This article is divided into 4 parts, 25 facts for each part. The remainder of the parts would be published the following day so watch out!!
Howng yesterday brought you the first part 26-50, this part contains 51-75 amazing facts about Nigeria..
Read Part 1 HERE and Part 2 HERE
Enjoy..
51. Kumbwada in Kano today is ruled by Queen Hajiya Haidzatu Ahmed, who presides over up to half a million subjects. A throne curse which makes men sick and die, keeps males off the throne. {Sadly, the woman ruled Kumbwada is the least funded chiefdom in Nigeria}.
1967 Biafra Home Built Armored Tank
52. The Igbo ethnic group are the ‘Jews’ of Nigeria. Eager for a home state and highly entrepreneurial; during the Biafra secession attempt in the 60’s, this industrious people were already constructing indigenous tanks and other weaponry.
53. There are several Nigerian officials in the government of English speaking The Gambia.
54. There is a Nigerian origin, Yoruba chief in Accra. Chief Brimah is the only foreign Chief with a seat in the Ghanaian traditional council.
Chief Brimah VII, Ghana
55. Cross River State: The Ejagham (Ekoi) people in the Southeast are believed to have originated the Nsibidi (Nsibiri) writing system which later spread to the Efik, Igbo, Ibibio, Efut, Banyang and Annag peoples.
56. Discovered in 1928, Nigeria’s North and North Central region hosts West Africa’s oldest civilization; the Nok, which flourished between 1000 BC and 300 BC. {Nok sculptures recently went on display disappointingly in Germany (not Africa).}
57. Finished in 1460 the Benin Iya or moat is a historic world defense wonder. Spanning 1,200 kilometers with walls as high as 18 metres, it is the world’s largest archeological structure.
Nigerian Army
58. Sungbo’s Eredo in Ogun state (6°49′N, 3°56′E) is a 100 mile system of up to 70 ft trenches and walls around Ijebu-Ode. It’s Queen, Bilkisu Sungbo has been attributed to the Biblical Queen Sheeba (Queen Bilkis in Quran).
59. Lord Lugard estimated in 1904 that there were 170 walled towns still in existence in the whole of just the Kano province of northern Nigeria. He described Kano: ‘Commercial emporium of the western Sudan.’ Of its wall, he said, ‘I have never seen, nor even imagined, anything like it in Africa.’
60. Osun: Queen Luwo, the twenty-first Ooni (ruler) of Ile-Ife paved the streets with quartz pebbles—and broken pottery, in 1000AD. The architecture had decorations that originated from Ancient America.
61. Borno: The capital city of Kanem-Borno, Ngazargamu, was one of the largest cities in 1658 AD; the metropolis housed “about quarter of a million people” and had 660 well planned, wide and unbending streets.
62. In 1246 AD the Kanemi of Borno created a sensation in Tunisia when he sent a gift of a giraffe to Al-Mustapha, king of Tunis.
Tradition marriage in the Yoruba culture
63. Sokoto: Two-story buildings with constructions glazed with tsoluwa, (laterite gravel), 10 mile circumference city walls, some as high as 20 feet, is how 16th century Surame, a Sokoto metropolis created by empire ruler, Muhammadu Kanta Sarkin Kebbi, was. UNESCO describes Surame as “one of the wonders of human history, creativity and ingenuity.”
64. Kano: In 1851, this city, one of the largest in Africa, made 10 million sandal pairs and 5 million hides for export every year.
Igbo Masquerades
65. Kebbi: Nigeria’s Sorko Sea lords of Kebbi state, made ships (Kanta) which were used for far away expeditions, including the 1311 AD, 2000 ship, famous voyage of Songhai Empire’s Mansa Abubakari II to the America’s, decades before Columbus.
66. Yobe: The oldest discovered boat in Africa, and 3rd oldest on the world, the 8500 yr old Dufuna canoe was discovered by a Fulani herdsman in 1987 in Dufuna village, Fune LGA.
67. Ondo: Confusing evolution scientists, the 13,000 yr old Iwo-Eleru cave skull, the oldest human fossil remains found in West Africa, has ‘ancient’ (140,000 yr old Laetoli) features, yet lived in more modern times.
68. Benin Kingdom: The high quality and highly sophisticated bronze work of the Benin Kingdom dating as far back as the 13th century is a world wonder. Great works in iron, wood, ivory, and terra cotta products also highlight the empire’s history.
Igbo War Dance
69. Benin Kingdom: Lourenco Pinto, captain of a ship that carried missionaries to Warri in 1619, described Benin kingdom, ‘Great Benin where the king resides is larger than Lisbon, all the streets run straight and as far as the eyes can see….’
70. Akwa Ibom: King Jaja of Opobo (1821–1891) founded Opobo city-state in 1867 and shipped palm oil to Britain independently of British middle men.
71. Ancient Greeks appear to have Nigerian roots as supported by the Benin Haplogroup or Haplogroup 19. According to Jide Uwechia, ‘The Benin Haplotype (which originates from Nigeria, West Africa) accounts for HbS associated chromosomes in Sicily Northern Greece.’
72. Ilorin’s Oba Afonja utilized Fulani warriors to help rebel against the Oyo Empire. The warriors after defeating Oyo took over Ilorin and Sheikh Alimi, their leader’s son became the first Emir.
73. Much of north Nigeria was part of the Songhai Empire. Muhammad Kanta annexed Kebbi and other states between 1512 and 1517.
74. The Obasanjo military regime converted Nigeria from a Parliamentary system to a Presidential system of government.
75. Much of traditional pre-colonial Nigeria operated a parliamentary form of government. The council of elders could make or impeach the King.
