Leadership and nation building are concepts which have garnered considerable scholarly attention. In attempting to resolve and explain these knotty issues, scholars have taken both particularised and broad spectrum approaches. Moving away from idealised understandings which centre individuals and their capacities, attributes, or behaviours, leadership scholarship has evolved to view the dynamic nature of this phenomenon for what it is: a relational occurrence. Similarly, nation building literature has eschewed a previously reductionist approach that often undermined or discarded crucial intricacies inherent to nation building and the notion of nations. In keeping with this evolution, this study tackles process based leadership and nation building within the context of Nigeria’s decolonisation period. Specifically it analyses the leadership process of one of Nigeria’s founding fathers: Chief Obafemi Awolowo. The study scrutinised the emergence of the lawyer cum Regional Premier, focusing on the process of his emergence amidst the transitional moment Nigeria experienced by Nigeria between 1947-1960. The researcher situated Awolowo’s emergence in the Western Region of Nigeria, investigating the ways in which Awolowo harnessed the needs, wants, and expectations of citizens in the region to emerge as its leader. It focuses not simply on Awolowo’s ideology, but also in the way in which said ideology was aligned with transformational leadership. In focusing on his espousal of transformational leadership’s tenets such as freedom, equality, and self actualisation, the study showed how Awolowo built mutuality through narrative and emerged. The study goes on to investigate Awolowo’s use of development as a means of achieving an envisioned nation building that superseded ethnic ties and loyalties. The study attempted to further leadership and nation building discourse by analysing leadership’s role in nation building processes as well as that of nation building narratives in securing leadership. In so doing, it centred the inter-relational processes that allow leadership emergence in its discussion of developmental and nation building processes. Further, the study aimed to show that while legitimate questions can be raised about Awolowo’s pursuit of leadership and failures in leadership, assessing his leadership through a lens which prioritises performance indicators is insufficient. The researcher utilised an analytical perspective that couples performance with the extent to which societal values were elevated.

With the abolition of regionalism in 1967, ethnicity became more intensified in Nigeria as the country became more polarized. While regionalism promoted nation building in spite of its abuse as a result of ethnicity, which culminated in the civil war (1967-1970), the latter is mostly an agent of disintegration. However, ethnicity does not necessarily constitute threat to the socio-political and economic development of a state; rather, it is its negative employment. Hence the positive aspects of ethnicity often become insignificant in multi-ethnic states like Nigeria. This paper suggests that ethnicity and regionalism can provide solution to some of the socio-economic problems confronting the country. It thus demonstrates through the study of Odu’a Investment Company Limited (OICL), a regional economic bloc in south west Nigeria that regional integration has the potentials of revamping the economy of the country. It also argues that regional cohesion is a tool for national integration. While the paper argues that Odu’a Investment Company Limited (OICL) as an economic bloc has failed to achieve its raison d’être courtesy of regional atomization, it contends that since the beginning of the Fourth Republic, it has been a unifying factor in south western Nigeria.

Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew Partners: The Contributions of British Architects to Built Environment in Colonial Nigeria, 1946 ‑1959 R E S U M O Este artigo analisa as contribuições de dois arquitetos britânicos, Maxwell Fry e Jane Drew no desenvolvimento da construção urbana na Nigéria após a Segunda Guerra Mundial. Ele analisa o desenvolvimento histórico do espaço público da Nigéria no que diz respeito à modernização das infra ‑estruturas, como bancos, escolas, escolas de formação de professores e a universidade como apoios à administração colonial na Nigéria. A agitação dos nacionalistas e a reconstrução pós ‑guerra facilitou e encorajou o império britânico no desenvolvimento de estruturas construtivas adequadas ao ambiente. Isto, em grande medida, influenciou a arquitectura nigeriana e o espaço construído. As linhas orientadoras do design deram lugar a espaços institucionais funcionais marcados por uma estética híbrida, entre a construção modernista e a influência colonial. O documento conclui que os projetos de Fry e Drew representam um marco e deram um contributo significativo para o desenvolvimento do espaço urbano construído na Nigéria colonial. A B S T R A C T This paper examines the contributions of two British architects, Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew in the development of built environment in Nigeria after World War II. It analyses the historical development of the built environment in Nigeria's public space with respect to modernize infrastructures such as banks, schools, teachers training colleges and the university needed in support of the colonial administration in Nigeria. The agitation of the nationalists and postwar reconstruction facilitated and encouraged the British Empire to develop the edifice or structures that would be suitable for the environment. This, to a large extent, influenced the Nigerian architecture and built environment. Their design principles yielded functional institutional spaces and a hybrid aesthetics that signifies modernist construction and colonial influence. The paper concludes that the designs of both Fry and Drew represent a milestone and significant contribution to the development of built environment in colonial Nigeria.

