₦airaland Forum

https://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo184/fgwi0a59/Ashanti%204%20Bowdich%201819%20part%201_zpsoq4bveeo.jpg

". . .the exterior of a bed room of Odumata's, which is one side of an oblong area in a very retired angle of his house, about 25 feet by 8. . .The small gallery in front of the upper room is only wide enough for one person to walk in. The recess and small room below accommodate confidential slaves. The bed room was very small, about 8 feet square, but being hung round with a variety of gold and silver ornaments, had a very rich appearance. The bed is generally about 5 feet high, and composed entirely of large silk-cotton pillows piled one above another. The King of Gaman, we were assured, had steps of solid gold to ascend to his bed. A man wearing a crier's cap, is playing the sanko."

Source: Mission from Cape Coast Castle to Ashantee, with a statistical account of that kingdom, and geographical notices of other parts of the interior of Africa (1819) by Thomas E. Bowdich

https://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo184/fgwi0a59/Ashanti%203%20Bowdich%201819_zpsciwtenvb.jpg

". . .the exterior of the King's bed room, being one side of an inner area, about 30 feet square. The stunted silk-cotton and the manchineal tree are fetish or sacred, as are the white and red rags at the top of the pole, and the small brass cups supported by the forked sticks. The colored bags hanging over the round doors (the chequering of which is in relief) contain Moorish charms. The carving of the left hand window is cased in silver, of the right hand, in gold. The two men are playing at Worra. The King made frequent enquiries about the architecture of England, of which we gave him some idea by drawings. He was very fond of referring to a project ascribed to Sai Cudjo, and which he declared he would carry into effect directly the Gaman war was over. This was to build a house for his own immediate residence, roofed with brass pans, beaten into flat surfaces, and laid over an ivory frame work appearing within. The windows and the doors to be cased in gold, and the door posts and pillars of ivory. Whether the Moors originated or encouraged this extravagance by the descriptions in their tales, for some of the stories of the Arabian Nights were commonly in their mouths, or whether it was the scheme of his own disposition, prone to magnificence and novelty, the King dwelt ardently on the intention, and by their frequent conversations on the subject, his chiefs appeared scarcely less anxious for the execution than himself. He meditated great improvements and embellishments in his capital, on his return from the war, when it was intended that every captain should be presented with an extraordinary sum out of the public treasury, for adorning or enlarging his house. The ruined streets between Asafoo and Bantama were to be rebuilt, and the six or seven small crooms between Coomassie and Baramang, (the King's country residence,) were to be pulled down, and the inhabitants to occupy a wide street to extend from the city to that croom."


Source: Mission from Cape Coast Castle to Ashantee, with a statistical account of that kingdom, and geographical notices of other parts of the interior of Africa (1819) by Thomas E. Bowdich

['Gaman' refers the Akan kingdom of Gyaman, a rival state northwest of Ashanti. An explanatory note in a later edition of Bowdich's book defines the word croom: 'The word croom, so constantly used for "hamlet" is an anglicization of the Akan kurom' for kuro mu. Kuro means a hamlet, and mu means in, or into']

https://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo184/fgwi0a59/Ashanti%202%20Bowdich%201819_zpsmv5p3qcc.jpg

". . .a view of part of Adoom-street: each open front denotes the residence of a captain, being used for talking palavers, receiving strangers, observing or superintending customs, and evening recreation. . .A fetish woman has just quitted the centre house; she has on a white cloth, and various pieces of rich silk are hanging round her girdle, her breasts are confined with a scarf, a fillet encircles her head, in each hand she waves a horse's tail, and she continues yelling and swinging round and round until she is quite stupified. A weaver and loom are on her right, and a market woman under her shed on the left."

Source: Mission from Cape Coast Castle to Ashantee, with a statistical account of that kingdom, and geographical notices of other parts of the interior of Africa (1819) by Thomas E. Bowdich


[The "fetish woman" Bowdich describes is probably some kind of priestess in a trance.]

https://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo184/fgwi0a59/Ashanti%201%20Bowdich%201819%20fnl_zpshdqnbeyv.jpg

". . .the upper end of the piazza, which is more ornamented, and appropriated to the superior captains, who have each a suite of rooms, marked by the small doors under the piazza. A woman is dancing whilst a man plays the flute and rattle."

