreating from rules-based governance toward an older, harsher logic of power? The renewed American interest in Greenland under President Donald Trump, alongside escalating trade […]
Sovereignty and the Shock of External Force THE suggestion that a foreign power could conduct military strikes inside Nigeria has provoked widespread alarm, raising a fundamental question at the heart of international law: does Nigeria’s sovereignty still matter? The short answer is yes. The longer, legally accurate answer is more complex. Sovereignty remains a core […]
By ENGR. COLLINS IFY ELIMANI Amacha and the Foundational Narrative ORAL tradition in Abbi community, located in present-day Ukwuani land of Delta State, places Amacha at the centre of its founding history. Amacha is believed to have migrated from Achala-Uku in what is now Anambra State, journeying westward into a region that was, at the time, […]
The Niger–Congo Language Family: Re-examining Nigeria’s Shared Linguistic Origins Introduction: Why Language History Matters DEBATES about tribe, identity and language dominate Nigeria’s public discourse, often fueled by emotion rather than evidence. Many Nigerians passionately defend ethnic boundaries without understanding the historical origins of the languages they speak. Linguistics, however, offers a different narrative—one rooted in […]