Omalicha Slim History Blog

The statue of a woman, a warrior with weapons in her hands, stands facing the Presidential Palace in Cotonou, Benin. The woman looks as if she is ready for battle, and her bronzed body towers over the surrounding area at 30 metres high. This monument stands at an impressive 30 metres tall. To the passing visitor, it looks like just another big African monument. But she represents something much deeper. She is a warrior memorializing the Agojie, female soldiers who were part of the military might of the ancient Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful in West Africa. Dahomey’s female warrior corps was also inspired by the woman Tassi Hangbé who has been traditionally associated with its early development. This is the story of women, of power, of war, of politics, of courage and of of great sacrifice and it is a huge part of African history that is largely overlooked. Before Benin was Benin, there was Dahomey Benin as we know it today didn’t exist. Instead, there was the ...

*WHO IS EDDIE QUANSA??* I know you will wondering who is Eddie Quansa, especially if you among the indomie generation. Has a legend who survived and became successful at all cost. I will like you to grab your chair and popcorn if possible and lets go for a sweet and smooth drive. There was a time when life in Nigeria used to be simple and fun. In Owerri, a town Imo State in the eastern part of Nigeria, there lived a young man called John Obikwe. John Obikwe was a jovial fellow who loved partying and having fun. He used to frequent all the fun spots and joints in the city. John Obikwe was tall, dark in complexion and very handsome with thick hair. All the girls wanted him. He used to play the guitar and he expertly plucked the heartstrings of many young women. John Obikwe had three brothers. He was the youngest of them all. The Nigerian civil war began in the late 60s and life in Owerri was on the lowest ebb so John Obikwe and his brothers lived a low keyed life, hiding many...