FOR more than a century, the Obaseki name has carried a weight in Benin that few other families possess—one built on unusual political privilege, repeated confrontations with the palace, and an unbroken thread of proximity to royal power. In public memory, the name is both respected and feared. A deeper look at the family’s history […]
By UGOJI MAXIMILLIAN A close examination of Nigeria’s regional revenue data from 1960 to 1970 reveals a profound economic shift—one that exposes how conflict, political miscalculations, and persistent agitation can unravel decades of prosperity. At independence, the Eastern Region dominated the national economy, generating 57% of revenue thanks to a thriving export economy, emerging industries, and […]
By TOSI ORE EXPERTS have called on African nations to adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI) in ways that strengthen—rather than erode—the continent’s cultural identity, languages, and indigenous knowledge systems. Speaking at a two-day regional workshop on Open Educational Resources (OER) in Abuja, they stressed that Africa must develop AI strategies rooted in its own values and […]
By NCHONGANYI AKEBULAN FOR centuries, the transatlantic slave trade has been framed through a convenient distortion: “Africans sold Africans.” This oversimplified refrain has endured because it shifts responsibility, absolves European powers, and obstructs honest historical accountability. But archival evidence, court records, missionary correspondence, and early diplomatic letters reveal a very different story—one rooted in systemic manipulation, […]
HISTORY often remembers the Aro-Ibibio War as a clash of kingdoms. But beneath the surface lies a far more intricate story—one of political engineering, contested legitimacy, foreign intervention, and the strategic creation of an entirely new power structure in southeastern Nigeria. What unfolded in the mid-17th century was not just a war; it was a […]
By TIMOTHY HAGGERTY-NWOKOLO THE attempted coup in Benin Republic on Sunday has once again thrown a harsh spotlight on a region increasingly defined by democratic fragility. Though swiftly foiled, the episode—complete with gunfire in Cotonou, a brief takeover of state television, and rapid military pushback—reveals a deepening pattern: West Africa is experiencing its most aggressive […]
THE Benin monarchy is one of Africa’s oldest and most enduring institutions—revered, sacrosanct, and traditionally beyond public challenge. To disagree with the Oba is to question not just a king, but a centuries-old spiritual and political order. Yet history records rare, seismic moments when sections of the Benin populace—chiefs, elites, and everyday citizens—collectively pushed back. […]
FOR decades, African politicians, preachers, and public commentators have insisted that queerness is a foreign import — a Western invention smuggled in through colonization and reinforced by globalisation. Yet history carries a different testimony, one so powerful and so disruptive that it threatens the very foundation of this narrative. Buried in the layers of Yoruba […]
By FREDRICK BARNABAS OGHENERIOKE THE Urhobos, one of Nigeria’s largest ethnic groups, are predominantly found in Delta State, with significant populations in Bayelsa, Edo, and other states, as well as urban centers like Lagos, Ondo, and Kwara. Numbering around seven million, they speak the Urhobo language, which features distinct dialects across various […]
The Coal That Built a City: How Enugu’s Black Gold Gave Birth to Port Harcourt An Investigative Features-Editorial on History, Power, and the Making of a Nigerian Port City WHEN British engineers struck coal in the hills of Enugu in 1909, they uncovered far more than a rich mineral deposit—they set off a chain of […]