Colonial History

Discover Nigeria’s colonial past on OldNaija.com — a story of change, struggle, and the journey to independence.

Indirect Rule in Nigeria: Overview, Reasons and Effects

To understand British colonial administration in West Africa, one must closely examine indirect rule in Nigeria. Introduced in the early…
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Battle of Imagbon: The British-Ijebu war of 1892

Background of the Battle of Imagbon In 1891, the Ijebu people, dwelling between 50 and 60 miles north-east of Lagos…
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Sarah Forbes Bonetta- The Yoruba Slave Who Became Queen Victoria’s Goddaughter

Sarah Forbes Bonetta was originally born ‘Aina’ in 1843 to Egbado parents of the Yoruba ethnic group. Her father was…
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List of People Killed at the Aba Women’s Riot of 1929

Below are the names and relevant details of individuals who lost their lives during the Aba Women’s Riot of 1929.…
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Meet little Folashade Lawson who also presented flowers to Queen Elizabeth II: She is now Mrs Folashade Randle

Folashade Lawson, daughter of the Chairman of Lagos Town Council, was among the girls who presented flowers to Queen Elizabeth…
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Queen Elizabeth’s First Visit to Nigeria in 1956 (with Video)

Footage of the Queen’s visit to Nigeria in 1956. The Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II, visited Nigeria for the…
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Merits and Demerits of the Richards Constitution of 1946

Read the full details and features of the Richards constitution here. Arthur Frederick Richards Below are the merits and demerits…
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Palava: The First Film Shot in Nigeria, 1926

A scene from the film, Palava In the year 1926, cinematic history was made with the production of “Palava”, the…
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The Benin Punitive Expedition of 1897

The Benin punitive expedition of 1897 was a disastrous event that left the great kingdom of Benin devastated and deprived…
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The Berlin Conference And Partition of Africa

By the late 19th century, European powers were locked in an intense race to control African territory. What began as…
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Lagos Times and Gold Coast Colony Advertiser

Lagos Times and Gold Coast Colony Advertiser was the third newspaper established in Nigeria. It succeeded Anglo African Newspaper of…
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Mungo Park In West Africa

The ball was now on the feet of a young Scotsman, to see whether he could succeed where…
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The West African Students’ Union (WASU) 1925

The West African Sudents’ Union (WASU) was founded on August 7 1925, in London, by a group of twenty one…
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The Treaty Between Britain and Lagos on January 1, 1852

Before Britain’s Bombardment of Lagos in 1851, Lagos had been the main port for slave trading activities under the rule…
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Adubi War (Ogun Adubi) of 1918

The Adubi war, also known as Ogun Adubi or the Egba Uprising, was a war that broke out between June…
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