Omalicha Slim History Blog

What the Nigerian flag would look like today, if we never gained independence. Flag of the colony and Protectorate of Nigeria (1914-1960) situated in the top half of the picture.

 A picture of Prince Philip in 1956 surveying an open pit tin mine during the ROYAL TOUR OF NIGERIA. He was looking at a vast amount of resources to be tapped and used for the benefit of the United Kingdom. Unfortunately for him Nigeria gained its independence four years later.

Deportation of over 1million Ghanians and other African immigrants due to crisis. - FEB 1983.

State house Marina built in 1886, was the residence of the head of state of Nigeria before 1967. I.E Balewa was kidnapped from that house and was never seen again.

Photo of a Tram line on Ebute Ero street Lagos (1913)

Nnamdi Azikiwe's political campaign in 1959.

On the first of January 1914, the Northern and Southern Protectorates were merged together as one and Nigeria as we have it today was born.  2nd photo shows celebrations of the amalgamation along Tinubu street, Lagos.

Captain James Labulo Davies. A London based yoruba millionaire who arrived in (1861) with 16 gold carriages for his wedding to Sarah Forbes Bonetta (The black adopted daughter of Queen Victoria).

Alake of Abeokuta (Egbaland) Oba Ladapo Ademola II arriving at the coronation of King George VI of England. London, May 1937.

The first Nigerian to declare that 20 man shall fall that day if you cross his lane, was 19 year old Victor uwaifo training and posing at Obalende, near st Gregory's college, Lagos 1960.

Pedestrians walking down the "London and Kano Trading Company". 1961

A Nigerian Football team without boots (1949).

Some of the prominent Nigerian leaders in their youth (Abdulsalami Abubakar, Ismail, Ibrahim Babangida, Mohammed Magoro and AB Ahmed) with their names written at the bottom.

Policemen at the Ilorin railway station in the 1910s with no shoes.

Nigeria, Africa's most populous country gave birth to a myriad musical styles. Iconoclastic Felt Kuti created Afrobeat to voice out his political opinions.  King Sunny Ade popularized juju music, Segun Adewale invented yo-pop and Chief (Dr.) Alhaji Sikuru Ayinde Barrister brought fuji- his rootsy, multiple percussion based music of the muslim yoruba to Europe, Ibo Prince Nico Mbarga led a highlife band and Sunny Okosun create afro- reggae fusion. 

Mary Slessor (seated) was a Scottish missionary in eastern Nigeria. She lived for a long time among the Efik people in Calabar where she successfully fought against the killing of twins at infancy. 1900s Vintage Nigeria

Yoruba people in 1898 Vintage Nigeria

The Portuguese were the first European travelers to visit Benin, which they called Beny, this was during the reign of King Ozolua c1472 and 1486 AD. The Portuguese admitted finding a highly developed kingdom with a very advanced system. This visit and subsequent interchanges led to King John II of Portugal who reigned between 1481 to 1495 exchanging correspondences with the King of Benin on a peer like basis. Between 1504 and 1550 AD, the Portuguese established diplomatic and trade relations with Oba Esigie and his kingdom of Benin By the 16th century the Oba sent an ambassador to Lisbon and the king of Portugal reciprocated by sending Christian missionaries to teach the Binis the gospel. The English made their first call in 1 553. This visit was a harbinger of lucrative business, for significant trade relationship soon developed between England and Benin. The British anthropology writer and curator, Henry Ling Roth, described Bini as Great Benin. Other European visitors to

Traffic in the streets of Lagos, commonly known  as ‘go slows’. 1982. Vintage Nigeria

Photo taken in Southern Nigeria during The Aro Punitive Expedition 1901. The  Anglo–Aro War  (1901–1902) was a conflict between the  Aro Confederacy  in present day  Eastern Nigeria , and the  British Empire . The war began after increasing tension between  Aro  leaders and British colonialists after years of failed negotiations.

Ibibio man his and wife. Ikot-Ekpene. March 7th 1905.