The 398 pages Biography of the Olora of Ado-Ekiti detailing his origin, childhood and growing years exploits, his family and career life, politics and his role in issues surrounding the development of the Society and humanity at large. Reference: Babatola, Jadesola - A Will in the Wind (A Biography of High Chief Dr. J.E. Babatola), Samadek Publishers, Lagos, 2008 ISBN 9783830848 9789783830844, OCLC 673450581 Description xiv, 398 p. : ill. ; 22 cm

This paper examines the historical development of town planning in Lagos under colonialism. Unfortunately, the contributions of British town planners to the development of Lagos have not been given scholarly attention by historians. It is therefore against this background that this study attempts to historicize the development and politicization of town planning activity in the colony of Lagos from 1920 to the end of the Second World War in 1945. This work also highlights the contributions of British town planners to urban development in colonial Lagos with particular emphasis on the specific roles played by Albert Thompson. During the period of study, the colonial government employed surveillance, inspection, modification of built form, provision of municipal facilities, and the demarcation of space to plan the environment. However, the challenges faced by town planning during the years of the great depression and the Second World War were conspicuous; these are also discussed in this paper. Finally, some directions for future research were suggested.

The paper concentrates on issues of building true citizenship and the challenges of attaining the ideals of True citizenship in Nigeria Society. It considers the variables of true citizenship envisioned by the past national leaders and how the society and politics played crucial roles in directing the values of the nation towards building national consciousness and commitment to nation building. It concluded on values that can be emulated in the life of average Nigerians to be able to exhibit true leadership qualities and true citizenship spirit

Nice book

This paper examines the dialectical interplay between the emergence of colonial rule in Igalaland and its influence on indigenous (craft) industries with a particular focus on the rapid decline of traditional Igala textile industry. Through a themed approach, it modestly demonstrates from historical perspectives, the causative factors responsible for the nose-diving of Igala textile industry, which had, during the pre-colonial era, played important role in the socioeconomic , cultural and political development of Igala. This paper shows that the imposition of imperial colonial economic policies in this area ultimately led to the disarticulation and dislocation of the traditional Igala weavers, dyers and traders. The consolidation of western cultures especially, Christianity and the centrality of clothes in church activities such as festivals and weddings and marriage ceremonies relegated traditional textiles to the background. New western schools made the wearing of western cloths as uniform compulsory. Through the use of primary and secondary sources of data, the paper concludes that western imperialism negatively affected the development of the traditional Igala textile industry and made a case for its modernization. Brief History of Colonial Rule in Igalaland Effective British colonial administration of Igalaland and indeed other parts of Nigeria started in 1900. 1 However, prior to this date, British trading companies like John Holt, Liver brothers, United African Company and later the Royal Niger Company had iniaated para-military strategies that subjugated the Igala area. As a result of this, Igalaland was thus placed under Northern protectorate which was by 1914 amalgamated with the southern protectorate to form modern Nigeria by Lord Lugard. 2 British administrators particularly sir Lugard justified this unfortunate amalgamation for economic reasons. It was noted that the Northen protectorate was not financially productive like the south but demographically had the largest population. Another reason often advanced for this amalgamation was the desire to reduce the cost of governance or administrations. Others believed that it was due to the poor shortage of British personnel that Igalaland and indeed the entire part of Northern protectorate was amalgamated with the southern protectorate. 3 However, whatever the reasons for amalgamation maybe is not too important here, the aspect of the issue that is germane and imperative to the research is to ascertain and demonstrate how the need for raw materials (cash crops) especially cotton and the need for a ready market outlet for British fabrics culminated to the entrenchment of alien rule in Igalaland. Through this means, we will be able to show how colonialism exerted negative impact on Igala textile industry. Accorfing to P.E Okwori and T.A. Miachi, colonialism led to the witherering away of the power of Atta through the policy of indirect rule which transferred economic, legislative, judicial, executive, social, and cultural and all other powers to the British with the queen of England as the head. It was the queen who appointed British administrators and Governor-General who in turn appointed district officers for the Igala. 4 It was in this perspective that a scholar summed up the impact of colonial rule in Igalaland thus: