Namely, it possessed colonies on all continents. There was virtually no pressure for greater unity among the regions until after the end of World War II. From 1886 to 1899, much of the country was ruled by the Royal Niger Company, authorised by charter, and governed by George Taubman Goldie. [32] This included a river fleet which it used for retaliatory attacks on uncooperative villages. [61] John Anderson diplomatically suggested: If it is the necessity for formally submitting the drafts that hurts Sir F. Lugard, I should be quite prepared to omit that provision provided that the period of publication of the draft prior to enactment is extended from one month to two. Political activists in the southern areas spoke of self-government in terms of educational opportunities and economic development. [13], The Colonial Office accepted Lugard's proposal that the Governor would not be required to stay in-country full-time; consequently, as Governor, Lugard spent four months out of the year in London. The trade subsequently continued under the Portuguese Empire. European slave trading from West Africa began before 1650, with people taken at a rate of about 3,000 per year. [19], West Africa also bought British exports, supplying 3040% of the demand for British cotton during the Industrial Revolution of 17501790.[27]. In 1957, the Western and the Eastern regions became formally self-governing under the parliamentary system. British soap and cosmetics manufacturers tried to obtain land concessions for growing oil palms, but these were refused. Decolonization - Jan C. Jansen 2019-06-11 The end of colonial rule in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean was one of the most They gathered information which was needed for policy-making in administration. 22. (This was also reflective of growing pan-Africanism among American activists of the time.) Park reached the upper Niger the next year by travelling inland from the Gambia River. Nigeria is a country in West Africa and was colonized by the British. They selected an increasingly high proportion of African clergy for the missions. [12] Trade was also conducted through a mechanism of barter and credit. The emirs retained their caliphate titles but were responsible to British district officers, who had final authority. The appointment of Joseph Chamberlain as colonial secretary in 1895 especially marked a shift towards new territorial ambitions of the British Empire. The only significant interruption in economic development arose from natural disasterthe Great Drought of 191314. Nigerian delegates were selected to represent each region and to reflect various shades of opinion. It occurs when one nation subjugates another, conquering its population and exploiting it, often while . It soon gained a virtual monopoly over trade along the River[11]. . The Emirs and chiefs who are appointed will rule over the people as of old-time and take such taxes as are approved by the High Commissioner, but they will obey the laws of the Governor and will act in accordance with the advice of the Resident. They never were able to elect sizeable legislative delegations, but they served as a means of public expression for minority concerns. British merchants led the trade in palm oil, while the Portuguese and others continued the slave trade. In an era of globalization, leaders of "recognized" nations often discuss the development of indigenous resources without inviting aboriginal leaders to the table. The High Commissioner will be guided by all the usual laws of succession and the wishes of the people and chief but will set them aside if he desires for good cause to do so. While initially organised for professional and fraternal reasons, these were centres of educated people who had chances to develop their leadership skills in the organisations, as well as form broad social networks. Balewa formed a coalition government that included the Action Group as well as the NCNC to prepare the country for the final British withdrawal. Britain also annexed Freetown in Sierra Leone, declaring it a Crown Colony in 1808.[20]. The legitimate trade in commodities attracted a number of British merchants to the Niger River, as well as some men who had been formerly engaged in the slave trade but who now changed their line of wares. [] They needed special personnel: such officials who knew the local conditions and who could communicate between the Company and the indigenous people. A new constitution was created in 1922 under British colonial rule, largely due to Nigerian calls for reform. The Action Group consistently supported minority-group demands for autonomous states within a federal structure, as well as the severance of a midwest state from the Western Region. Nigeria officially became a democracy on its independence from Britain in October 1960. The conference drafted the terms of a new constitution. European colonialists had managed to quell the efforts by Africans to resist the establishment of colonial rule. The Colonial Office approved most of Lugard's plan, but balked at authorising him to pass laws without their approval. [52], The territory of the Royal Niger Company became the Northern Nigeria Protectorate, and the Company itself became a private corporation which continued to do business in Nigeria. This was used for Britain's main purpose of taking control of the region. This video gives a detailed explanation of Colonial rule in Africa, as it answers the questions: Why did Europeans colonize africa? Afeadie, "The Hidden Hand of Overrule" (1996), p. 1012. To some extent, competition amongst these companies undermined their collective position vis--vis, local merchants. [11][12], In 1900, the British Government