Five powerful kingdoms that existed centuries before the formation of Nigeria in 1914

Nri Kingdom

The Nri Kingdom was an interesting kingdom known as the oldest kingdom in Nigeria and the cradle of the culture and civilisation of the Igbo tribe. It started in the  9^th century and existed until it collapsed in 1911 on account of internal disputes, the slave trade, colonisation, British invasion and expansion of kingdoms like the Benin Kingdom.

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The Nri Kingdom was established in the 9th century by Eze Nri, a traditional and spiritual leader who ruled for many years. The kingdom was founded on the principles of oneness with the Divine Creator. To attain such oneness, the people were expected to live their lives based on justice, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, peace and harmony.

The kingdom provided itself as a safe haven for exiled criminals, rulers or people from other kingdoms as well as runaway slaves seeking refuge and freedom again. The kingdom grew and flourished in trade until internal disputes weakened it and it was taken over by the Benin Empire in 1911.