It was suspended in 1950 against a call for greater autonomy, which resulted in an inter-parliamentary conference at Ibadan in 1950. The most dramatic event having a long-term effect on Nigeria's economic development was the discovery and exploitation of petroleum deposits. In time, they built depots onshore and eventually moved up the Niger River to establish stations in the interior. They were instrumental in the development of government diplomacy with the traditional rulers; they spread government propaganda among the indigenous people; and they assisted colonial officials in parleying with native forces at war with government troops. The company negotiated treaties with Sokoto, Gwandu and Nupe that were interpreted as guaranteeing exclusive access to trade in return for the payment of annual tribute. Although the Muslim emirs eventually collaborated with the British to establish such rule in Northern Nigeria, the absence of similar authority structures in the South led to more direct colonial rule. Britain annexed Lagos in 1861 and established the Oil River Protectorate in 1884. In consideration of the foregoing, the said National African Company (Limited) bind themselves not to interfere with any of the native laws or customs of the country, consistently with the maintenance of order and good government [and] agree to pay native owners of land a reasonable amount for any portion they may require. Accordingly, as the volume of trade increased, merchants requested that the Government of the United Kingdom appoint a consul to cover the region. Regional administrations also varied widely in the quality of local personnel and in the scope of the operations they were willing to undertake. The Royal Navy bombarded Lagos in November 1851, ousted the pro-slavery Oba Kosoko and established a treaty with the newly installed Oba Akintoye, who was expectedly more amenable to British interests. The Headquarters of Gombe emirate was Gombe-Abba[15] until when the then Emir of Gombe, Umaru Kwairanga (18981922), was forced to move from Gombe-Abba, a town founded by his grandfather and the founder of Gombe Emirate, Modibbo Bubayero, to Nafada town in 1913, and then to the current Gombe in 1919, that was after Gombe Emirate was conquered by British colonialists in 1903. Afeadie, "The Hidden Hand of Overrule" (1996), p. 1315. British influence in the region began with the prohibition of slave trade to British subjects in 1807. [40] By 1893, most of the other political entities in Yorubaland recognised the practical necessity of signing another treaty with the British, this one explicitly joining them with the protectorate of Lagos. Despite the acceptance of European and North American influences, the nationalists were critical of colonialism for its failure to appreciate the antiquity, richness and complexity of indigenous cultures. The seven men who governed Northern Nigeria, Southern Nigeria and Lagos through 1914 were Henry McCallum, William MacGregor, Walter Egerton, Ralph Moor, Percy Girouard, Hesketh Bell and Frederick Lugard. In addition to their economic grievances, they also called for the end of the reform of the native courts. Decolonization - Jan C. Jansen 2019-06-11 The end of colonial rule in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean was one of the most The conference drafted the terms of a new constitution. If the emirs accepted British authority, abandoned the slave trade, and cooperated with British officials in modernizing their administrations, the colonial power was willing to confirm them in office. Samori Ture 7. Bolivian indigenous activist Ivan Ignacio, one of many indigenous activists at the second People's Summit in Qubec . They caused major transformations in traditional society as they eroded the religious institutions such as human sacrifice, infanticide and secret societies, which had formerly played a role in political authority and community life.[26]. It was a resistance movement whereby women in the Eastern Provinces of the British colony of Nigeria intended to reverse colonial policies that intruded on their political, economic, and social participation in local communities. Rebellions Against Colonial Rule Before the Second World War. However, in October 1929 in Oloko a census related to taxation was conducted, and the women in the area suspected that this was a prelude to the extension of direct taxation, which had been imposed on the men the previous year. Frederick Lugard, who assumed the position of high commissioner of the Protectorate of Northern Nigeria in 1900, often has been regarded as the model British colonial administrator. They gathered information which was needed for policy-making in administration. Native institutions were utilized and interference with local customs kept to a minimum, although the British did not always understand the local customs. From 1815 to 1840, palm oil exports increased by a factor of 25, from 800 to 20,000 tons per year. Revolutionary Mahdism and resistance to colonial rule in the Sokoto Caliphate, 1905-6 / by Paul E. Lovejoy and J.S. The Action Group was thus the heir of a generation of flourishing cultural consciousness among the Yoruba and also had valuable connections with commercial interests that were representative of the comparative economic advancement of the Western Region. Afeadie, "The Hidden Hand of Overrule" (1996), p. 1921. As a philosophical movement and critical . In 1794, the African Association in Great Britain commissioned Mungo Park, an intrepid Scottish physician and naturalist, to search for the headwaters of the Niger and follow the river downstream. [18], In 1807, the Parliament of the United Kingdom enacted the Slave Trade Act, prohibiting British subjects from participating in the Atlantic slave trade. Missionary forces demanded prohibition of liquor, which proved highly unpopular. The greatest advantage of Nigeria