JAMB Recommended Textbooks for History 2026/2027

JAMB Recommended Textbooks for History 2026. History requires more than just memorizing dates and events. It is about understanding how past events have shaped the world we live in today. For JAMB candidates in 2026/2027, studying History requires focus and the right resources to navigate topics such as African history, world history, Nigerian political development, and the impact of colonization.

To make preparation easier, JAMB recommends specific History textbooks that cover the entire syllabus in a structured and understandable way. These books explain historical events, causes and consequences, key figures, and historical debates. They are written for senior secondary school students and help candidates develop both factual knowledge and analytical thinking.

Instead of studying randomly, it is best to follow the JAMB History syllabus closely, using the recommended textbooks as your guide. This ensures that you focus on the topics that are most likely to appear in the examination. Below is the list of textbooks recommended by JAMB for History.

JAMB Recommended Textbooks for History 2026

S/N	Recommended Text
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, J. F. A. and Crowther, M. (1971): History of West Africa, Vol. I, London: Longman.
4	Ajayi, J. F. A. and Crowther, M. (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): Africa 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): Africa 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): Tarikh 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	Sokoto Caliphate: History and Legacies, 1804–2004, Vols. I & II, Kaduna: Arewa House.
17	Celeman, J. S. (1986): Nigeria: Background to Nationalism, Benin: Broburg and Wistrom.
18	Clerk, T. A. (1991): Right Honourable Gentleman: The Life and Times of Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Zaria: Hudahuda Publishing Company.
19	Cohen, D. I. and Daniel, J. (eds) (1981): Political Economy of Africa: Selected Readings, London: Longman.
20	Crowther, M. (1977): West Africa: An Introduction to Its History, Longman.
21	Crowther, M. (1979): Nigeria: An Introduction to Its History, London: Longman.
22	Dike, K. O. (1956): Trade and Politics in the Niger Delta, London: Oxford University Press.
23	Ekeh, P. P. and Ashiwaju, G. (eds) (1989): Nigeria Since Independence: The First 25 Years: Culture, Vol. VII, Ibadan: Heinemann.
24	Falola, T. et al (1989): History of Nigeria, Vol. I, Lagos: Longman.
25	Falola, T. et al (1989): History of Nigeria, Vols. 2 and 3, Lagos: Longman.
26	Gboyega, A., Abubakar, Y., and Aliyu, Y. (eds) (1989): Nigeria Since Independence: Public Administration, Vol. III, Ibadan: Heinemann.
27	Hallet, R. (1975): Africa Since 1875, Ibadan: Heinemann.
28	Hopkins, A. G. (1973): An Economic History of West Africa, Longman.
29	Ikime, O. and Osoba, S. O. (eds): Tarikh: Independence Movement in Africa (Part I), Vol. 3, No. 4, London: Longman.
30	Ikime, O. and Osoba, S. O. (eds): Tarikh: Government in Pre-Colonial Africa, Vol. 4, No. 2, London: Longman.
31	Ikime, O. and Osoba, S. O. (eds) (undated): Peoples and Kingdoms of West Africa in the Pre-Colonial Period, Vol. 5, No. 1, London: Longman.
32	Ikime, O. and Osoba, S. O. (eds) (undated): Tarikh: European Conquest and African Resistance (Part 2), Vol. 4, London: Longman.
33	Ikime, O. (1977): The Fall of Nigeria: The British Conquest, London: Heinemann.
34	Ikime, O. (ed) (1974): Leadership in 19th Century Africa: Essays from Tarikh, London: Longman.
35	Ikime, O. (1968): Merchant Prince of the Niger Delta, London: Heinemann.
36	Ikime, O. (ed) (1980): Groundwork of Nigerian History, Ibadan: Heinemann.
37	Iseihei, E. (1983): A History of Nigeria, London: Longman.
38	Jorre, J. D. (1972): The Nigeria Civil War, London: Hodder and Stoughton.
39	Kani, A. M. and Gandi, K. (1990): A State and Society in the Sokoto Caliphate, Series I, Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto.
