JAMB Recommended Textbooks for History 2026/2027

If you’re preparing for the JAMB History exam in 2026/2027, having the right textbooks is very helpful. These books cover the important events, figures, and ideas that have shaped Africa and the world, and they follow the JAMB syllabus closely. Studying from these books will help you understand the key historical events and themes that are often tested in the JAMB exam.

READ ALSO:

• JAMB Syllabus for History 2026/2027 Free PDF Download
• JAMB Areas of Concentration for History 2026/2027

Below is a list of the recommended textbooks for History, along with some brief information on why each book is useful for JAMB History students.

Why Use These Recommended Textbooks?

The authors of these textbooks are experts in African and world history. The books explain historical events and people in simple, clear language, which makes learning easy. By using these books, you can learn about important periods and people in history without struggling to understand complex words or ideas. Each book breaks down major topics into understandable parts, so you can study them one by one.

JAMB Recommended Textbooks for History 2026/2027

S/No	Author(s)	Year	Title	Publisher/Location
1	Abba, A.	2006	The Politics of Mallam Aminu Kano	Kaduna: Vanguard and Publishers
2	Ayandele, A. E. et al.	1986	The Making of Modern Africa, The Twentieth Century Vol 2	Longman
3	Ajayi and Crowther	1971	History of West Africa Vol. I	London: Longman
4	Ajayi and Crowther	1974	History of West Africa Vol. II	London: Longman
5	Akinloye, S. A.	1976	Emergent African States: Topics in Twentieth Century African History	Longman
6	Akinyemi, A. B., Agbi, S. O., and Otunbanjo, A. O. (eds)	1989	Nigeria since Independence: The First 25 Years (International Relations) Vol x	Ibadan: Heinemann
7	Anene, J. C., and Brown, G.	1966	African in the 19th and 20th Centuries	Ibadan: University Press
8	Anene, J. C.	1966	Southern Nigeria in Transition, 1885 – 1906	Cambridge: University Press
9	Anene, J. C., and Brown, G. (eds)	1972	African in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries: A Handbook for Teachers and Students	Ibadan: University Press and Nelson
10	Ashiwaju, A. I., Croder, M., and Denzer, I. R. (eds)	–	Tariki 25, Grassroots Leadership in Colonial West Africa, Vol. 7	London: Longman
11	Atanda, J. A., Ashiwaju, G., and Abubakar, Y. (eds)	1989	Nigeria since Independence: The First Years: Religion Vol. i	Ibadan: Heinemann
12	Barkindo, B. et al.	1989	Africa and the Wider World, Vol. 1	Lagos: Longman
13	Barkindo, B. et al.	1996	Africa and the Wider World, Vols. 2 and 3	Lagos: Longman
14	Boahen, A.	1969	The Revolutionary years: Africa since 1800	Longman
15	Boahen, A.	1969	The Revolutionary years: West Africa since 1800	Longman
16	Celeman, J. S.	1986	Nigeria: Background to Nationalism	Benin: Broburg and Wistrom
17	Clerk, T. A.	1991	Right Honourable Gentleman: The Life and Times of Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa	Zaria: Hudahuda Publishing Company
18	Cohen, D. I., and Daniel, J. (eds)	1981	Political Economy of Africa: Selected Readings	London: Longman
19	Crowther, M.	1977	West Africa: An introduction to its History	London: Longman
20	Crowther, M.	1979	Nigeria: An introduction to its History	London: Longman
21	Dike, K. O.	1956	Trade and Politics in the Niger Delta	London: Oxford University Press
22	Ekeh, P. P., and Ashiwaju, G. (eds)	1989	Nigeria since Independence: The First 25 Years: Culture, Vol. VII	Ibadan: Heinemann
23	Falola, T. et al.	1989	History of Nigeria Vol. I	Lagos: Longman
24	Falola, T. et al.	1989	History of Nigeria Vols. 2 and 3	Lagos: Longman
25	Gboyega, A., Abubakar, Y., and Aliyu, Y. (eds)	1989	Nigeria since Independence: The First 25 Years Public Administration, Vol. III	Ibadan: Heinemann
26	Hallet, R.	1975	Africa since 1875	Ibadan: Heinemann
27	Hopkins, A. G.	1973	An Economic History of West Africa	London: Longman
28	Ikime, O., and Osoba, S. O. (eds)	–	Tarikh: Independence Movement in Africa (Part I), Vol. 3, No. 4	London: Longman
