history of Nigeria

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Political map of Nigeria showing its international boundaries with Benin, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, as well as major cities such as Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Ibadan, and Port Harcourt. Rivers and key towns are marked throughout the country. An inset locator map highlights Nigeria's position in western Africa.

Nok pottery head

Ornate leaded bronze staff head from Igbo Ukwu, Nigeria, featuring intricate openwork patterns and loops adorned with colored glass and stone beads, displayed on a stand.

Map of western Africa showing the greatest territorial extent of major historical states from the 11th to 16th centuries. The 14th-century Kingdom of Mali is outlined in green, the 16th-century Songhai Empire in purple, and the 16th-century Hausa Bakwai states in red. Major cities, rivers, and regional names are labeled within and around these territories.

Map of western Africa showing the locations and territorial extents of major kingdoms and peoples from the 17th to 19th centuries. The Hausa Bakwai states are outlined in orange, representing their largest area in the 17th-18th centuries, while the Fulani kingdom is outlined in green, showing its 19th-century peak. Major cities, rivers, and regions such as the Niger and Benue Rivers, the Bauchi Highlands, and the Adamawa Plateau are labeled for context.

Plaque showing a warrior and attendants

Map of western Africa in the late 19th century showing areas under French and British control in 1880, and illustrating the advance of French, British, and German colonial forces with dated arrows. French-controlled territory is shaded green and British-controlled territory is shaded purple, with major advances and key cities labeled. Boundaries between mandates established in 1919 are also marked, and an inset locates the region within Africa.

Antique map showing the northwest region of Africa as published in the 1902 Encyclopaedia Britannica. The map details colonial territories and countries such as Morocco, Algeria, Tunis, the Sahara, Senegal, Portuguese Guinea, French Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Togo, and Nigeria, with borders, cities, rivers, and geographic features labeled in fine print.

history of Nigeria: Media

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Nigeria

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Political map of Nigeria showing its international boundaries with Benin, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, as well as major cities such as Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Ibadan, and Port Harcourt. Rivers and key towns are marked throughout the country. An inset locator map highlights Nigeria's position in western Africa.

Nigeria

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Nok pottery head

Nok pottery head

Pottery head found at Nok, Nigeria.

Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio, Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund (1995.21), www.clevelandart.org

Ornate leaded bronze staff head from Igbo Ukwu, Nigeria, featuring intricate openwork patterns and loops adorned with colored glass and stone beads, displayed on a stand.

Leaded bronze ceremonial object

A leaded bronze ceremonial object, thought to have been the head of a staff, decorated...

© Werner Forman—Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Map of western Africa showing the greatest territorial extent of major historical states from the 11th to 16th centuries. The 14th-century Kingdom of Mali is outlined in green, the 16th-century Songhai Empire in purple, and the 16th-century Hausa Bakwai states in red. Major cities, rivers, and regional names are labeled within and around these territories.

Principal kingdoms and peoples of western Africa, 11th–16th centuries

Map showing the principal kingdoms (at their greatest territorial extent) and peoples...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of western Africa showing the locations and territorial extents of major kingdoms and peoples from the 17th to 19th centuries. The Hausa Bakwai states are outlined in orange, representing their largest area in the 17th-18th centuries, while the Fulani kingdom is outlined in green, showing its 19th-century peak. Major cities, rivers, and regions such as the Niger and Benue Rivers, the Bauchi Highlands, and the Adamawa Plateau are labeled for context.

Principal kingdoms and peoples of western Africa, 17th–19th century

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Ife sculpture

Ife sculpture

Brass figure of an oni (“king”) of Ife, 14th–15th century; in the Museum...

Frank Willett

Plaque showing a warrior and attendants

Plaque showing a warrior and attendants

Warrior and attendants plaque, brass relief sculpture by Edo artists in the court...

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Klaus G. Perls, 1990, 1990.332, www.metmuseum.org

Map of western Africa in the late 19th century showing areas under French and British control in 1880, and illustrating the advance of French, British, and German colonial forces with dated arrows. French-controlled territory is shaded green and British-controlled territory is shaded purple, with major advances and key cities labeled. Boundaries between mandates established in 1919 are also marked, and an inset locates the region within Africa.

European penetration into western Africa in the late 19th century

Map showing European-controlled territories and advances in western Africa in the...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Antique map showing the northwest region of Africa as published in the 1902 Encyclopaedia Britannica. The map details colonial territories and countries such as Morocco, Algeria, Tunis, the Sahara, Senegal, Portuguese Guinea, French Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Togo, and Nigeria, with borders, cities, rivers, and geographic features labeled in fine print.