40	Mahdi, A., Kwanashei, G. A. and Yakubu, M. (eds) (1994): Nigeria: The State of the Nation and the Way Forward, Kaduna: Arewa House.
41	Martin, P. M. and Omera, P. (eds) (1995): Africa (3rd Ed.), Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
42	Mohammed, B. (1982): Africa and Non-alignment: A Study in the Foreign Relations of New Nations, Kano: Triumph Publishers.
43	Mohammed, A. S. and Adamu, S. (eds) (2005): Nigeria and the Reform of the United Nations, Zaria: Hanwa.
44	Nzula, A. T., Potekhin, A. and Zusmanovich, A. (1979): Forced Labour in Colonial Africa, London: Zed Press.
45	Offiong, D. A. (1980): Imperialism and Dependency: Obstacles to Development, Enugu: Fourth Dimension Publishers.
46	Ojigbo, O. (1982): Shehu Shagari: The Biography of Nigeria’s First Executive President, Yugoslavia: Mlandiska Knjiga.
47	Okafor, I. (1989): History for Senior Secondary Schools, Onitsha: Jet Publishers.
48	Oliver, T. and Afmore, A. (1996): Africa Since 1880 (4th Ed.), New York: Cambridge University Press.
49	Olusanya, G. O. (1973): The Second World War and Politics in Nigeria, 1939–1953, Ibadan: Evans.
50	Omar, O. (1966): The Zulu Aftermath: A Nineteenth-Century Revolution in Bantu Africa, London: Longman.
51	Omolewa, M. (1986): Certificate History of Nigeria, Lagos: Longman.
52	Onoja, I. (1998): Peace-keeping and International Security in a Changing World, Jos: Mono Expressions.
53	Onwubiko, K. (1983): School Certificate History of West Africa, Onitsha: African-First Publishers.
54	Tamuno, T. N. and Atanda, A. (eds) (1989): Nigeria Since Independence: The First 25 Years, Vol. III, Ibadan: Heinemann.
55	Tamuno, T. N. and Atanda, J. A. M. (eds) (1989): Nigeria Since Independence: Government and Public Policy, Vol. IV, Ibadan: Heinemann.
56	Tamuno, T. N. and Ukpabi, S. C. (eds) (1989): Nigeria Since Independence: The Civil War Years, Vol. IV, Ibadan: Heinemann.
57	Thompson, L. A. (2000): History of South Africa, Yale: Yale University Press.
58	Usman, Y. B. (ed) (1979): Studies in the History of Sokoto Caliphate, New York: Third Press International.
59	Usman, Y. B. (ed) (1981): The Transformation of Katsina, 1400–1883, Zaria: Ahmadu Bello University Press.
60	Usman, Y. B. and Alkali, M. N. (eds) (1983): Studies in the History of Pre-Colonial Borno, Zaria: NNPC.
61	Usman, Y. B. and Kwanashei, G. A. (eds): Inside Nigeria History 1950–1970: Events, Issues and Sources, University of Ibadan.
62	Usman, Y. B. (ed) (1989): Nigeria Since Independence: The First 25 Years: The Society, Vol. I, Ibadan: Heinemann.
63	Usman, Y. B. (2002): Election Violence in Nigeria: The Terrible Experience, 1952–2002, Zaria: Abdullahi Smith Centre for Historical Research.
64	Webster, J. B. and Ikime, O. (eds): Tarikh: Early African Christianity, Vol. 2, No. 1, London: Longman.
65	Wilmot, P. F. (1980): Apartheid and African Liberation: The Grief and the Hope, Ife: University of Ife Press.
66	Yakubu, A. M., Jumare, I. and Saeed, A. G. (eds) (2005): Northern Nigeria: A Century of Transformation, 1903–2003, Kaduna: Arewa House.
67	Yakubu, A. M. (2006): Emirs and Politicians: Reform, Reactions and Recrimination in Northern Nigeria, 1950–1966, Kaduna: Baraka Publishers.

Tips for History Candidates

Having the recommended textbooks is a great start, but understanding the subject comes from active reading and connecting events. The JAMB History syllabus for 2026/2027 shows you exactly what topics to prioritize, which helps you avoid wasting time on less relevant material.

Past questions are also very important. They help you see how JAMB frames its questions, spot recurring themes, and practice writing answers that are clear and concise. Many candidates improve their confidence simply by studying past questions alongside the textbooks.

Knowing that success in JAMB History comes from combining careful reading, understanding the syllabus, and practicing past questions is important. When these three elements are used together, History becomes much easier to study, and performing well in the exam becomes achievable.