Source: Mission from Cape Coast Castle to Ashantee, with a statistical account of that kingdom, and geographical notices of other parts of the interior of Africa (1819) by Thomas E. Bowdich

[img]http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=1248633&t=w[/img]

"Military Weapons of the Ashantees."

Dupuis, Joseph (Author)
Williams, C. (fl. 1824) (Engraver)
COLLECTION
Journal of a residence in Ashantee, comprising notes and researches relative to the Gold Coast, and the interior of Western Africa, chiefly collected from Arabic mss. And information communicated by the Moslems of Guinea; to which is prefixed an account of the origin and causes of the present war.
DATES / ORIGIN
Date Issued: 1824
TOPICS
Ashanti
Arms & armament -- Africa

https://www.webafriqa.net/library/history/ki-zerbo/histoire-afrique-noire/photos/pictures/18-10-ruines-fort-birni-zinderF.jpg

"Ruins of the fort (Birni) of Zinder (kingdom of Damagaram - Niger)

From Histoire de l'Afrique Noire, D'hier à Demain by Joseph Ki-Zerbo


[Zinder was the capital of the Sultanate of Damagaram, which was an important state in the southeastern part of modern day Niger.]

https://www.webafriqa.net/library/history/ki-zerbo/histoire-afrique-noire/photos/pictures/21-16-harpe-zandeF.jpg

"Zande Harp. Sober and refined elegance of the lines. The war did not stop the music."

From Histoire de l'Afrique Noire, D'hier à Demain by Joseph Ki-Zerbo

https://www.webafriqa.net/library/history/ki-zerbo/histoire-afrique-noire/photos/pictures/20-14-portail-entree-foumbanF.jpg

"Foumban. The gateway to the city."


From Histoire de l'Afrique Noire, D'hier à Demain by Joseph Ki-Zerbo


[Foumban or Fumban was the capital of the Bamum kingdom.]

https://www.webafriqa.net/library/history/ki-zerbo/histoire-afrique-noire/photos/pictures/18-9-tunique-guerre-fonF.jpg

"Fon War Tunic (Dahomey, Benin). This style exists throughout the savannah of western Sudan."


From Histoire de l'Afrique Noire, D'hier à Demain by Joseph Ki-Zerbo

https://www.webafriqa.net/library/history/ki-zerbo/histoire-afrique-noire/photos/pictures/17-7-recade-gleleF.jpg

"The scepter (ax of honor) of Glélé. With the lion symbol."



[img]http://www.webafriqa.net/library/history/ki-zerbo/histoire-afrique-noire/photos/pictures/586x1102x18-8-porte-palais-roi-abomeyF.jpg.pagespeed.ic.bPvQAjNF-0.webp[/img]

"Abomey: Door of the palace of the kings. Above, the chameleon, the symbol of King Akaba (1685-1708). In the lower panel, the lion Glélé (1858-1889)."


From Histoire de l'Afrique Noire, D'hier à Demain by Joseph Ki-Zerbo

https://www.webafriqa.net/library/history/ki-zerbo/histoire-afrique-noire/photos/pictures/17-6-bracelet-or-danF.jpg

"Dan Bracelet (Côte d'Ivoire). Perfect blend of strength and elegance."

From Histoire de l'Afrique Noire, D'hier à Demain by Joseph Ki-Zerbo



[The Dan, or Gio people, are an ethnic group found in Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire.]

https://www.webafriqa.net/library/history/ki-zerbo/histoire-afrique-noire/photos/pictures/16-3-roi-tekyiman-brongF.jpg

"King of Brong - Tekyiman (Ghana). He is surrounded by his regalia. The guard carries the sword of honor."

From Histoire de l'Afrique Noire, D'hier à Demain by Joseph Ki-Zerbo

https://www.webafriqa.net/library/history/ki-zerbo/histoire-afrique-noire/photos/pictures/13-7-acropole-zimbabweF.jpg

"Zimbabwe: the Acropolis. Judicious use of the rocky escarpment above which rose the wall 10 meters high and 7 meters thick."

