The Benin Bronzes: Artistry, Plunder, and the Fight for Repatriation.

The image shows a display of Benin Bronzes, and the photo credit; "Photograph by Mike Peel. The Benin Bronzes represent one of Africa’s greatest artistic achievements and one of the world’s most infamous cultural thefts. A collection comprising thousands of exquisite plaques, heads, and sculptures made of bronze, brass, and ivory which represents the pinnacle of court…

ByKosisochukwu Nzeribe3 hours ago0Comments

Historical Studies

The Influence of English on the Igbo Language and Identity

Igbo and English. Dmitri van den Bersselaar (1997) "Creating 'Union Ibo': Missionaries and the Igbo Language" The Igbo language, despite being one of the major languages of Nigeria, has faced significant challenges in establishing a strong literary tradition. Unlike Hausa and Yoruba, which have developed into widely used written and literary languages, Igbo has remained secondary…

ByChuka OdikeFebruary 16, 20250Comments

Anthropology and Ethnography Cultural Heritage Photos

Igbo Masquerades as Colonial Satire: The Ghost Policemen and Oyibo Masks

Igbo ghost policemen masks, representing symbols of colonial authority, were part of the same masquerade performance as the Oyibo or Onye Ocha mask from Amobia (Amawbia), previously mentioned. Captured by G. I. Jones in the 1930s. MAA Cambridge. Masquerades hold a central place in Igbo cultural and spiritual traditions, often serving as a means of social…

ByChuka OdikeFebruary 15, 20250Comments

Ethnohistory Historical Studies Photos

Onicha Olona and the Ekumeku Resistance: The Legacy of the Enuani People

A young Igbo woman from Onicha Olona, or surrounding settlement, c. 1912-13. Onicha Olona is an Enuani settlement of the western Igbo people, located west of the Niger River in present-day Delta State, Nigeria. The Enuani, like other western Igbo groups, trace their ancestry to migrations from the eastern Igbo centuries ago. Their historical interactions with…

ByChuka OdikeFebruary 9, 20250Comments

Historical Studies

Nnamdi Azikiwe and W. E. B. Du Bois: A Transatlantic Connection in the Fight Against Colonial Oppression

W. E. B. Du Bois with Nnamdi Azikiwe, ca. 1930 by Cecil Layne, University of Massachusetts Amherst. In January 1930, during the height of the Women’s War in Nigeria, Nnamdi Azikiwe, one of the most influential figures in Nigeria’s struggle for independence, penned a powerful letter to W. E. B. Du Bois. This letter, written from…

ByChuka OdikeFebruary 2, 20250Comments

Historical Studies Indigenous Architecture

The Women’s War of 1929: A Defiant Stand Against Colonial Oppression

In November 2019, the 90th anniversary of the Women’s War, known in Igbo as Ògù Ụmùnwaànyị was commemorated. This historic uprising, which took place from 1929 to 1930, remains one of the most significant anti-colonial movements in Nigeria’s history. It was not just a protest against economic injustice but a bold declaration of women’s political…

ByChuka OdikeFebruary 2, 20250Comments

Historical Studies

The Ekumeku Movement: Igbo Resistance Against British Imperialism

A dagger from the Ekumeku movement, which resisted British imperial rule in the western Igbo region for over two decades (1880s–1910s). Taken from Ogwashi-Ukwu, a key centre of Ekumeku activity, in 1910. Now housed in the British Museum. The Ekumeku movement was a major resistance movement by the Igbo people west of the Niger River, particularly…

ByChuka OdikeFebruary 2, 20250Comments

Historical Studies

Missionary Perceptions of Africa: A Colonial Narrative

In the early days of European missionary activity in Africa, the continent was often described in highly negative terms. Missionaries, explorers, and traders wrote reports that exaggerated the conditions they encountered, portraying Africa as a land of savagery, darkness, and misery. These descriptions were used to justify their work, arguing that Africa was in desperate…

ByChuka OdikeFebruary 1, 20250Comments

Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory

Nri Obalike: The Eze Nri During Colonial Transformation (1889–1935)

Nri Obalike, the Eze Nri from Uruoji Photographed by Northcote Thomas in Agukwu Nri, 1910s. Colourized by Ukpuru 2018 and Filtered by Ozi Ikoro 2024. Nri Obalike, the Eze Nri from Uruoji, ruled as the Eze Nri from 1889 to 1935, a period marked by significant political and cultural challenges in the north-central Igbo region. His…

ByChuka OdikeDecember 9, 20240Comments

Historical Studies

The Monopolization of Resources and Export of Raw Minerals by British Firms in the Oguta Area

A British colonial mineral survey party in the Oguta area. Mineral surveys of the Southern and Northern Nigeria Protectorates were commissioned in 1903 and 1904 by the British Secretary of State for the colonies. Through the lens of the current colonial economy of colonial Nigeria, Oguta was economically exploited by the British. After the 1880s, Britain…

ByChuka OdikeOctober 24, 20240Comments