JAMB 2026/2027 Recommended Textbooks for History

History, as a subject, demands clarity, accurate facts, and a strong understanding of pre colonial, colonial, and post colonial developments across Africa and the wider world. This is why UTME candidates are asked to study with the History Textbooks listed in the JAMB Government syllabus, to ensure they understand these events the way JAMB expects.

In this guide, we will walk you through the list of History textbooks covering African history, Nigerian political evolution, independence movements, military rule, international relations, and global influences on Africa.

List of JAMB Recommended History Textbooks 2026

S/N	Book Title	Author(s)	Brief Description
1	The Politics of Mallam Aminu Kano	Abba, A	A detailed analysis of Aminu Kano’s political ideology and influence in Northern Nigeria.
2	The Making of Modern Africa, The Twentieth Century Vol. 2	Ayandele, A. E. et al	Explores Africa’s transformation in the 20th century, including independence struggles and political change.
3	History of West Africa Vol. I	Ajayi & Crowther	Covers early West African societies, empires, and pre-colonial developments.
4	History of West Africa Vol. II	Ajayi & Crowther	Continues from Vol. I, focusing on colonial rule and its effects in West Africa.
5	Emergent African States	Akinloye, S. A.	Discusses the rise of modern African states in the 20th century.
6	Nigeria Since Independence: The First 25 Years (International Relations) Vol. X	Akinyemi, A. B. et al	Examines Nigeria’s foreign relations from independence to the 1980s.
7	Africa in the 19th and 20th Centuries	Anene J. C. & Brown G	A broad overview of Africa’s socio-political evolution.
8	Southern Nigeria in Transition 1885–1906	Anene, J. C.	Details British expansion and early colonial administration in Southern Nigeria.
9	Africa in the 19th and 20th Centuries: A Handbook	Anene & Brown (eds)	A teacher-friendly summary of major African historical topics.
11	Nigeria Since Independence: The First Years – Religion Vol. I	Atanda, Ashiwaju & Abubakar	Focuses on religion’s role in Nigeria’s early post-independence years.
12	Africa and the Wider World Vol. 1	Barkindo et al	Explores Africa’s early interactions with Europe and the wider world.
13	Africa and the Wider World Vols. 2 & 3	Barkindo et al (1996)	Continues the African global interaction narrative into the modern era.
14	The Revolutionary Years: Africa Since 1800	Boahen, A	Discusses Africa’s political and social revolutions beginning around 1800.
15	The Revolutionary Years: West Africa Since 1800	Boahen, A	Focuses solely on West Africa’s transformations.
16	Sokoto Caliphate: History and Legacies 1804 to 2004 (Vols. I & II)		Comprehensive documentation of the Sokoto Caliphate from inception to modern legacy.
17	Nigeria: Background to Nationalism	Celeman, J. S.	Explains the roots of Nigeria’s nationalist movements.
19	Political Economy of Africa: Selected Readings	Cohen & Daniel	Covers economic systems, colonial exploitation, and development issues.
20	West Africa: An Introduction to Its History	Crowther, M	A foundational book on West African history.
21	Nigeria: An Introduction to Its History	Crowther, M	Outlines Nigeria’s political, cultural, and economic development.
22	Trade and Politics in the Niger Delta	Dike, K. O.	Classic work on commerce and political structures in the Niger Delta.
23	Nigeria Since Independence: Culture Vol. VII	Ekeh & Ashiwaju	Explains cultural evolution in Nigeria from 1960 onward.
24	History of Nigeria Vol. I	Falola et al	Discusses Nigeria’s early civilizations and pre-colonial societies.
25	History of Nigeria Vols. 2 & 3	Falola et al	Covers colonial rule, the struggle for independence, and post-independence issues.
26	Nigeria Since Independence: Public Administration Vol. III	Gboyega et al	Focuses on governance and public service development.
27	Africa Since 1875	Hallet, R	Reviews Africa’s transformation during the colonial and post-colonial eras.
28	An Economic History of West Africa	Hopkins, A. G.	Details West Africa’s economic systems from pre-colonial to colonial periods.
29	Independence Movements in Africa (Tarikh)	Ikime & Osoba (eds)	Discusses rising nationalism across Africa.
30	Government in Pre Colonial Africa (Tarikh)	Ikime & Osoba (eds)	Covers political structures before European conquest.
31	Peoples & Kingdoms of West Africa (Tarikh)	Ikime & Osoba (eds)	Profiles major West African kingdoms.
32	European Conquest & African Resistance (Tarikh)	Ikime & Osoba (eds)	Describes African responses to colonisation.
33	The Fall of Nigeria: British Conquest	Ikime, O	Discusses how Britain conquered the Nigerian area.
