Northern Nïgeria Before Islam Pre-Islamic Northern Nigeria: Indigenous Traditions, Diversity, and the Politics of Historical Memory Abstract Before the spread of Islam into Northern Nigeria from the 11th century onward, the region was home to diverse ethnic groups with established religious systems, political institutions, moral codes, and economic networks. This paper documents the indigenous traditions of major Northern Nigerian ethnic groups and examines how selective historical narratives have been politically misused to erase or diminish this plural past. The study argues that Islam entered functioning societies and interacted with—rather than created—civilization in the region (Falola & Heaton, 2008; Crowder, 1978). 1. Introduction Northern Nigeria is frequently portrayed as historically uniform and exclusively Islamic. Scholarly evidence, however, demonstrates that this perception is a modern reconstruction rather than an accurate reflection of pre-Islamic ...

Bandits Are Taking Over Nigeria Gradually, But the Government are busy campaign for 2027 The disturbing report that communities in northern Nigeria are now negotiating directly with jihadist groups exposes a deep failure of governance and a dangerous erosion of state authority. For years, the Nigerian government has promised to tackle insecurity in the North—particularly terrorism and banditry—but this latest development proves that these promises have largely remained unfulfilled. Instead of receiving protection and justice from the state, citizens are being forced into dangerous compromises, making pacts with violent non-state actors in a desperate bid for survival. This form of “self-managed peace” might provide short-term relief, but it comes at a steep long-term cost. ⚠️ Dangers of Government Negligence: Legitimization of Terror Groups: When communities negotiate with jihadists, these groups gain a dangerous form of legitimacy and power. They begin to act as parallel author...