Guerrilla History Nigeria's Independence Movement & Coup Era w/ Max Siollun (AR&D Ep. 13)
Feb 23, 2026
Max Siollun, historian of Nigerian history and author, returns to trace independence, competing nationalisms, and the turbulent coup era. He covers how colonial rule shaped institutions, the 1966 and 1976 coups, the Biafran secession and war, oil’s political impact, and long-term legacies like federal quotas. Short, sharp stories illuminate Nigeria’s post-colonial trajectory.
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Colonial Policies Hardened Regional Divides
- Colonial policy treated North and South as separate states: the South received missionary education and Christianity; the North retained Islamic institutions and resisted missionaries.
- This created divergent institutions, legal systems, and suspicions that shaped independence-era politics.
Why Independence Was Granted Quickly
- Independence succeeded because of a radical educated elite, wartime economic strain, and Britain’s weakened postwar finances and politics.
- Yet institutions were not 'Nigerianized'—security and civil services remained British-led and regionally skewed.
Colonial Legacies Shaped Corruption
- Corruption in postcolonial Nigeria combined indigenous gift-exchange traditions with colonial patronage and competitive 'it's our turn to eat' regional politics.
- Officials often treated office as representing a community slice to be captured quickly.