29	Ikime, O., and Osoba, S. O. (eds)	–	Tarikh: Government in Pre-Colonial Africa, Vol. 4, No. 2	London: Longman
30	Ikime, O., and Osoba, S. O. (eds)	–	Peoples and Kingdoms of West Africa in the Pre-colonial Period, Vol. 5, No. 1	London: Longman
31	Ikime, O., and Osoba, S. O. (eds)	–	Tarikh: Europeans Conquest and African Resistance (Part 2), Vol. 4	London: Longman
32	Ikime, O.	1977	The Fall of Nigeria: The British Conquest	London: Heinemann
33	Ikime, O. (ed)	1974	Leadership in 19th Century Africa: Essays from Tarikh	London: Longman
34	Ikime, O.	1968	Merchant Prince of the Niger Delta	London: Heinemann
35	Ikime, O. (ed)	1980	Groundwork of Nigerian History	Ibadan: Heinemann
36	Iseihei, E.	1983	A History of Nigeria	London: Longman
37	Jorre, J. D.	1972	The Nigeria Civil War	London: Hordder and Stoughton
38	Kani, A. M., and Gandi, K.	1990	A State and Society in the Sokoto Caliphate, Series I	Sokoto: Usman Danfodio University
39	Mahdi, A., Kwanashei, G. A., and Yakubu, M. (eds)	1994	Nigeria: The State of the Nation and the Way Forward	Kaduna: Arewa House
40	Martin, P. M., and Omera, P. (eds)	1995	Africa (Third Edition)	Bloomington: Indiana University Press
41	Mohammed, B.	1982	Africa and Non-alignment: A Study in the Foreign Relations of New Nations	Kano: Triumph Publishers
42	Mohammed, A. S., and Adamu, S. (eds)	2005	Nigeria and the Reform of the United Nations	Zaria: Hanwa
43	Nzula, A. T., Potekhin, and Zusmanovich	1979	Forced Labour in Colonial Africa	London: Zed Press
44	Offiong, D. A.	1980	Imperialism and Dependency: Obstacles to Development	Enugu: Fourth Dimension Publishers
45	Ojigbo, O.	1982	Shehu Shagari: The Biography of Nigeria’s First Executive President	Yugoslavia: Mlandiska Knjiga
46	Okafor, I.	1989	History for Senior Secondary Schools	Onitsha: Jet Publishers
47	Oliver, T., and Afmore, A.	1996	Africa since 1880 (Fourth Edition)	New York: Cambridge University Press
48	Olusanya, G. O.	1973	The Second World War and Politics in Nigeria, 1939 – 1953	Ibadan: Evans
49	Omar, O.	1966	The Zulu Aftermath: A Nineteenth-Century Revolution in Bantu Africa	London: Longman
50	Omolewa, M.	1986	Certificate History of Nigeria	Lagos: Longman
51	Onoja, I.	1998	Peace-keeping and International Security in a Changing World	Jos: Mono Expressions
52	Onwubiko, K.	1983	School Certificate History of West Africa	Onitsha: African-First Publishers
53	Tamuno, T. N., and Atanda, A. (eds)	1989	Nigeria since Independence: The First 25 Years Vol. III	Ibadan: Heinemann
54	Tamuno, T. N., and Atanda, J. A. M. (eds)	1989	Nigeria since Independence: The First 25 Years (Government and Public Policy), Vol. IV	Ibadan: Heinemann
55	Tamuno, T. N., and Ukpabi, S. C. (eds)	1989	Nigeria since Independence: The First 25 Years (The Civil War years), Vol. IV	Ibadan: Heinemann
56	Thompson, L. A.	2000	History of South Africa	Yale: Yale University Press
57	Usman, Y. B. (ed)	1979	Studies in the History of Sokoto Caliphate	New York: Third Press International
58	Usman, Y. B. (ed)	1981	The Transformation of Katsina, 1400 – 1883	Zaria: Ahmadu Bello University Press
59	Usman, Y. B., and Alkali, M. N. (eds)	1983	Studies in the History of Pre-Colonial Borno	Zaria: NNPC
60	Usman, Y. B., and Kwanashei, G. A. (eds)	–	Inside Nigeria History 1950-1970: Events: Issues and Sources	University of Ibadan
61	Usman, Y. B. (ed)	1989	Nigeria since Independence: The First 25 Years: The Society Vol. I	Ibadan: Heinemann
62	Usman, Y. B.	2002	Election Violence in Nigeria: The Terrible Experience, 1952 – 2002	Zaria: Abdullahi Smith Centre for Historical Research
63	Webster, J. B., and Ikime, O. (eds)	–	Tarikh: Early African Christianity, Vol. 2. No. 1	London: Longman
64	Wilmot, P. F.	1980	Apartheid and African Liberation: The Grief and the Hope	Ife: University of Ife Press
65	Yakubu, A. M., Jumare, I., and Saeed, A. G. (eds)	2005	Northern Nigeria: A century of Transformation, 1903 – 2003	Kaduna: Arewa House
66	Yakubu, A. M.	2006	Emirs and Politicians: Reform, Reactions and Recrimination in Northern Nigeria, 1950 – 1966	Kaduna: Baraka Publishers

