Moses E. Ochonu, an assistant professor of African history at Vanderbilt University, has contributed significantly to the field through numerous journal articles and book chapters. His expertise extends to op-ed pieces on African affairs, featured in prominent publications like The Chronicle Review and Tennessean.com, showcasing his insights and perspectives on contemporary issues in Africa.
Exploring the complexities of Africa and its diaspora, this book addresses contemporary challenges faced by the continent and its peoples. It bridges academic debates with accessible discussions, inviting a diverse audience to engage with its themes. By connecting nation, continent, and diaspora, it presents a unique dialogue that encompasses Nigerian and broader African issues. The author challenges readers to reconsider their preconceptions, offering fresh insights and a thought-provoking perspective on Africanness in today's world.
Emirs in London recounts how Northern Nigerian Muslim aristocrats who traveled to Britain between 1920 and Nigerian independence in 1960 relayed that experience to the Northern Nigerian people. Moses E. Ochonu shows how rather than simply serving as puppets and mouthpieces of the British Empire, these aristocrats leveraged their travel to the heart of the empire to reinforce their positions as imperial cultural brokers, and to translate and domesticate imperial modernity in a predominantly Muslim society. Emirs in London explores how, through their experiences visiting the heart of the British Empire, Northern Nigerian aristocrats were enabled to define themselves within the framework of the empire. In doing so, the book reveals a unique colonial sensibility that complements rather than contradicts the traditional perspectives of less privileged Africans toward colonialism.