About this Book

This book is a tribute to Professor Toyin Falola in honor and celebration of his contribution to the study of Africa, especially Nigeria. A distinguished Africanist and a leading historian of Nigeria, Falola has established an enduring academic legacy. No modern historian of Africa has received more praise than him. Regarded as the most prolific and brilliant historian of Africa in the last quarter of the twentieth century, his vast reputation and matchless record ensure that he will be one of the most prominent historians of Africa in the twenty-first century. This edited book covers all the major themes in the modern history of Nigeria: education, law, political development, economy, gender, ethnicity, language, cultures, and art. Filled with original and fresh interpretations, it presents the most comprehensive knowledge about Nigeria in a single volume. "Written in honor of the indefatigable Toyin Falola, who is one of the leading Africanists of our time, this is a densely woven book of synthesis and reinterpretation of Nigerian history in the twentieth century. Oyebade has given us a sensibly organized, thoroughly researched and painstakingly accurate account of intellectual and social as well as economic and political developments that have shaped Africa's most populous country. A magnificent achievement, this book charts the map of modern Nigeria by the breadth of its canvas, the eminently readable and skillful narrative, and judicious and coherent exposition of issues. There is more to be learned in this book than in any other volume." -- George Ndege, Saint Louis University "To the students of contemporary Nigeria and Africa, this collection of brilliant essays in honor ofProfessor Toyin Falola, the most prolific historian of Nigeria and Africa, offers challenges to stale epistemological orthodoxies. The book is not only an erudite assessment of Professor Falola's scholarship and academic accomplishments, but also a solid evaluation of Nigerian affairs in the last 50 years. This is the Nigeriana we have been expecting for so long." Kwabena Akurang-Parry, Shippensburg University