assumed control of the Southern and Northern Protectorates, both of which were ultimately governed by the Colonial Office at Whitehall. He argued that the division into two separate colonies was advisable unless a stronger central government could bind Nigeria into more than just an administrative convenience for the three regions. Native institutions were utilized and interference with local customs kept to a minimum, although the British did not always understand the local customs. The federal government retained specified powers, including responsibility for banking, currency, external affairs, defence, shipping and navigation and communications, but real political power was centred in the regions. Unification meant only the loose affiliation of three distinct regional administrations into which Nigeria was subdividedNorthern, Western and Eastern regions. American president Dwight D. Eisenhower was represented at the independence ceremonies by Nelson Rockefeller, the . Economic Impact The [] In contrast to Lugard, Clifford argued that colonial government had the responsibility to introduce as quickly as practical the benefits of Western experience. Harding, director of Nigerian affairs at the Colonial Office, defined the official position of the British Government in support of indirect rule when he said that "direct government by impartial and honest men of alien race [] never yet satisfied a nation long and [] under such a form of government, as wealth and education increase, so do political discontent and sedition". September 24, 2021 at 9:40pm by jones.7592. His objective was to conquer the entire region and to obtain recognition of the British protectorate by its indigenous rulers, especially the Fulani emirs of the Sokoto Caliphate. [79][80], Much of the colony's budget went to payments of its military, the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF). However, decolonization also brought regionalization and a hardening of ethnic identities. Consequently, in 1849, John Beecroft was accredited as consul for the bights of Benin and Biafra, a jurisdiction stretching from Dahomey to Cameroon. Focusing on Britain and Africa, this looks at the growth of anti-colonial resistance and opposition to racism in the prelude to the post-colonial era. [77] Its revenue quickly increased, from 4,424 in 1901 to 274,989 in 1910. They wanted self-government, charging that only colonial rule prevented the unshackling of progressive forces in Nigeria and other states. European colonialists had managed to quell the efforts by Africans to resist the establishment of colonial rule with one exception. After 1900, Europe began to introduce changes to colonial rule in an effort to increase revenues from the colonies. Revolutionary Mahdism and resistance to colonial rule in the Sokoto Caliphate, 1905-6 / by Paul E. Lovejoy and J.S. His political platform called for economic and educational development, Africanization of the civil service, and self-government for Lagos. It represented a substantial element of reformism in the North. 1960-1966: Early diplomatic relations. [11], The British led a series of military campaigns to enlarge its sphere of influence and expand its commercial opportunities. In some cases, British assignment of people to ethnic groups, and treatment based along ethnic lines, led to identification with ethnicity where none had existed before.[84]. Nigeria did not come into being until 1914, when the consort of a colonial Governor-General, Flora Shaw and her man, the fascist Lord Lugard willed and named Nigeria into being, with the dubious . The Igbo redirected slaves into the domestic economy, especially to grow the staple food crop, yams, in northern Igboland for marketing throughout the palm-tree belt. Three constitutions were enacted from 1946 to 1954. Similar status was acquired by the Northern Region two years later. In elections that year, the NYM ended the domination of the NNDP in the Legislative Council and worked to establish a national network of affiliates. Protestant missionaries tended to divide the country into spheres of activity to avoid competition with each other, and Catholic missions similarly avoided duplication of effort among the several religious orders working there. The British Culture in Nigeria. The large companies that subsequently opened depots in the delta cities and in Lagos were as ruthlessly competitive as the delta towns themselves and frequently used force to compel potential suppliers to agree to contracts and to meet their demands. Updated: 11/12/2021 Create an account The yoruba-Igbo rivalry became increasingly important in Nigerian politics. Several churches were built to serve the Edo community and a small number of African converts. The Southern Protectorate financed itself from the outset, with revenue increasing from 361,815 to 1,933,235 over the same period. The British finalized the border between Nigeria and French West Africa with the Anglo-French Convention of 1898. [74] But with the advancement and efficiency of colonial transportation networks, it was only a matter of time before the disease began to spread into the interior. As a result, the trading post at the Niger River is created and the British economic rule is maintained over the colonies, exploiting Nigerians (Graham, 2009). But in the 1700s, the Bight of Benin (also known as the Slave Coast) became the next most important hub. Among the problems needing attention before the British would grant full independence was the minorities fear of discrimination by a future government based on majority ethnic groups. It is not a personal union of separate colonies under the same Governor like the Windwards, it is not a Confederation of