Nigerian protectorates, c. 1902

Map of northwest Africa showing Northern Nigeria and Southern Nigeria (bottom right),...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of Africa showing the territorial divisions and colonial possessions by European powers from the late 19th to early 20th century. Countries and regions are color-coded to indicate British, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Belgian, and German control, with independent countries and British-Egyptian condominium also marked. The map highlights the extent and timing of colonization, with most of the continent under European rule except for Ethiopia and Liberia.

Colonization of Africa by European countries

Map showing the colonization of Africa by European countries in the early 1900s....

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Nnamdi Azikiwe wearing glasses, a patterned cap, and traditional attire, looking slightly to the side and smiling in a black-and-white portrait.

Nnamdi Azikiwe, 1953

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Obafemi Awolowo wearing round glasses, a traditional Yoruba cap, and embroidered clothing, looking at the camera and smiling.

Obafemi Awolowo

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Portrait of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa wearing traditional Nigerian attire and a patterned cap, looking directly at the camera.

Abubakar Tafawa Balewa

Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Nigeria in 1960

Nigeria in 1960

Nigeria's administrative boundaries in 1960.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Yakubu Gowon in military uniform, shown from the chest up, looking slightly to the side with a serious expression.

Yakubu Gowon

Nigerian head of state Lieut. Col. (later Gen.) Yakubu Gowon, May 27, 1968.

Terry Fincher—Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Odumegwu Ojukwu in military uniform with a peaked cap and decorative cords, looking at the camera, circa 1966.

Odumegwu Ojukwu

Lieut. Col. (later Gen.) Odumegwu Ojukwu, pictured here c. 1966, led the secessionist...

Keystone Features—Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Map of Africa highlighting the location of Biafra, the former secessionist state in southeastern Nigeria, shown in orange within Nigeria and bordered by Cameroon to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. Surrounding countries and the continent's outline provide geographic context.

Biafra (1967–70)

Map showing the Republic of Biafra, which existed from 1967 to 1970.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

General Sani Abacha in military uniform walks past rows of Nigerian soldiers standing at attention with rifles during a formal inspection in Abuja, Nigeria.

Gen. Sani Abacha

Nigerian head of state Gen. Sani Abacha walking past troops in Abuja, Nigeria, in...

Issouf Sanogo—AFP/Getty Images

President Olusegun Obasanjo receives the government's seals from outgoing President General Abdulsalami Abubakar during the swearing-in ceremony in Abuja, Nigeria.

Olusegun Obasanjo and Gen. Abdusalam Abubakar

Outgoing Nigerian president Gen. Abdusalam Abubakar (second from right) handing the...

© Jean-Philippe Ksiazek—AFP/Getty Images

President Umaru Yar'Adua of Nigeria, wearing a white robe and sash, waves from an open vehicle flanked by uniformed military officers at his inauguration ceremony in Abuja.

Umaru Musa Yar'Adua

From 2007 to 2010, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua served as president of Nigeria.

© Pius Utomi Ekpei—AFP/Getty Images

President of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan, wearing a black hat and traditional attire, speaks at the United Nations podium with the UN emblem visible in front.

Goodluck Jonathan

The president of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, addresses the United Nations General...

Cia Pak/UN Photo

Two men walk past heavily damaged corner shops and debris outside Bompai police barracks in Kano, Nigeria, with burned remains and rubble scattered on the ground.

Boko Haram

Two residents passing by buildings damaged in a Boko Haram attack in Kano, Nigeria,...

Aminu Abubakar—AFP/Getty Images

Map of Nigeria highlighting in red the northeastern states where Boko Haram has been most active, including Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, and parts of Bauchi and Kano. The map shows state boundaries, major cities, and neighboring countries in West Africa.

Boko Haram activity in Nigeria

Areas in Nigeria where Boko Haram was most active.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Muhammadu Buhari

Muhammadu Buhari

From 2015 to 2023, Muhammadu Buhari served as president of Nigeria.

Kelechi Amadi Obi

All Progressive Congress leader Bola Tinubu, wearing a traditional white robe and red cap, raises his arm while standing on stage at a campaign rally in Lagos, Nigeria.

Bola Tinubu

All Progressives Congress (APC) leader Bola Tinubu gesturing toward the crowd during...

Michele Spatari—AFP/Getty Images