So, ladies and gents, thanks to @littlebrown publishers, I've written a book on the role of money in sustaining racial and national hierarchies.

-It’s Not About Whiteness, It’s About Wealth.

Out on April 20th.

A stroll through the book's what, why and how⬇️. @LittleBrownUK In the book, I argue that the chief source of racial group power and status in today’s world is collective wealth.

It is not the only thing that matters, but it is the thing that matters the most in a capitalist world.

Money creates and sustains hierarchies.

Why this topic?

Watched BBC Black Axe doc. Triggered lots of thoughts in my head.

Felt it showed a lot but was a bit like a doc showing a single Mexican drug cartel without explaining how cartels emerged to thrive as a system.

Thread on Machiavellism, class, power and the appeal of violence. By now, everyone knows Wole Soyinka co-founded Pyrates, Nigeria's first confraternity, in 1952.

Pyrates and other groups we now call "cults" existed throughout the 60s, 70s & 80s. But they weren't major actors, even on campus. They sometimes fought but mostly with their fists.

Episode 2 of pre-Independence Day #NaijaPoliticalHistory series.

Today, we'll look at political developments in late 1940s Nigeria and roots of North vs South as well as Igbo vs Yoruba conflict during that period, conflicts that were key drivers of 1950s ethnic politics in 🇳🇬. As we concluded yesterday, following the successful 1945 general strike, the British feared a rise in Soviet-inspired communist ideology and further radicalization within Nigerian labour unions. So they decided on a program of economic, social and constitutional development.

As #Nigeria celebrates 60th Independence Day October 1, for benefit of those who missed last sessions, from today I'll series-tweet #NaijaPoliticalHistory from 1945 that led to independence and created ethnic politics. Based on my research; main focus on Zik, Awo & Bello. (1) In the beginning was nationalism.

Political associations advocating nationalist ideals, such as Herbert Macaulay's Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP), were active from as early as the 1920s.

But the Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM), established in 1936, was the first...

Only those who haven't robbed before, and want to virtue-signal how empathetic they are towards the poor, say armed robbery is always down to "hunger".

Was once friends with a reformed armed-robber and former gang-leader. This is what he told me of his experience. #LagosUnrest First of all, this guy wasn't poor by any standards. Had several siblings in West who used to send him money regularly. He got into crime through the confraternity he joined while in a SE University. He became "defence minister" of his confra, in charge of ammunition et al.

Since #coronavirus has made clear a link often overlooked - that between health and economics - let me do a thread on how disease in Africa has huge economic costs.

I used to think corruption and bad governance were the only things holding back African development. I was wrong. Example: Malaria. Malaria and poverty are connected. Research done by John Gallup and Jeffrey Sachs showed that countries with intensive malaria had income levels of only 33% that of countries without malaria, whether or not the countries were in Africa.

Morning folks! Our history series @BusinessDayNg today looks at why Ahmadu Bello called Nigeria a “mistake”. Some parts I sent in the original piece which were removed (not sure why) I'll add in response section below. businessday.ng/columnist/arti… @BusinessDayNg So after the part where I wrote about Bello saying northerners were fearful about a southern-dominated post-British Nigeria, I wrote this as well: Northern elites trusted the British “to do the right thing” more than they trusted southern Nigerians.

Morning all! I know a lot of folk out there want to change the world, or at least their country. Many wonder how mass movements for change are created. So I've decided to share some of the hows of starting a social movement as developed by those who've studied them. Good luck😃! 1) What is our goal?

What exactly are we trying to achieve here? More specific goals are easier to achieve, but more general-sounding goals like "justice" or "true democracy" tend to gather a wider tent of support.

Who doesn't want "justice"?

Morning All! It's Day 15, our final session discussing 1945-1967 #NigerianPoliticalHistory based on my thesis research.

Today, we'll be looking at the events of late 1966 and early 1967 directly preceding Nigeria's civil war. As mentioned yesterday, in July 1966, a group of Northern officers organized Nigeria's second coup, killing Ironsi and appointing Lieutenant-Colonel Yakubu Gowon as military head of state. Gowon immediately repealed Ironsi's decree, reverting Nigeria back to a federal structure.

Morning All! Day 14 of our 15-day #NigerianPoliticalHistory sessions based on my thesis research.

Today, we'll discuss the October 1965 Western Regional elections which were the final nail in the coffin of the First Republic, the January 1966 coup and its aftermath. Yesterday, we discussed the rigging, intimidation and ethnic-baiting that characterized Nigeria's 1964 federal elections in which the Bello-Akintola Nigerian National Alliance (NNA), eventually emerged triumphant.

Morning All! Day 13 of our #NigerianPoliticalHistory sessions based on my thesis research.

Today, we'll be discussing the 1964 federal elections, the first nationwide elections organized in independent Nigeria and an ominous sign of things to come. Yesterday, we discussed the efforts of Southern political leaders to remove the North's representative advantage at the political centre via cooked-up census figures in 1962 and the back and forth that ensued. As we concluded, Bello's NPC was finally able to force through census

Morning All! Day 12 of our #NigerianPoliticalHistory sessions based on my thesis research.