From Histoire de l'Afrique Noire, D'hier à Demain by Joseph Ki-Zerbo

https://www.webafriqa.net/library/history/ki-zerbo/histoire-afrique-noire/photos/pictures/11-3-tombeau-askia-gaoF.jpg

"Askia Tomb in Gao (Mali) . Pyramidal structure, equipped with beams, which reinforce the building and gives it a very original profile."

From Histoire de l'Afrique Noire, D'hier à Demain by Joseph Ki-Zerbo

https://www.webafriqa.net/library/history/ki-zerbo/histoire-afrique-noire/photos/pictures/10-2-quartier-goundamF.jpg

"A district of Goundam (Mali). Such was the general appearance of the ancient cities of [the] Sudan."

From Histoire de l'Afrique Noire, D'hier à Demain by Joseph Ki-Zerbo

https://www.webafriqa.net/library/history/ki-zerbo/histoire-afrique-noire/photos/pictures/09-3-maison-kumbi-salehF.jpg

"Maison exhumée à Koumbi Saleh (Mauritanie). Remarquer l'aplomb des murs et les niches triangulaires pour ustensiles divers (lampes à huile en particulier) " (House exhumed at Kumbi Saleh (Mauritania). Note plumb walls and triangular niches for various utensils (oil lamps in particular)

From Histoire de l'Afrique Noire, D'hier à Demain by Joseph Ki-Zerbo



[If anyone has a better translation of the above caption, do post it.]

https://www.webafriqa.net/library/history/ki-zerbo/histoire-afrique-noire/photos/pictures/09-4-maison-tegdaoustF.jpg

"House from Tegdaoust (Mauritania). The site reveals several successive levels of occupation. In the background , the sandstone escarpment of Rkiz."

From Histoire de l'Afrique Noire, D'hier à Demain by Joseph Ki-Zerbo

On the drawings of the fortifications at Sikasso, Mali that I posted a little earlier, this is some additional information:

http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&prev=search&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=fr&u=http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5443/&usg=ALkJrhjObK-NCC-UlpgGjVF-9iC3QidN8A

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tata_de_Sikasso&prev=search

https://www.webafriqa.net/library/history/ki-zerbo/histoire-afrique-noire/photos/pictures/09-5-ramparts-kilwaF.jpg

"The walls of Kilwa. The wealth of the city explains these impressive precautions."

From Histoire de l'Afrique Noire, D'hier à Demain by Joseph Ki-Zerbo

https://www.webafriqa.net/library/history/ki-zerbo/histoire-afrique-noire/photos/pictures/08-1-eglise-farasF.jpg

"Faras (Nobatia), Nubia. Remains of a Nubian brick church."

From Histoire de l'Afrique Noire, D'hier à Demain by Joseph Ki-Zerbo

[img]http://www.webafriqa.net/library/history/ki-zerbo/histoire-afrique-noire/photos/pictures/900x1156x07-3-pylone-temple-nagaF.jpg.pagespeed.ic.oNTbbfOcAs.webp[/img]

From Histoire de l'Afrique Noire, D'hier à Demain by Joseph Ki-Zerbo

Caption: "Pylône du temple du lion à Naga (au Sud de Méroé, Soudan). On y voit le serpent à tête de lion qui représente le dieu Apedemak." (Pylon of the temple of the lion in Naga (south of Meroe, Sudan). It shows the lion-headed serpent representing the god Apedemak.)

Source: http://www.webafriqa.net/library/history/ki-zerbo/histoire-afrique-noire/photos/large-9.html

[img]http://www.webafriqa.net/library/history/ki-zerbo/histoire-afrique-noire/photos/pictures/900x745x01-griot-aveugle-kayesF.jpg.pagespeed.ic.slGFqPOUp4.webp[/img]

From Histoire de l'Afrique Noire, D'hier à Demain by Joseph Ki-Zerbo

The caption is "Un griot aveugle de Kayes, Mali." (A blind griot, Kayes, Mali)

Source: http://www.webafriqa.net/library/history/ki-zerbo/histoire-afrique-noire/photos/large-1.html

https://www.webafriqa.net/library/history/ki-zerbo/histoire-afrique-noire/photos/pictures/25-2-murs-forteresse-sikasoF.jpg

This image was obtained from this site:

http://www.webafriqa.net/library/history/ki-zerbo/histoire-afrique-noire/photos/large-57.html

It gives the source of the image as being the book Histoire de l'Afrique Noire d'hier à demain (History of Black Africa from yesterday to tomorrow, 1978) by Joseph Ki-Zerbo.

