Historical Origin of the City of Calabar

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Calabar (also called Callabar, Calabari, Calbari, Kalabari and Kalabar) is the capital of Cross River State in Nigeria. In the Efik language it was originally called Akwa Akpa. The city borders the Calabar and Great Kwa rivers and the Cross River streams (from the inland delta). The tribes that inhabited part of the Guinean coast were known as Calabar when Portuguese explorers first came to the region in the 15th century and the local population were the Quas. The Efik people only left the Niger River region to settle on the banks of…

British Invasion of Lagos in 1851

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“Lagos is to be attacked by force,” was the order Beecroft received from London…The rift between Akitoye and Kosoko tore Eko badly. One was a man of the people, the other was also a man of the people, but a “friend” of the English people. The battle for “Eleko” aimed to tear the state apart; All the main players in the next battle are already in position. The order was given. The battle for the soul of Lagos was to destroy everything he owned. Kosoko wanted the throne, but Akitoye wanted it more. The infamous HMS Bloodhound leaves England for…

Human Right Leader, Gani Fawehinmi, Others Protest Against Military Regime in Nigeria

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Dressed in traditional blue clothing, human rights leader Gani Fawehinmi (right) attempts to address protesters who had gathered at a bus stop in Yaba for a banned anti-junta demonstration to mark the fifth anniversary of the cancellation of the June 12, 1993, presidential election as well as the rejection of the new military regime in Nigeria. On his right, Femi Falana (Falz’s father) (in green shirt), lawyer and prominent human rights activist, and on his left, with dark glasses, Dupe Onitiri Abiola,…

Historical Rift Between Ora Ekpen and Crown Prince Esigie

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They are also known as the Owan people in Edo. It is reported that Okpameh (also called Uguan), son of Oba Ewaure, left the Kingdom of Benin after being ordered not to commit murders. He went to the northern part and settled in a certain place which he called Odorlerene (somewhere in present-day Ora). Okpameh was a very powerful and famous hunter who was respected for killing the fearsome leopard (Ekpen). He married Lady Uokha, who bore him a son, whom he named (due to the circumstances of his birth) Ora Ekpen. Ora Ekpen then gave birth to children who form today’s Ora community. Okpameh later received news of the death…

West African Pilot Newspaper by Nnamdi Azikiwe, the Pioneer Entrepreneurial Black Journalism

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The West African Pilot was a newspaper founded on November 22, 1937, by Nnamdi Azikiwe (“Zika”) in Nigeria, dedicated to the struggle for independence from British colonial rule. He was known for introducing popular journalism to Nigeria. The newspaper pioneered entrepreneurial black journalism. The newspaper linked football with social justice. Azikiwe’s Article used football to reinforce the growing unpopularity of colonization in Nigeria. With a circulation of around 25,000 copies and a significantly larger readership, the newspaper enjoyed great popularity. This article marked the beginning of popular journalism in Nigeria. West African Pilot spawned a chain of newspapers positioned as city…

Students in the Electronics Department at Comprehensive High School Aiyetoro, Ogun State in the 1960s.

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Aiyetoro, or “Compro” as it was called by students, was the first school in the country to offer basic subjects in electronics, applied electricity and motor mechanics at “O” level. These were supplementary courses to other technical subjects such as carpentry, metal carpentry and technical drawing. The school was the second comprehensive school in the country after the Government Secondary School, Port Harcourt, which was established in 1962 in collaboration with the then Government of Eastern Nigeria and USAID. Its founders came from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The school was founded as a pioneering comprehensive school in Africa. In addition to technical subjects,…

Remember the Popular Abacha Stove, Read Details Below

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Political instability in Nigeria under the Abacha administration in 1993/94 as a result of the annulment of the June 12, 1992, presidential election led by the late business tycoon Chief M.K.O. had won. Abiola- caused a severe shortage of kerosene which was clearly felt in various parts of the country. Kerosene shortage led to the invention of the Abacha Coal-Pot, a locally made coal stove. Over the years, Abacha Coal-Pot cooking technology has become widespread, and its use has spread rapidly due to the continuous rise in prices of kerosene and cooking gas. In Nigeria, the official price of kerosene per liter has increased by more than 200% in the last…