Chapters
Ibadan
The university city · Seven hills and rust-red roofs
Play IbadanEra III · Khaki to Agbada
The five ages
- 1
Democracy returns
1999–2000 · town-centre level 1Civilian rule returns in May 1999. Ibadan’s markets, university and civil service keep the city going, and okada and buses fill its hills. Start with homes, markets, power and order.
- 2
Lines open
2001–2004 · town-centre level 4Mobile phones arrive in 2001, and cybercafés open round the university.
- 3
Banks and big money
2005–2007 · town-centre level 7The banks merge to meet the central bank’s deadline at the end of 2005, and new branches open in Dugbe and Bodija.
- 4
The university at sixty
2008–2010 · town-centre level 10The University of Ibadan, founded in 1948, turns sixty in 2008. The city spreads along the roads to Lagos and Oyo.
- 5
Naija Now
2010s · town-centre level 13 (beyond this era)The story continues in Naija Now.
People of Ibadan
The figures who appear as the city grows, run by the Governor.
The Governor
That is youFour years to show what civilian rule can do for Ibadan.
The students of UI
The first universityNigeria’s oldest university, and some of its loudest debates.
Portrait: fictional depiction
The Bodija market women
The city’s tradersTheir associations can make or break a policy in a week.
Portrait: fictional depictionYour hero in battle
Helicopter gunship
Air coverFlies over walls straight to the fight. Ability: Air cover. Every unit nearby fights harder: +35% damage for 12 seconds.
The council
| Seat | Who they are | Speaks for |
|---|---|---|
| Commissioner for Finance | The treasury and the economy | people, trade and the treasury |
| Commissioner of Police | Security | the police, the army and Peace |
| Adviser on religious affairs | Churches and mosques | Faith and faith balance |
| Commissioner for Education | Schools and universities | Progress and research |
| Commissioner for Commerce | Markets and investors | Wealth and Unity |
| Commissioner for Health | Hospitals | Health |
| Commissioner for Energy | Power and fuel | the grid |
| The House of Assembly | Lawmakers | impeachment, and whether you keep office |
Raiders and bosses
Who comes for the city in each age. Bosses come once you are into their age. How raids work.
| Age | Raiders | Boss |
|---|---|---|
| First Democracy returns | Armed robbers | None |
| Second Lines open | Street gangs | None |
| Third Banks and big money | Kidnap gangs | A wave of kidnappings Gangs strike the highways |
| Fourth The university at sixty | Cult gangs | A night of riots The city burns for a night |
| Fifth Naija Now | Armed militia | None |
Soldiers
| Soldier | From level | |
|---|---|---|
| Police officer | Riot police with shields and batons. | 2 |
| Soldier | Infantry with rifles. | 3 |
| Armoured car | Hard to stop and slow to fall. | 7 |
| Marksman | One heavy shot from far away. | 10 |
Buildings
Every building Ibadan can raise, shown as it looks in the middle of the story. What each type does.
People
Housing estate
Unlocks at town-centre level 1From face-me-I-face-you blocks to towers. Houses your people.
Hospital
Unlocks at town-centre level 4Raises Health, and healthy workers produce more. Raiders never touch it.
High Court
Unlocks at town-centre level 5Raises Trust and some Peace. Low Trust lets officials skim taxes.
Economy
Agro farm
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Mechanised farming and food processing. Tap it when it fills.
Cement works
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Cement for every building site in the city. Materials.
Steel works
Unlocks at town-centre level 2Iron rods and steel frames. Materials.
Cold store
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Refrigerated food storage. Raises your Food storage.
Warehouse
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Containers and building stock. Raises your Materials storage.
Bank
Unlocks at town-centre level 3Raises how much Wealth you can keep.
Market
Unlocks at town-centre level 3Umbrella stalls that grow into malls. Wealth, plus a little Unity.
NEPA power station
Unlocks at town-centre level 1The national grid’s local station. When it fails, NEPA has “taken light” and the generators start. Every building draws power.
Freight terminal
Unlocks at town-centre level 10Goods arrive by road from Lagos and clear customs here. A large Wealth producer.
Culture
Church
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Raises Faith. Keep churches and mosques in balance: if one far outnumbers the other, Unity falls. Raiders never touch it.