The caption on their site for the image is "Les murs de Sikasso (Mali) : une forteresse de 6 mètres d'épaisseur à la base et 6 mètres de hauteur. Au centre, sur une éminence, le dionfoutou (donjon), où le roi Tiéba défia et défit la puissance de Samori, et où son successeur Babemba se suicida pour ne pas tomber aux mains des Français."

Google translate gives that in English as "The walls of Sikasso ( Mali ) : a fortress 6 meters thick at the base and 6 meters high. In the center, on a hill, the dionfoutou (keep), where King Tiéba challenged and defeated the power of Samori, and where his successor Babemba committed suicide to avoid falling into French hands."

But anyone who can give a better French to English translation is free to post one.



There is another drawing of the same fortifications at Sikasso:

[img]http://www.lejardindedb.fr/local/cache-vignettes/L448xH369/tata_de_Tionghi_Site-cfc8a.jpg[/img]

I obtained the image from this site:

http://www.lejardindedb.fr/La-maison-du-general-7-1

Though it is also depicted here: http://www.ccfg-conakry.org/Sikasso.html

If anyone could direct me to a more professional/academic source for the second drawing, I would appreciate it.

[img]http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=1106714&t=w[/img]

Morel, E. D. (Edmund Dene) (1873-1924) (Author)
COLLECTION
Nigeria, its peoples and its problems.
DATES / ORIGIN
Date Issued: 1911
TOPICS
Africa
Nigeria
Africans
Zaria (Nigeria)
Katsina (Nigeria)
Rulers -- Africa

[img]http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=1252640&t=w[/img]

"Abbas Gregorius and a native of Hausa, 1848. Portraits of Abbas Gregorius, the celebrated instructor of Ludolf, an Amhara from Ethiopia, and native of Hausa, probably a West African. An engraving from the Natural History of Man, by James Cowles Prichard."

Reviews


Dr Patrick Darling (UK):
In 1903, the Kano City Walls were described as being 'the most impressive monument in West Africa'; but, despite many pleas to the authorities concerned over the last century, the walls have been allowed to decay and even to be built over by the rich. In recent years, the better preserved walls near the Kwiambana gate have become hidden behind new houses and shops. Reconstructions have either been fanciful and non-historic or far too low - nowhere reaching more than half the 18 metre height recorded by Barth and other C19th visitors. The western section of the wall is the best section to see; but it requires using the track outside or walking along its course. The southern and eastern sides, in particular, have been beset either side by vast borrow-pits for house-building leaving only a narrow walkway between - this being very slippery owing to the loose grit from the clayey grus. The original narrow entrance gateways have also been widened for modern traffic. This overall loss of integrity was, sadly, the main reason for not listing the Kano City Walls as a priority site in the original Tentative List.
Date posted: December 2010

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/t5171.html

Salvaging Kano City’s crumbling Walls
Posted by: Kolade Adeyemi, Kano in Northern Report February 11, 2014

