Thread by @greaterbayo

Just finished watching what I consider one of the best documentaries I’ve seen so far on Netflix: Journey Of An African Colony- The Making of Nigeria. It was produced by Olasupo Shasore.

Beautiful does not quite describe it. The depth of research and the length to which the producer went to bring the sights and sounds is unbelievable. For 2 nights, I was glued to my tab until I finished the whole of season 1 which had 7 episodes.

If you’re really interested about the entity called Nigeria, I recommend this documentary. There are so many pieces of historical facts which are now lost but were unearthed by this wonderful work- Alimotu Pelewura and her defiance leading to the setting up of the Black Market,

how the Aba Women’s Riot actually started, the Iva Valley Massacre, Lord Frederick Lugard and his policies of segregation, how he led the assault on the Northern Territory, the deposition of Jaja of Opobo,

Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and her demands which included the abdication of the Alake of Egbaland, Michael Imoudu and C-O-L-A which means cost of living wage, how Africa was partitioned at the Berlin Conference,

the first search and discovery of oil in Nigeria (not 1956 as erroneously believed), how the British took Lagos and the Akitoye and Kosoko feud and many others.

The production was superb with the distinct diction of Olasupo Shasore as he traversed different continents in the documentary just to bring the historical piece home. I can only wonder at the extraordinary inputs that went into the making of that fantastic documentary.

The background music was perfect for the scenes and Mr Shasore’s storytelling skills was superb. How he weaved every strand of history together to make it a whole deserves applause.

As I watched it, I related so many of the incidents to occurrences that took place recently and all I can say is that the more things change, the more they remain the same.

Nigeria has had a truly bloody history- with the massacre of thousands when the British wanted to take over Lagos, the murder of thousands when Lord Lugard overran Kano, Sokoto and Borno, the killing of women during the Aba Riots and the massacre of 28 mine workers at Iva Valley.

However, one thing stood out for me. Anytime the women organized, there was a shift towards progress. The women demanded for a change during the Aba Riot. Some lost their lives but they got their demands.

Funmilayo organized the Abeokuta Women’s Union and they removed a king among other demands. Alimotu Pelewura led the market women to revolt against the government and set up the Black Market.

She teamed up with Herbert Macaulay to set up the first party in Nigeria. I considered the role of FeministCo during the recent protests.

I highly recommend this documentary. I’m very pained that I’m just watching it. Ranks very high as one of the best visual works I’ve seen this year- in fact, it’s the best. Don’t take my word for it. Go see it.

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