Mosque
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Raises Faith. Keep mosques and churches in balance: if one far outnumbers the other, Unity falls. Raiders never touch it.
University
Unlocks at town-centre level 4Lecture halls that grow into a tech campus. Makes Knowledge and runs research. Raiders never touch it.
Stadium
Unlocks at town-centre level 4Match days and concerts. Raises Unity. A big enough stadium can host the Africa Cup of Nations.
Air base
Unlocks at town-centre level 7A helipad and hangar. Brings the helicopter gunship to your forces.
Cocoa House
Unlocks at town-centre level 8Finished in 1965 with 26 floors, paid for by the region’s cocoa farmers. Heritage for the ladder.
Defence
Police station
Unlocks at town-centre level 3Raises Peace and keeps robbers off the streets.
Security post
Unlocks at town-centre level 2A floodlit post behind sandbags that fires on attackers.
Security wall
Unlocks at town-centre level 4Concrete walls with razor wire and cameras, section by section.
Checkpoint
Unlocks at town-centre level 4A manned barrier where an avenue crosses the security wall.
Armoured unit
Unlocks at town-centre level 10Armoured vehicles behind sandbags. Hits hard, reloads slowly.
Army
Army barracks
Unlocks at town-centre level 2Each level holds more soldiers.
Industrial park
Unlocks at town-centre level 5Factories and workshops. Raises Progress.
Landmarks
Mapo Hall
Unlocks at town-centre level 4The colonnaded city hall on Mapo Hill, finished in 1929. Unity and visitors.
Liberty Stadium
Unlocks at town-centre level 6Opened on 30 September 1960, on the eve of independence. Unity and events.
NTA Ibadan
Unlocks at town-centre level 8The heir of Western Nigeria Television, the first television station in Nigeria, which began in 1959. Unity and Progress.
Research
| Technology | Branch | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Improved seed | Farming | Better seed and fertiliser: +10% Food. |
| Cold chains | Farming | Less food spoils on the way: +15% Food storage. |
| Irrigation | Farming | Year-round farming: +15% Food. |
| Agro-processing | Farming | More value from every harvest: +20% Food. |
| Building codes | Building | Fewer collapses, faster approvals: builds 8% faster. |
| Steel frames | Building | Taller and stronger: buildings +10% sturdier. |
| Local cement | Building | Cheaper materials: builds cost 8% less. |
| Prefab towers | Building | Factory-built floors: builds 10% faster. |
| Police training | Defence | Better trained officers: +8% damage. |
| CCTV network | Defence | Cameras on every post: posts +12% damage. |
| Body armour | Defence | Better protection: +12% unit health. |
| Drones | Defence | Eyes in the sky: +12% damage. |
| Instant payments | Trade | Transfers in seconds: +10% Wealth. |
| Ease of business | Trade | Fewer forms and fees: +12% Wealth. |
| Free trade zone | Trade | Investors and exporters move in: +20% Wealth. |
| Teacher training | Learning | Better teachers: +15% Knowledge. |
| Tech hubs | Learning | Coders and start-ups: research 15% faster. |
| Research labs | Learning | Universities that invent: +20% Knowledge. |
| Festival calendar | Heritage | Concerts, carnivals and festivals: Faith and Unity rise. |
| Nollywood studios | Heritage | Films for the whole continent: Heritage. |
| Afrobeats on the world stage | Heritage | The city’s sound goes global: Heritage. |
| Fintech signature | Heritage | Signature tech. Money moves by phone: Knowledge and Progress. |
| Urban rail signature | Defence | Signature tech. Trains link the districts: walls and posts 25% stronger. |
Did you know?
- University College Ibadan was founded in 1948 and became the University of Ibadan in 1962.
- Cocoa House, finished in 1965, was the tallest building in Nigeria until 1979.
- Western Nigeria Television began broadcasting from Ibadan on 31 October 1959.
- Mapo Hall was finished in 1929.
- Nigeria returned to civilian rule on 29 May 1999, after more than fifteen years of military government.
- Commercial mobile phone service began in Nigeria in August 2001.
- NEPA, the National Electric Power Authority, became PHCN in 2005.
- By the end of 2005 every bank needed ₦25 billion in capital, and 89 banks became 25.
- Nigeria marked fifty years of independence on 1 October 2010.