Overview of JAMB Recommended Textbooks for History 2026/2027

1. The Politics of Mallam Aminu Kano by Abba, A.
   This book dives into the life and politics of Mallam Aminu Kano, a key figure in Nigerian political history. It covers his contributions to Nigeria and is especially useful for students interested in the political history of Nigeria.
2. The Making of Modern Africa, The Twentieth Century Vol 2 by Ayandele, A. E. et al
   This book covers Africa’s journey through the 20th century, touching on independence movements and the shaping of African nations. It’s a great resource for understanding the modern history of Africa.
3. History of West Africa Vol. I & II by Ajayi and Crowther
   These two volumes are essential for students learning about West Africa’s history. They cover pre-colonial times, the colonial period, and independence. Both books offer a full view of West African history.
4. Emergent African States: Topics in Twentieth Century African History by Akinloye, S. A.
   This book focuses on the emergence of African nations in the 20th century, examining topics such as independence movements and the struggles of new African states. It’s ideal for students studying African nationalism and the growth of new nations.
5. Nigeria since Independence: The First 25 Years (International Relations) Vol x by Akinyemi, A. B., Agbi, S. O., and Otunbanjo, A. O.
   This book looks at Nigeria’s international relationships in its first 25 years after independence. It’s a valuable resource for students wanting to learn about Nigeria’s place in the global world.
6. African in the 19th and 20th Centuries by Anene J. C. and Brown, G.
   This book discusses African history across the 19th and 20th centuries, focusing on major events, changes, and conflicts. It’s very useful for understanding Africa’s place in modern world history.
7. Southern Nigeria in Transition, 1885 – 1906 by Anene J. C.
   This book examines a key period in Nigeria’s history, showing the changes in Southern Nigeria during the colonial period. It provides insights into colonial policies and their effects on Nigerian society.
8. Africa in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries: A Handbook for Teachers and Students by Anene, J. C. and Brown, G.
   Aimed at both teachers and students, this book covers African history in a clear and straightforward way. It’s a good guide for those who need a general overview of African history in the modern era.
9. Tariki 25, Grassroots Leadership in Colonial West Africa by Ashiwaju A. I., Croder, M., and Denzer, I. R.
   This book explores leadership at the local level in colonial West Africa, highlighting the role of grassroots leaders. It’s useful for students who want to understand leadership beyond national politics.
10. Nigeria since Independence: The First Years: Religion Vol. i by Atanda, J. A., Ashiwaju, G., and Abubakar, Y.
    This book focuses on religious changes in Nigeria’s early years of independence. It’s helpful for understanding the role of religion in Nigerian society and politics.

Conclusion

These recommended textbooks cover all the important areas that JAMB History students need to study. By using these books, students can get a full understanding of Africa’s history, Nigeria’s growth, and the wider events that shaped the world. They provide detailed information, examples, and easy explanations, making them helpful for studying and revising for JAMB History. Use these textbooks to guide your preparation, and you’ll be ready to tackle the History exam with confidence.