Category: Culture – Others
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Americanism, the propensity of the Nigerian to lean towards American ideologies increased after independence from the British. However, the year 1938 marked the formal beginning of cultural relations with other countries by the United States government as well as the formal opening of the Ogbomoso People’s Institute (OPI) in Nigeria. This was the first school in…
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National Theater, a Nigerian architectural monument, was launched in 1976 by the Head of State, General Olusegun Obasanjo as a venue for the second Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC), which was to hold in 1977. The building, standing at over 31 meters and covering an expansive land of 23,000 square meters, was designed after the…
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Esugbayi, the Oba of Lagos was designated Eleko of Eko, meaning, “the owner of Lagos”. He was the first Lagos monarch to reinforce the title. Others may have abstained for the reason of the complex nature of the kingdom’s organogram which sees Idejo chiefs, rather than just the Oba as the primary land owners. This…
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Nike Davies-Okundaye is a Nigerian artist, who from her first solo exhibition at the Goethe Institute, Lagos in 1968 grew to become one of the major imprints on the international art circuits. As a textile designer, Nike brought a vivid imagination as well as a wealth of history and tradition in regulating the production of…
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Moremi was an important historical figure, wife of one of the ancient heroes of post-Oduduwa times, possibly Oranyan. Moremi is today reckoned as a Yoruba legend due to acclaimed moves she made to end the acts of terrorism that threatened the town of Ile-Ife. As a beautiful woman, Moremi tactically took the risk of allowing herself…
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Dipomu, in Yoruba language, Di opo mu, meaning ‘catch hold of the post’. Ancient judicial practise in southwest Nigeria in which an offender or anyone who was in trouble sought sanctuary in the king’s palace. A veranda post is usually grabbed to claim the king’s protection. The Dipomu system had been highly effective in divorce…
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Anglophonism was the term used in pre-independence times to describe the tendency of the Nigerian to see self as naturally aligned with, or to show allegiance to the English. In Michael Echeruo’s account of Victorian Lagos, he writes about the African Renaissance that became a trend in Lagos through changes in name, dress, politics, among other…
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Osinyago was one of the short lived Alaafin of Oyo, whose repressive rule led to an inglorious end. Osinyago dedicated himself to the pursuit of wealth but not even his children lived to enjoy them. His equally covetous son lost his life to this conduct and his second child who was a lady killed her…
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Okunnade Sijuade, the fiftieth Ooni of Ife, becoming one in 1980, was born 1 January, 1930 to the son of Adelekan Olubuse I who was the first Ooni to venture out of his domain, and who in 1903, ended a controversy among traditional rulers on the invitation of the Lagos colonial government. By the time…