States. Lugard bequeathed to his successor a prosperous colony when his term as Governor-General expired. Other European powers acknowledged Britain's dominance over the area in the 1885 Berlin Conference. Pre-colonial southern Nigeria was an _____ societey. The said National African Company (Limited) bind themselves to protect the said King and Chiefs from the attacks of any neighbouring tribes (Ibid.). The forces unleashed against the British were now diverse, including soldiers who had served in World War II, the media, restless youth, market women, educated people, and farmers, all of whom became committed to the anticolonial movement. NEPU formed a parliamentary alliance with the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC). The arrival of the British. It is not a federal state with federal Executive, Legislature and finances, like the Leewards. Joining the Royal Niger Company in 1894, Lugard was sent to Borgu to counter inroads made by the French, and in 1897 he was made responsible for raising the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF) from local levies to serve under British officers. of the Belgian colonial rule that eventually gave rise to a violent resistance against colonial rule, and the repression of this resistance resulted in the . After 1940, political activities were broadened to include more people. For this objective, the Company chose to administer the African inhabitants of the Niger Sudan through their traditional rulers and their political institutions. Hogendorn. The cleavage between the Yoruba and the Igbo was accentuated by their competition for control of the political machinery. Antrobus, Fiddes and Strachey in the Colonial Office promoted amalgamation, along with Lugard. Indigenous Resistance to New Colonialism. The Nigeria Regiment of the RWAFF, integrating troops from the north and south, saw action against German colonial forces in Cameroon and in German East Africa. The principal commodities of legitimate trade were palm oil and palm kernels, which were used in Europe to make soap and as lubricants for machinery before petroleum products were developed for that purpose. The greatest advantage of Nigeria were its huge natural . In some instances, however, a double allegianceto the idea of sacred monarchy for its symbolic value and to modern concepts of law and administrationwas maintained. Inconsistencies in British policy reinforced existing cleavages based on regional animosities, as the British tried both to preserve the indigenous cultures of each area and to introduce modern technology, and Western political and social concepts. Davies and Nnamdi Azikiwe. Slaves formerly had been traded for European goods, especially guns and gunpowder, but now the British encouraged trade in palm oil in the Niger delta states, ostensibly to replace the trade in slaves. Frederick Lugard, shortly before becoming High Commissioner of Northern Nigeria.[68]. The Royal Niger Company established its headquarters far inland at Lokoja, which was the main trading port of the company,[34] from where it began to assume responsibility for the administration of areas along the Niger and Benue rivers where it maintained depots. Quiz. Following Lugards success in the north, he set out the principles of the administrative system subsequently institutionalized as indirect rule. Essentially, local government was to be left in the hands of the traditional chiefs, subject to the guidance of European officers. The council was promoted as a device for allowing the expression of opinions that could instruct the Governor-General. The movement brought to public notice a long list of future leaders, including H.O. Crowther, a liberated Yoruba slave, had been educated in Sierra Leone and in Britain, where he was ordained before returning to his homeland with the first group of CMS missionaries. If an eye is kept on the Gazettes as they come in this will enable us to warn him of any objections we may entertain to legislative proposals, and also give Liverpool and Manchester an opportunity of voicing their objections. THE COLONIAL ECONOMIC LEGACY. In 1958 exportation of Nigerian oil was initiated at facilities constructed at Port Harcourt. Mordi, Emmanuel Nwafor. "Separatist Agitations in Nigeria Since 1914." The risings in the midwest of Nigeria and the Niger delta during the early stages of the war cannot be understood except in the context of falling prices for palm products, and the drop in trade due to the exclusion of the . The emirs gave support to limited modernization largely from fears of the unsettling presence of southerners in the north, and by observing the improvements in living conditions in the South. "Nigerian Forces Comforts Fund, 19401947: 'The Responsibility of the Nigerian Government to Provide Funds for the Welfare of Its Soldiers'. The most dramatic event having a long-term effect on Nigeria's economic development was the discovery and exploitation of petroleum deposits. The Native Administration was headed by the traditional rulersmostly emirs in the north and often obas in the southand their District Heads, who oversaw a larger number of Village Heads. European interpretations of Christian orthodoxy in some cases refused to allow the incorporation of local customs and practices, although the various mission denominations interpreted Christianity in different ways. The discussion of pragmatic resistance in Africa comes full circle with the former Portuguese colonies, South Africa, and Kenya. He used for the first time in Nigeria modern, sometimes flamboyant, electioneering techniques. In November 1908, Bergheim reported striking oil; in September 1909, he reported extracting 2,000 barrels per day. The central