The Kano City Walls used to be remarkable historical landmarks. They were also known to have protected the city from the invasions of enemies during those years of communal warfare. They were beautiful sights to behold.
These days, the once magnificent walls are shadows of themselves, seemingly.
Besides its rich history in commercial activities, such as dyeing, Dubar and its scintillating Dala Hills, the ancient city of Kano boasts traditional walls as rich and long in history as the northern city itself.
According to historical records, the foundations for the wall which surrounds the old city of Kano were laid by Sakri Gijimasu between A.D. 1095 and A.D. 1134. The building of the wall was completed in the mid-14th Century during the reign of Zamnagawa. In the 16th Century, the walls were further expanded.
However, there are indications that most part of this historic city wall has been damaged by both human and natural factors.
Speaking to our correspondent on the problems which the City Wall is experiencing, Dr. Sule Bello, a lecturer in the Department of History, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (ABU) who is also the Chairman of the Protection, Promotion, and Preservation of Kano City Wall Committee which was set up by Kano State government to revive the degenerating walls, said Kano City Wall is very important historical asset in Africa. He further stated that it is so rich and so full of importance that if they are lost, it will be difficult to develop them in any normal way.
“Development is about learning from the past and improving on it. You know that there are some very significant landmarks in the history of Kano, one of which is the construction of the Kano City Wall which is over 700 years old now.
“If you are familiar with the City Walls, you will discover that they are remarkable illustrations in the development of the multi-cultural communities.
“In Kano, you are dealing with people from the Arab world, people from various parts of West Africa, people from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds and constituting the city itself. So, there is need to keep certain heritages and cultures alive because these are part of the things that attracted these people to Kano at the first instance,” he stated.
Dr. Bello further noted that, “if you take a look at the Kano City Wall, you will discover that many people who are from other countries appreciate it more than we Nigerians. This is so because to them, it presents, in first instance, the greatest evidence of massive civilised and urbanised historical development in Africa.
“At one time,for people like Mr. Davidson and others who have studied Africa, it is a remarkable monument. Secondly, foreigners and Nigerians alike who have studied it have remarked that it is an ancient re-technology architecture which represents important achievements which seem to have been lost now. But if we fully recover them, they will greatly assist us in our efforts towards developing our engineering capabilities in building and other related designs.
“Finally, it was because of the Kano City Wall that helped Kano to develop into the greatest commercial entrapode in West Africa because it made possible long distance trade. The famous Kurmi Market was the biggest market in Africa at that time which serviced West African trade, inter-regional trade within West Africa and North Africa, Central Africa as well as some parts of East Africa. So, these were all possible because the great City Wall was there.
“In terms of tourist attraction, Kano City Wall is the number one major asset that you have in this state. In fact, right now, Kano does not have anything that can be compared with the Kano City Wall as an asset. It was the people of Kano, not even Nigerians, who went to the United Nations and requested that Kano City Wall be declared as the world heritage site.
“People from Kenya, Asia and Europe had studied and read about Kano in the history books. Most of them had never come to West Africa. It was these people who said it should be part of the world heritage sites. Unfortunately, by the time they came; they discovered that a lot of it had been destroyed.
“Over 70 per cent of it had been destroyed—and they were very annoyed. Apart from Kano City Wall, what else would have prompted the entire United Nations to identify with Kano? What do we have now that can compare to that? Even as majority of it is lost, we must do our best to preserve it in some form. To restore it is possible,” he said.
According to him, most of the city walls have been destroyed and have been turned into refuse dumps and public toilets. Miscreants dig the mud for sale and nobody talks to them. In actual fact, they have totally contaminated the town.
“Historically speaking,” Dr. Bello said, “we have about 14 gates. Currently, we have only about eight city gates. Many of them have been destroyed and new gates have to be constructed. We are working on their restoration in order to put those gates back so that anybody coming as a tourist can see that there is some evidence that the city wall existed.”
He also revealed that the state government is aware that there is no way Kano can become a modern city without preserving the past glory which is the Kano City Wall. According to the terms of reference given to the City Wall Protection and Preservation Committee by Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, they are mandated to undertake a comprehensive assessment of Kano City Walls monument so as to map out areas and undertake rehabilitation, preservation, conservation and reclamation of the Walls, including labeling.
The committee will also examine the need to extend the green zone barricade protecting the city walls to go round the entire walls outline where possible and make appropriate recommendations for implementation, review the existing traditional gate structures and recommend rehabilitation programme that will transform the gates to meet the growing traffic requirements and at the same time retaining the integrity and authenticity of the gates within their traditional form and outlook. The committee is also to propose viable utilisation plans for the gates and the city walls for the purpose of checking unhealthy habits of refuse disposals and illegal encroachment.
Governor Kwankwaso also urged the committee to examine existing legislations and establish whether their provisions have adequately ensured the protection of the walls and if other wise, recommend areas of amendment and the enactment of an appropriate legislation that will ensure the protection of the Kano City Walls and its reservation areas, recommend the provision of monument protection security measures, including setting up of Kano Heritage Marshals.
He also urged the committee to come up with proposal for effective utilisation of the ponds and ditches along the city walls which may include but not limited to their purification and conservation for productive aquatic activities such as fish farming, recreation and spots.
The committee is also to identify and document all other significant historical monument in Kano in a bid to facilitate the ongoing process of nominating Kano City Walls and associated sites into the world heritage list, develop a functional management plan for each identified monument, come up with a fund-raising plan that will identify and approach local and international donor agencies to support future preservation and promotion efforts. It should also examine the possibility of a permanent collaborative heritage management regime for the preservation and promotion of heritage sites and monuments of Kano and make appropriate recommendations to that effect.
On Kano State government’s determination to rebuild and restore the city wall heritage, Commissioner for Commerce, Industries, Co-operative and Tourism, Dr. Nuhu Damburam said the state government is ready to restore the glory of the city walls, even as he said government is waiting for the proposal from the Protection and Preservation Committee on the restoration of the Kano City Walls. He promised that once the proposal is handy, the state government would not hesitate to provide all necessary resources to get the city walls back to life.
Rehabilitating the Kano City Wall may be taxing as the walls have dilapidated so much.
People are of the view that even if the city walls are rebuilt, they may definitely fall again if proper security checks are not put in place to ensure adequate preservation.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/salvaging-kano-citys-crumbling-walls/


