Best Nigeria History Books of 2025

Laying Down the Rails: A Charlotte Mason Habits Handbook is a must-read for parents who want to help their children develop good habits for a successful life. The book compiles every habit mentioned in Charlotte Mason's writing and provides practical tips for cultivating them. It also includes personal review questions and modern-day examples to help parents apply the principles today. The book is an excellent resource for parents who want to ensure their children have a strong foundation for their future.

Africa Is Not a Country: Notes on a Bright Continent is an exuberant and stereotype-busting portrait of contemporary Africa that offers a much-needed corrective to simplistic depictions of the continent. Dipo Faloyin weaves a vibrant tapestry of stories that bring to life Africa’s rich diversity, communities, and histories, from the complex urban life of Lagos to the youth-led cultural and political movements defining and reimagining Africa on their own terms. With biting wit and political insights, Faloyin confronts the obstacles systematically set in place by former colonial powers while celebrating the energy and particularity of the continent’s different cultures and communities.

The Fate of Africa: A History of the Continent Since Independence by Martin Meredith is a comprehensive account of the African nations after they emerged from colonialism. The book covers key personalities, events, and themes of the independence era, explaining the myriad problems that Africa has faced in the past half-century. Meredith's work is a masterpiece, providing readers with a deep understanding of Africa's past and present. He isn't afraid of expressing his opinion, but he presents basic realities for readers to draw their own conclusions. This book is an important work on Africa that is both informative and captivating.

Decolonising the Hajj: The pilgrimage from Nigeria to Mecca under empire and independence (Studies in Imperialism, 208) is an insightful book that explores the transformation of the Nigerian Hajj over the course of the twentieth century. The book demonstrates how the pilgrimage changed dramatically as state governments became heavily involved in its organization and management, from a long, perilous overland journey to a short and highly regulated airlift. The author argues that British colonial efforts were minimalist in nature, and more significant transformations occurred in the context of decolonisation, when Nigerian nationalist politicians took over the internal mechanisms of the state. Overall, this book is a fascinating read for those interested in Nigerian history and politics, as well as the history of the Hajj pilgrimage.

Nigeria's Un-Civil War: Memories of a Biafran Child by Philip Effiong is a poignant memoir that depicts the horrors of war through a child's eyes. The author recounts his family's journey before, during, and after the Biafra-Nigeria War, highlighting the absurdity, chaos, and brutality of war. The reader is left in awe of the resilience and hope of the Biafran people despite the destitution, fear, and death that surrounded them. Effiong's writing is vivid and gut-wrenching, making this book an essential read for those interested in African history and memoirs.

Islam's Black Slaves: The Other Black Diaspora by Ronald Segal is a comprehensive study of the Islamic slave trade. The author traces the history of the business of slavery from the inception of Islam to its existence in various countries like China, India, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Libya, Spain, Sudan, and Mauritania. This book is a fascinating account of an often unacknowledged tradition and a riveting cross-cultural commentary. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of slavery, and its repercussions on the black diaspora.

The History of the Nigerian Railway is a three-volume set that explores the development of Nigeria's railway systems from the 1890s to the twentieth century. The first volume covers the basics of the railway system, while the second volume delves into the economic and political history of each of the nine railway and tramway systems in the country. The third volume describes operational facilities and commercial practice, among other things. Written by Francis Jaekel, who served the Nigerian Railway in seventeen officer positions over twenty-seven years, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in Nigeria's history and transportation infrastructure.

The African Experience is a comprehensive and interdisciplinary survey of Africa that covers the region's geography, linguistics, social, political, and historical perspectives. The book is in its fourth edition, and it is the only survey that provides a complete and critical understanding of Africa. Vincent B. Khapoya, a passionate African scholar, wrote the book, and it is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn more about Africa. The author integrates the particular and general aspects of Africa to present a compelling and scholarly view of its past and present. Overall, The African Experience is an outstanding book that captures Africa's complex totality and its place in the world.

What Britain Did to Nigeria is a thought-provoking and well-researched book that challenges the conventional narrative of Nigeria's colonization. Max Siollun provides a nuanced and unromanticized account of colonialism's impact, highlighting its many unjust outcomes and the lasting aftershocks of colonial meddling. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in Nigeria's history and the legacy of British rule. Siollun's unyielding account is a powerful reminder of the abuse of power by the once most powerful empire on the planet. Overall, this book is a definitive confrontation with Nigeria's experience under British rule and an essential contribution to the understanding of African history.

The Dark Child is an impressive memoir of Camara Laye's youth in the village of Koroussa, French Guinea. Laye describes his passage into manhood, marked by animistic beliefs and bloody rituals of primeval origin, and his struggle to choose between his unique place and academic success. The book is a passionate and deeply affecting record of sacred traditions struggling against the encroachment of a modern world. The force of nostalgia that spurred Laye to write this book is evident throughout. The Dark Child is a classic of African literature that presents a universal story of tradition and modernity.