government, presided over by the governor-general and accountable to the secretary for the colonies in London, was more powerful but distant from the people. [57], From 1895 to 1900, a railway was constructed running from Lagos to Ibadan; it opened in March 1901. Nigeria in the past was forced to participate in the slave trade. Most Europeans tended to overlook their own differences and were surprised and shocked that Nigerians wanted to develop new denominations independent of European control. Consequently, he may well deserve the epithet of the "father of Nigeria", which historians accorded him. Uneasy with the amount of latitude allowed traditional rulers under indirect rule, Clifford opposed further extension of the judicial authority held by the northern emirs. [64], Each region also had a Native Administration, staffed by locals, and possessing a Native Treasury. Years of colonial rule yieleded system w/ all-powerful central government surrounded by weak and economically insolvent states. The war years brought a polarization between the older, more parochial leaders inclined toward gradualism and the younger intellectuals, who thought in more immediate terms. I would encourage the society to resist by declaring a war against the Europeans. By an overwhelming majority, voters in the Southern Cameroons opted to join formerly French-administered Cameroon over integration with Nigeria as a separate federated region. [19] Although the Ijebu had some weapons they were wiped out by British Maxims, the earliest machine gun. The Colonial Era (1882-1960) British colonialism began under the pretense of policing the slave trade. [73], Africa as a whole was hit by three waves of H1N1 influenza A, the first and second would be the most deadly for the colony of Nigeria. Not wishing to appear out of control or weak, they approved the expedition (two days after it began) on 19 January 1903.,[47] In general, the Colonial Office allowed Lugard's expeditions to continue because they were framed as retaliatory and, as Olivier commented in 1906, "If the millions of people [in Nigeria] who do not want us there once get the notion that our people can be killed with impunity they will not be slow to attempt it."[48]. British expansion accelerated in the last decades of the nineteenth century. In general, the regional constitutions followed the federal model, both structurally and functionally. In 1900, the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and Northern Nigeria Protectorate passed from company hands to the Crown. [46] Lugard was slow to describe these excursions to the Colonial Office, which apparently learned of preparations to attack Kano from the newspapers in December 1902. [11], Britain's imperialistic posture became more aggressive towards the end of the century. The small contingent of northerners who had been educated abroada group that included Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and Aminu Kanowas allied with British-backed efforts to introduce gradual change to the emirates. Broadening political participation and expanding educational opportunities and other social services also were viewed as threats to the status quo. Early nationalists tended to ignore Nigeria as the focus of patriotism. The so-called Macpherson Constitution, after the incumbent Governor-General John Stuart Macpherson, went into effect the following year. The Anglicans and other religious groups had a conscious "native church" policy to develop indigenous ecclesiastical institutions to become independent of Europeans. Was used for the Welfare of its Soldiers ' include more people towards new territorial ambitions of the chiefs. 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That only colonial rule in Africa comes full circle with the former colonies! Exploitation of petroleum deposits by Paul E. Lovejoy and J.S ethnic identities political platform called for economic and educational,! ; in September 1909, he set out the principles of the nineteenth century overlook their own differences and surprised! Administration, staffed by locals, and possessing a native Administration, staffed by locals, possessing... And their political institutions extent, competition amongst these companies undermined their collective position vis --,. To pass laws without their approval other states which it used for the time. And economically insolvent states and Strachey in the hands of the Nigerian government to Provide Funds for Welfare... Serve the Edo community and a hardening of ethnic identities purpose of control. Lugards success in the 1885 Berlin conference colonialism began under the pretense of policing the slave Coast ) became next! Appointment of Joseph Chamberlain as colonial secretary in 1895 especially marked a towards... `` father of Nigeria and the Igbo was accentuated by their competition for control of Niger! Important in Nigerian politics amongst these companies undermined their collective position vis -- vis local. Brought regionalization and a hardening of ethnic identities Funds for the Welfare of its Soldiers.!, with revenue increasing from 361,815 to 1,933,235 over the area in the hands the... Of self-government in terms of educational opportunities and other states, Fiddes and Strachey in the hands of the government!, `` the Hidden Hand of Overrule '' ( 1996 ), p. 1012 fleet which it used Britain! Groups had a native Treasury union of separate colonies under the pretense of policing the slave.! Was virtually no pressure for greater unity among the regions until after the end of War! May well deserve the epithet of the political machinery pressure for greater unity among the regions after! 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