Unfortunately, it seems the Kano walls may be going the way of other historical landmarks in Africa.

sonzo666:
I am surprised that African-americans are doing ways better than Nigerians in academics.I used to think that African-americans were lazy,stupid,etc......I was wrong!

Sylvester Gates:
Mathematician and physicist and second black person to be elected to the US sciences academy( the first being the late mathematician David Blackwell).Author of more than 200 papers of theoretical physics:

Clifford victor Johnson:Professor of astrophysics and author of over 100 papers in string theory.

Mark Dean:The only black IBM fellow!

You were indeed wrong to think that African-Americans were "lazy, stupid, etc. . ." No particular reason to assume that. However I would not say that African-Americans are doing so much better than Nigerians in this area (science). Maybe a little better or maybe about equal.

Also, Clifford V. Johnson is not African American. His ancestry is from the Caribbean (the islands of Dominica and Montserrat) and his nationality is British, not American. He just works in America.

Also there is a Nigerian computer scientist by the name of Faye Briggs who was an Intel Fellow. You can look him up.

osystein:
I'm on my phone so I can't open your links, they might answer my question.

Do you think the fact that the list of countries is based on the help they gave to political parties is the reason Nigeria isn't included? Fighting apartheid doesn't mean helping any of those parties, people mention songs and nationalising companies, I don't see how that will get Nigeria included in that plaque.

No. Nigeria did give financial support to the ANC (though certainly not that bizarre $61 billion figure being thrown around - which is based on the money Nigeria potentially lost by not selling oil to apartheid SA, not on actual direct contributions), and since there is a category for financial support to the ANC, Nigeria would at least have been listed there, even if Nigeria's important diplomatic actions/support are ignored or aren't considered to fall into any of those categories.

I think the reason Nigeria is not listed there is because the person or persons who made that list were not really thorough researchers or actual historians. The average South African doesn't know anything about any of Nigeria's actions against apartheid, so unless the person who made that plaque was some sort of academic, it's not likely they would know anything about Nigeria's involvement.

In any case, actual South African government members/officials have recognized Nigeria's contributions to the fight against apartheid on more than one occasion so omission from one particular plaque in that park does not mean so much. The plaque/board is simply not completely accurate. Of course it won't be changed just because some Nigerians on the internet feel it's inaccurate. It's up to them what countries' contributions they choose to acknowledge in their museum/park.

@ Shymexx

This source was written by a Nigerian, but the information seems to be credible (and academic/reputable) nonetheless:

https://books.google.com/books?id=_sDeDWCnnRAC&pg=PA93

Pages 90 through 94 discuss Nigeria's involvement.

