15 facts about Herbert Macaulay, a key figure in Nigeria’s history

Herbert Macaulay was born on November 14, 1864, in Lagos, Nigeria, into a well-educated family. His grandfather, Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther, was the first African Anglican bishop, and his father was the founder of the first secondary school in Nigeria, CMS Grammar School, Lagos.

Macaulay studied civil engineering in England at the Royal College of Science and Technology (now part of Imperial College London). Upon returning to Nigeria, he worked for the colonial government as a surveyor but resigned in 1898 after witnessing corruption and injustices in the administration.