Today, we'll discuss how Awo's Action Group imploded in 1962 with him ending up in jail.

We'll also discuss Nigeria's first major census controversy. Who had more people, North or South? By 1962, there was serious dissatisfaction in Action Group. A faction of the party believed AG, and Yorubas in general, were losing too much as a result of being in opposition at the federal level and should reach out to Bello's NPC for access to power and resources.

Morning All! Day 11 of our #NigerianPoliticalHistory sessions based on my thesis research.

Today, we'll discuss major political events in months leading to Independence Day in 1960 and immediately after, including what fuelled growing fears of "Northern domination" in the South. Yesterday, we discussed how Nigeria's first post-colonial government was formed with Zik's NCNC eventually allying with Bello's NPC as a junior coalition partner in a government headed by Tafawa Balewa as Nigeria's Prime Minister.

Morning All! Day 10 of our #NigerianPoliticalHistory sessions based on my thesis research.

Today, we'll discuss how Nigeria's first post-colonial government was formed in 1959 and why Zik's NCNC chose coalition with Bello's NPC instead of Awo's AG who offered him Premiership. All told after the 1959 federal elections, Bello's NPC commanded 143 seats in the 312-member House of Representatives, NCNC 89 seats, AG 73 plus 7 Independents. Technically, any 2 of the major parties could thus form a coalition. However, just after the results were announced,

Morning All! Day 9 of our #NigerianPoliticalHistory sessions based on my thesis research.

Today, we'll discuss regional ethnic minority fears before independence, fears of Northern political domination and 1959 elections that determined Nigeria's first post-colonial government. Towards mid-1957, it was clear Nigeria would be independent by 1959 or 1960, just not exact date. Question now turned to issues of post-independence. As we said yesterday, in each region, East, West and North, ethnic minorities were worried they would be dominated by the majority

Morning All! Day 8 of our #NigerianPoliticalHistory sessions based on my thesis research.

Today we'll start with the events following the 1954 Lyttleton Constitution-era, which marked the beginning of Nigeria's final march to independence. We'll focus on inter-ethnic sentiments For most of 1955 and 1956, Awo, Zik and Bello, all regional Premiers now, focussed on their new powers and responsibilities and in preparation for the next constitutional conference scheduled for 1957. Ethnic animosities were never far below the surface though.

Morning All! Day 7 of our #NigerianPoliticalHistory sessions based on my thesis research.

Today we'll be discussing the major events following the 1953 self-government crisis that almost led to the secession of Northern Nigeria and resulted in the fatal Kano inter-ethnic riots. After the North-South quarrel over the right date for independence and the resulting Kano riots in which dozens were killed (both from North and South), Oliver Lyttleton, Secretary of State for the Colonies, informed the House of Commons it had become clear Nigeria’s regions

Greetings All! Day 6 of our #NigerianPoliticalHistory sessions based on my thesis research.

Today, we'll focus on the 1953 independence motion that eventually led to fatal riots in Kano, threat of Northern secession and even fears of civil war. This was a really crucial moment. 1952 was relatively calm in politics as leaders adjusted to new roles following the 1951 elections and under the Macpherson Constitution. However, 1953 brought dramatic ultimately tragic events that would have a long-lasting impact on Nigerian politics and inter-ethnic relations.

Greetings all! Day 5 of our #NigerianPoliticalHistory sessions based on my thesis research.

Today we'll discuss Nigeria's first general election in 1951 which was particularly nasty in Western Region and is considered by some as the moment ethnic politics came to Nigeria 4 good. The 1951 campaign for the Western Region was a bitter contest between Zik's NCNC party and Awolowo's Action Group. Zik had decided to contest a seat in Lagos so he could get into the Western Assembly, leaving his party colleagues to try capture the Eastern Assembly.

Greetings all! It's Day 4 of our #NigerianPoliticalHistory sessions based on my recent thesis research.

Today, we'll be discussing some of the major events leading to Nigeria's first-ever democratic general election in 1951 and how ethnicity came into play during this period. Yesterday, we discussed some of the Igbo-Yoruba elite-driven tensions of 1948. It is important to mention here that while the East-West/Igbo-Yoruba rivalry could be described as a clash of equals, the North-South cleavage was a different scenario altogether.

Morning All😃! Day 3 of our #NigerianPoliticalHistory sessions based on my PhD research into constructions of sub-national identities by Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe and Ahmadu Bello.

Today, we'll discuss some major events in late 1940s, including the 1948 'Lagos Press War.' Ethnic and regional identities had begun to solidify and become politically meaningful in Nigeria by the 1940s along with the expansion of various ethnic unions and organizations. In 1945, while a student in London, Obafemi Awolowo co-founded the Egbe Omo Odùduwà.