@ SirShymexx

I agree with you that the "61 billion" or whatever figure claimed in those reports is ridiculous, and I don't agree with it either. After looking around a bit, I think I found where the figure was cooked up from. I think it was based on the money that Nigeria supposedly lost by not selling oil to apartheid South Africa. A similar unexplained figure (41 billion) is mentioned here:

https://www.nairaland.com/2278292/apartheid-south-africa-nigerias-role#33124307

Perhaps this 41/61 billion figure is adjusted for inflation or something because otherwise I don't see how they came up with it. And in any case, losing money by opposing apartheid is not the same thing as direct financial support.

That said, it seems that while Nigeria's role has been exaggerated in recent times, it was actually significant in the past. For example, Nigeria played a major role in getting most African states to recognize the MPLA (as against the apartheid South African supported UNITA) in Angola and provided financial and other support for the MPLA. It wasn't just Cuba that played an important role there. Also, I saw that you mentioned Thabo Mbeki being in exile in the UK for a while, but he was also in Nigeria for a number of years. Abraham Ordia, a Nigerian and the president of the SCSA also played a role in getting apartheid South Africa ostracized from some international sports events. Search for his name and "SCSA" and/or South Africa and you'll get some information on that. Here is one link on that guy:

http://www.nytimes.com/1984/07/28/sports/africans-are-playing-on-two-levels.html

Here's are some links on Nigeria's actions regarding the MPLA:

https://books.google.com/books?id=-SQg3d1KXMEC&pg=PA174

https://books.google.com/books?id=Ftz_gtO-pngC&pg=PA150

Here are more academic/reputable links (like you asked of the other poster you were discussing with) that mention some of Nigeria's other actions, none of which were written by Nigerians:

https://books.google.com/books?id=z7MVyj1yl7wC&pg=PA111

https://books.google.com/books?id=7VjJAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA95

https://books.google.com/books?id=zbBhLw-Hh28C&pg=PA126 (The entirety of ch. 11 of this book, titled "The Statesman," goes into detail about Obasanjo's actions. There is more info on the preceding pages).

That's just what I found from a brief search, but there is probably more than just these actions. I could probably find more if I looked harder.

all4naija:
Most of the countries they listed on the plaque are those nations which almost surrendered to Apartheid government by taking loans from it. Nigeria stood firm not to. Thanks to Tafawa Balewa of Nigeria.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_South_Africa_during_apartheid

Actually, the Balewa administrations approach to the issue of apartheid South Africa was confused, unlike that of Murtala Mohammed and Obasanjo's administrations, which took a firm stance against apartheid South Africa:

https://books.google.com/books?id=oMP4x6LVLeAC&pg=PA108

AkanIgbo:
The slave trade wasn't a significant portion of the Akan people kingdoms either, but they were involved in it. The Akan people made their money from the gold trade and they (particularly the Ashanti) typically only captured slaves as a result of war to expand their kingdom. They weren't particularly interested in slaving, but they sold the slaves that they took in warfare to the Europeans. However minimal the Akan people role was; the impact was huge and their actions did the Continent no favors.

I think the difference between the involvement of some of the Akan groups in the transatlantic slave trade and Bini involvement in the transatlantic slave trade was actually significant, though I am aware that the Akan groups had thriving economies outside of the slave trade and that they were not really dependent on it or anything. But I did not comment on the role of the Akan in the slave trade (or most of the other groups you mentioned in your first post in this thread) because my point was about the reality of Benin not playing some big role in the slave trade and the depopulation of Africa that people sometimes wrongly assume it did. I don't see what "big role" in the ruin of Africa Benin played. Every group/society/culture made some mistakes in history but I don't see this issue (the slave trade) as some area where Benin had some huge failure. I am not saying not to criticize or find fault with that kingdom - I have no objection to scrutinizing the history of African states and pointing out their flaws and mistakes - but I do think that accuracy is important when criticizing, especially to avoid perpetuating negative stereotypes and myths. If you like, say the kingdom played a "minor role" historically in contributing to Africa's/black people's problems today and that would at least be accurate and we would have no disagreement, but I just don't see the point of exaggerating Benin's role in contributing to these problems.