Nigerian history

The History Hour

BBC

History, Society & Culture, Personal Journals

4.4 • 879 Ratings

🗓️ 6 December 2025

⏱️ 61 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Max Pearson presents a collection of Witness History and Sporting Witness episodes, all with a Nigerian theme.

We hear two personal stories of the Biafra war, which began in 1967, including the writer Wole Soyinka who was jailed for trying to stop it. Plus, we hear from Patricia Ngozi Ebigwe about escaping the conflict. She's now better known as TV and music star Patti Boulaye.

We speak to Dr Louisa Egbunike, who is an Associate Professor in African Literature at Durham University in England.

Also, a retired Brigadier General speaks about West African countries fighting back against the jihadist militant group Boko Haram in 2015.

Then, the opening of the New Afrika Shrine in 2000, by Fela Kuti's children to honour his legacy.

Finally, we hear from Omoyemi Akerele who founded Lagos Fashion Week in 2011.

Our Sporting Witness programme this week looks at Nigeria becoming the first team to represent Africa at the first ever FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991. This is a Made in Manchester Production.

Contributors:

Wole Soyinka - Nobel Prize-winning poet and playwright. Patricia Ngozi Ebigwe - TV and music star. Dr Louisa Egbunike - Associate Professor in African Literature at Durham University. Sani Kukasheka Usman - retired Brigadier General. Omoyeni Anikulapo-Kuti, also known as Yeni Kuti - the eldest daughter of Fela Kuti. Omoyemi Akerele - founder of Lagos Fashion Week. Nkiri Okosieme – captained Nigeria women's national football team.

(Photo: Biafran national army soldiers. Credit: AFP via Getty Images)

Transcript

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