34	Leadership in 19th Century Africa	Ikime, O (ed)	Essays on notable African leaders.
35	Merchant Prince of the Niger Delta	Ikime, O (ed)	Biography of a prominent Niger Delta merchant.
36	Groundwork of Nigerian History	Ikime, O (ed)	Foundational Nigerian history text used in universities.
37	A History of Nigeria	Iseihei, E.	General history of Nigeria from ancient to modern times.
38	The Nigerian Civil War	Jorre, J. D.	A firsthand account of the Biafran War.
39	State and Society in the Sokoto Caliphate	Kani & Gandi	Explains governance within the Sokoto Caliphate.
40	Nigeria: State of the Nation & Way Forward	Mahdi et al	Discusses Nigeria’s political and economic direction.
41	Africa (3rd Edition)	Martin & Omera	A continent-wide historical overview.
42	Africa and Non-Alignment	Mohammed, B	Examines African countries’ foreign policies.
43	Nigeria & UN Reform	Mohammed & Adamu (eds)	Discusses Nigeria’s position in global politics.
44	Forced Labour in Colonial Africa	Nzula et al	Documents forced labour practices during colonial rule.
45	Imperialism and Dependency	Offiong, D. A.	Analyzes African underdevelopment due to colonialism.
46	Shehu Shagari: Biography of Nigeria’s 1st Executive President	Ojigbo, O.	Covers the life and presidency of Shehu Shagari.
47	History for Senior Secondary Schools	Okafor, I.	Designed for secondary-level African and world history.
48	Africa Since 1880	Oliver & Afmore	Reviews major events from colonial expansion to modern Africa.
49	The Second World War & Politics in Nigeria	Olusanya G. O.	Discusses how WWII affected Nigerian politics.
50	The Zulu Aftermath	Omar O.	Reviews a major socio-political shift among Bantu societies.
51	Certificate History of Nigeria	Omolewa, M	A secondary-level Nigerian history text.
52	Peace Keeping & International Security	Onoja, I.	Explains global peacekeeping, with examples from Africa.
53	School Certificate History of West Africa	Onwubiko, K	A simple explanation of West African history.
54	Nigeria Since Independence: Vol. III	Tamuno & Atanda (eds)	Focuses on governance and public policy.
55	Nigeria Since Independence: Civil War Years	Tamuno & Ukpabi	Detailed documentation of the Nigerian Civil War.
56	History of South Africa	Thompson, L. A.	Comprehensive coverage of South Africa’s history.
57	Studies in the History of Sokoto Caliphate	Usman Y. B. (ed)	Scholarly analysis of the caliphate’s development.
58	The Transformation of Katsina 1400 to1883	Usman Y. B.	Explores Katsina’s political evolution.
59	Studies in the History of Pre Colonial Borno	Usman Y. B & Alkali M. N	Covers Borno’s political and cultural history.
60	Inside Nigeria History 1950–1970	Usman Y. B & Kwanashei (eds)	A collection of important historical events and documents.
61	Nigeria Since Independence: The Society Vol. I	Usman Y. B	Examines social changes in Nigeria.
62	Inside Nigeria’s History 1950–1970	Usman Y. B	Documents Nigeria’s electoral challenges.
63	Early African Christianity (Tarikh)	Webster & Ikime (eds)	Covers the spread of Christianity in ancient Africa.
64	Apartheid and African Liberation	Wilmot, P. F.	Discusses apartheid’s history and Africa’s liberation struggles.
65	Northern Nigeria: A Century of Transformation (1903 to 2003)	Yakubu et al	Reviews social and political changes over 100 years in Northern Nigeria.
66	Emirs and Politicians	Yakubu A. M.	Discusses political conflicts and reforms in Northern Nigeria.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Does JAMB really use these exact textbooks for setting History questions?

A: The books align directly with the JAMB syllabus, and it is likely used to set questions.

Q: Must I read all the textbooks?

A: No. Many textbooks cover similar topics. Pick 5 solid ones, such as Groundwork of Nigerian History, History of West Africa, and Africa Since 1800.

Q: Which textbooks are best for beginners?

A: School Certificate History of West Africa and Certificate History of Nigeria are easier to understand.

Q: Are these textbooks available in PDF?

A: Some are, but many exist only in print due to copyright. Use bookstores or school libraries.

Q: Which books cover pre-colonial African kingdoms?

A: Books by Ikime, Osoba, and Anene provide the most detailed explanations.

Q: Which textbooks help most with Nigerian history questions?

A: Groundwork of Nigerian History, History of Nigeria Vols. I to III, and Certificate of History of Nigeria.

Q: Do I need to read biographies like Tafawa Balewa’s?

A: They help you understand leadership roles, political history, and nationalism, which are important JAMB topics.

Q: How do I know which chapters to study?

A: Use the official JAMB History syllabus as your reading guide.