22/04/2020
Here's one of ours at No. 2 in this compilation of all time greats on the history of the most populous country in Africa:
*Recommending my Favourite Books on Nigerian History*
By Olakunle Kasumu of Channels TV Book Club
There are many good books on Nigerian history and it is hard to list them all but let me try.
Someone can argue about whether or not the books listed here are the best but I was just keen on listing some of my personal favourites - books I have actually read, enjoyed and can confidently talk about. Some of them are controversial and have been highly criticized by critics but it is tough to deny they hold much valuable information and are mostly enjoyable to read. Some are about Nigeria's distant history while others are about more recent history.
So, here goes....
1. The Story of Nigeria by Michael Crowder. This is a bomb! I am not sure it is still in circulation so I don't know where you can get physical copy. It was published in 1962. I think you can find an online version though. This book should be in every Nigerian school and home. Unfortunately, very few people have seen it, talkless of read it. It traces hundreds of years of Nigerian history pre independence.
2. A Fatherless People (The Secret Story of How the Nigerians Missed the Road to the Promised Land) by Dele Ogun. One of the best books you will ever read on Nigerian history. Another one of my favourites. It attempts to capture Nigeria's story from its early conceptualisation by British colonialists in the aftermath of the abolition of the slave trade, up to the present day.
3. Possessed by Supo Shasore
This tells the story of how Lagos became a British Colony in 1862. The story of Nigeria is in many ways, the story of the capture of Lagos. In this book, you will meet the key characters who played vital roles in Lagos becoming a British Colony. From Oba Akitoye to Dosunmu to Kosoko to John Beecroft and co. The book gets very academic / legal at a point but I'll still recommend it any day. A small condensed version of it was created by the author for young readers and tourists. It is titled, The King & the Colony: A Short History of the British Possession of Lagos. If you don't like sizeable books, go for this one. It is a nice illustrated small book.
4. A Platter of Gold (The Making of Nigeria). Another classic by Supo Shasore. Very good book. It tells the story of Nigeria between 1906 and 1960. It is one of the two books that were adapted into a seven part documentary series I was previleged to produce titled, Journey of an African Colony.
5. Religion and the Making of Nigeria by Professor Femi Vaughan.
Classic!
Very revealing book. I am sure some will not find this book enjoyable though due to religious biases but if you read it objectively, it can be mind blowing. Nigeria is a country built on the influences of Islam and Christianity. The impact of the two major foreign religions on the shaping of Nigeria have been massively understated. The author uses a wealth of archival sources and extensive Africanist scholarship to trace Nigeria’s social, religious, and political history from the early nineteenth century to the present.
6. Hubris (A Brief Political History of the Nigerian Army) by Akintunde Akinkunmi. (Akinkunmi is a lawyer, doctor and soldier who served the British Army for decades).
This is a superb book on Nigerian history. It is impossible to understand Nigeria's modern history without understanding the political history of the Nigerian Army.
Akinkunmi's book explores the pre-Independence period, the years immediately following independence, the effects of the Nigerianisation of the Army, especially of the officer corps, and of the policy decisions made following the passing of control over the Army from the British to the Nigerian Government and more recent years leading up to 1999 when the army handed over to civilians.
7. Why We Struck by Adewale Ademoyega. This is a blockbuster book on Nigeria's first coup led by the famous five majors. You may have a different theory on the coup (whether or not it was an 'Igbo Coup') but it is a really fascinating read. It's like a thriller.
That January 1966 coup changed and shaped Nigeria post independence. This book captures the story. You just have to read it.
8. There Was a Country by Chinua Achebe. For 40 years, the legendary Chinua Achebe kept silent on the Biafra War and then, just before departing this world, he exploded with this book. Controversial but a must read.
9. Even if you do not like him at all, please try and read Obasanjo's most famous books on Nigeria. They are very insightful despite being controversial. The three most important to read if you ask me are:
a. My Command
b. Nzeogwu
c. My Watch
My Watch is three volumes of behind the curtain peeps into governance at the highest level in Nigeria. It is also rich in history mainly because Obasanjo has been a key component of Nigeria's modern history.
10. The three books written by Max Siollun. His books are very explosive and revealing especially about the role of the military in Nigerian politics. They are three in all.
a. Soldiers of Fortune (A History of Nigeria, 1963 - 1993)
b. Oil, Politics and Violence (Nigeria's Military Coup Culture)
c. Nigeria's Soldiers of Fortune (the Abacha and Obasanjo Years)
11. This House Has Fallen by Karl Meir. Very depressing book but another must read. Meir was a British correspondent in Nigeria for many years. His account in this book provides any reader with an opportunity to see what Nigeria looks like in the eyes of a frank foreigner.
12. You Must Set Forth at Dawn by Wole Soyinka. This is the memoir of the iconic Wole Soyinka. When I read it, I felt like I had just taken a course on Nigerian history! It's a big one, but worth the time you dedicate to reading it.
13. The Biafra Story by Frederick Forsyth. Forsyth is a journalist, author and former spy. You'll really enjoy this if you want to learn more about the Biafra War. But be ready to drop some tears for Nigeria though. The Biafra story is one of the most heart breaking parts of Nigeria's history. Unfortunately, not enough of it has been documented.
14. The Politics of Biafra and the Future of Nigeria by Chudi Ofodilli
Another one of my favourites on the Biafra War. I really enjoyed reading this. In this book, Ofodilli reflects on the importance of history in addressing present realities and the future of coexistance of Nigeria’s multi ethnic society. He analyses the ideological struggles and conflict in Biafra during the war with Nigeria from 1967-1970, the impact of the war and the relevance of those struggles to the current agitations for a new state of Biafra.
15. When it comes to more contemporary history of Nigeria, I think June 12 is extremely important so I have enjoyed a few books focused on June 12. Two of my favourites are:
a. June 12 by Abraham Oshoko. This is like a comic book. I couldn't drop it until I was done reading it!
b. The President Who Never Ruled by Jamiu Abiola. This is the story of M.K.O Abiola and June 12 told by his son. I absolutely love this book. Very enjoyable to read. It is what you might want to describe as 'faction'.
16. Witness to Justice by Matthew Kukah.
It is sad that this book is not as popular as it ought to be. It is one of the most important books ever written on Nigeria. It documents the stories and testimonials at the famous Oputa Panel, a panel that basically put the Nigerian military on trial. Bishop Matthew Kukah did Nigeria a big favour by writing and publishing this. Only one so deeply intellectual could have done that. It's a very big book though. Maybe that explains why not many people have read it.
17. Nigeria 2.0. By Dayo Adedayo.
It's a photo book but it's impossible for me not to add it to this list. It's is undoubtedly the best and the most comprehensive photo book on Nigeria. Adedayo travelled to the 774 local governments in Nigeria taking photos of important sites and landmarks. He then put many of those photos in this book and tagged each photo with a historical story. Incredible work!