Wedding Ceremony among the Qua people in Calabar; female relatives accompanying the bride. 1951 Vintage Nigeria

Two men in southern Nigeria, 1890s Vintage Nigeria

The Ransome-Kuti family children (L-R) Olikoye, Beko, Dolupo and Fela. Photo taken in 1941 Vintage Nigeria

Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey Obey began his professional career in the mid-1950s after moving to  Lagos . After tutelage under Fatai Rolling-Dollar’s band, he formed a band called The International Brothers in 1964, playing  highlife – jùjú fusion. The band later metamorphosed into Inter-Reformers in the early-1970s, with a long list of Juju album hits on the West African Decca musical label. Obey began experimenting with  Yoruba   percussion  style and expanding on the band by adding more drum kits, guitars and  talking drums . Obey’s musical strengths lie in weaving intricate Yoruba axioms into dance-floor compositions. As is characteristic of Nigerian Yoruba social-circle music, the Inter-Reformers band excel in praise-singing for rich Nigerian socialites and business tycoons. Obey, however, is also renowned for Christian spiritual themes in his music and has since the early-1990s retired into Nigerian gospel music ministry. TRACKS: 1 Alowo majaiye - Aiye laba ohun gbog

Female graduates of University college in Ibadan, Nigeria. 1953.

Martiniano Eliseu do Bomfim Yoruba name was Òjélàdé, (1859-1943), was born in Bahia, Brazil. His father was a member of the Egba, one of the Yoruba sub-groups, had been brought to Brazil as a slave in 1820 and liberated there in 1842. A 16-year-old Martiniano accompanied his father, Eliseu do Bomfim, who was an import/export trader of Yoruba goods, on a trip from Salvador, Bahia to Lagos, Yorubaland in 1875 for the purpose of attending school and learning a trade. In Lagos he attended the Church Missionary Society Alápákó Fàájì School for almost 11 years. He arrived back in Salvador on January 30, 1886. During his time in Lagos Martiniano became fluent not only in English but also in Yoruba. He also acquired knowledge of Ifá, the Yoruba system of divination and became a Babalawo, as well as being trained as a bricklayer and house painter. Back in Bahia he worked as an English teacher for well to do Afro-Brazilians. Martiniano died on November 1, 1943 in Salvador, Bahia. Pho

The  Mount Patti Hill  is a 1503 foot-tall (458 m) mountain and tourist attraction in  Lokoja , Nigeria. It is famous for being the place where British journalist and writer  Flora Louise Shaw  (later Flora Lugard) gave Nigeria its name.     View of  Niger River  from patti hill This mini museum of colonial history (Mount Patti) is located in Lokoja, Kogi State.  The Mount Patti hill, statute of  Fredrick' lurgard  and  lady lugard . lugard stature in mount Patti. Kogi  Lokoja  built-in 1950. Welcome gate of Mount Patti, Road to Mount Patti. Patti lukongi  Lokoja , the road to the hill of doves. The view on top of Mountain Patti, looking at  Lokoja  and the two biggest rivers in  Nigeria . Lord  Frederick Lugard, 1st Baron Lugard , House and office. Lord Lugard rest room. Chidi Godwin  The name (Patti) is a  Nupe  word meaning  hill , with (Mount) in short meaning of  mountai

Sir Louis Phillip Odumegwu Ojukwu  (1909– September 1966) was a  Nigerian   business tycoon  from the Ojukwu family of Nwakanwa quarters Obiuno Umudim  Nnewi . Born in Nnewi Anambra State, Ojukwu attended Primary school in Asaba and went on the Hope Waddell Training Institute Calabar. Sir Louis, who was considered the wealthiest person in Nigeria and the whole of west Africa at the time, was Nigeria's first recorded  billionaire  with his net worth reaching equivalent of 4 billion dollars using today's currency, and he was the founder of Ojukwu Transport, Ojukwu Stores and Ojukwu Textiles. At his peak, he was the first and founding president of The Nigerian Stock Exchange as well as president of The African Continental Bank. He was also either chairman or on the board of directors of some of Nigeria's most profitable companies such as Shell Oil Nigeria Limited, Guinness Nig. Ltd, Nigerian National Shipping Lines, Nigerian Cement Factory, Nigerian Coa