Humans originated in Africa, with the oldest known fossils of anatomically modern humans found in East Africa. The Omo site in Ethiopia revealed remains dating back 195,000 years, making them the oldest human fossils discovered, shedding light on our ancient origins.

Derived from Niger River, Flora Shaw coined the name "Nigeria" in an 1897 article for The Times to replace the long official name for the British-controlled area, the Royal Niger Company Territories.