A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF DURO LADIPO’S OBA KOSO AND OLA ROTIMI’S OVONRAMWEM NOGBAISI

This study analyzes Duro Ladipo’s Oba Kosi and Ola Rotimi’s Ovonramwen Nogbaisi, two Nigerian plays depicting key moments in the nation’s precolonial and colonial history. Set within their socio-political and cultural contexts, the plays reconstruct historical events to reflect indigenous perspectives on leadership, colonial intrusion, and resistance. Oba Kosi portrays Yoruba political intrigues and cultural resilience, while Ovonramwen Nogbaisi dramatizes the fall of the Benin Empire to British conquest. Adopting a qualitative methodology, the research uses a descriptive analysis of primary data from the plays and secondary data from books, journals, and other scholarly works. Guided by New Historicism theory, the study views the texts as mediated historical narratives shaped by ideology and culture. Findings show that both plays blend factual history with creative adaptation to critique colonial oppression, question African leadership, and preserve cultural memory. It is recommended that historical plays be preserved through performance recordings on digital media alongside written documentation to safeguard them for future generations. The study affirms the relevance of historical drama in fostering critical reflection on the past and shaping present socio-political consciousness.