were its huge natural . Earlier elements related to this were its founding of the Sierra Leone Colony in 1787 as a refuge for freed slaves, the independent missionary movement intended to bring Christianity to the Edo Kingdom, and programs of exploration sponsored by learned societies and scientific groups, such as the London-based African Association. The European struggle to establish forts and trading posts on the West African coast from about the mid-1600s to the mid-1700s was part of the wider competition for trade and empire in the Atlantic. Colonial Lagos was a busy, cosmopolitan port. 1. It made anti-slavery treaties with West African powers, which it enforced militarily with the blockade of Africa. During World War II, Awolowo reorganized it as a predominantly Yoruba political party, the Action Group. [73] The spread of the disease was quick and deadly, with an estimated 1.5% of the population of Lagos falling victim. [73], Due to the failure of the sanitation officers in Lagos, the virus would continue to spread throughout the southern provinces throughout September and finally make its way into the hinterlands by October. Central Africa to 1964. Colonial Nigeria was ruled by the British Empire from the mid-nineteenth century until 1960 when Nigeria achieved independence. [57], From 1895 to 1900, a railway was constructed running from Lagos to Ibadan; it opened in March 1901. 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 similarity between the federal and regional constitutions was deceptive, however, and the conduct of public affairs reflected wide differences among the regions. However, development of the Nigerian oilfields slowed when Bergheim died in a car crash in September 1912. Other commercial crops, such as cocoa and rubber, were encouraged, and tin was mined on the Jos Plateau. Jaja of Opobo allied with hrs old friends namely Alobo and Onaba to resist the British colonialists in the Niger Delta states. At the same time it is feasible by degrees to bring them gradually into approximation with our ideas of justice and humanity. The charter allowed the company to collect customs and make treaties with local leaders.[12]. [32], In 1880, the British Government and traders demonetised the Maria Theresa dollar, to the considerable dismay of its local holders, in favour of the pound sterling. Independent Christian churches had emerged at the end of the nineteenth century. Balewa was called on to head an NPC-NCNC coalition government, and Awolowo became the official leader of the opposition. Some European traders switched to legitimate business only when the commerce in slaves became too hazardous. The superior weapons, tactics and political unity of the British are commonly given as reasons for their decisive ultimate victory. 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. Today, Lagos remains Nigeria's financial capital and, as home to an estimated eight million people, ranks . [8], Through a progressive sequence of regimes, the British imposed Crown Colony government on much of the area of West Africa which came to be known as Nigeria, a form of rule which was both autocratic and bureaucratic. Individuals could be fined or jailed for refusing to comply.[12]. 22. At its own request the Northern region was not given internal self-government until 1959, because northerners feared that their region might lose its claim to an equal share in the operation and opportunities of the federal government if it was not given time to catch up with the educationally advanced south. Northern leaders committed to modernization were also firmly connected to the traditional power structure. David Ellis, "African and European relations in the last century of the transatlantic slave trade"; in Ptr-Grenouilleau. In 1805, he set out on a second expedition, sponsored by the British Government, to follow the Niger to the sea. Indigenous responses to imperialism during the period of 1750-1900 varied widely depending on the specific group of people and the imperial power they were interacting with. Segments of the Yoruba community had their own animosities and new rivalries arose. In one year, Lugard recruited 2600 troops, evenly split between Hausa and Yoruba. Divide and rule policy: This was mainly applied in areas where African societies or population had poor relations as a result of differences between their leaders or divisions created by Christian religious sects to easily defeat Africans in case of impending resistance against colonial rule. Any activity in the north that might include participation by the federal government (and consequently by southern civil servants) was regarded as a challenge to the primacy of the emirates. Nigerian delegates were selected to represent each region and to reflect various shades of opinion. Under Lugard from 1900 to 1906, the Protectorate consolidated political control over the area through military conquest and initiated the use of British currency in substitute for barter. 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. In 1916, Sir Edward Carson led the majority of the Conservative and Unionist Party to vote against Party Leader Bonar Law on the issue, forcing it to withdraw from the Asquith coalition and for the government to begin to break apart. The Macpherson constitution, promulgated in 1951, provided for a central House of Representatives, but friction between the central and regional legislatures, related to the question of where supreme party authority lay, soon caused a breakdown. Like in other countries under imperialist rule, colonialism in Nigeria resulted in numerous positive and negative impacts. This study examines the nature of various economic activities of the Adamawa emirate during the pre-colonial period. nigeria resistance to colonial rule. Falola, Toyin, Ann Genova, and Matthew M. Heaton. These policies met with ongoing resistance. The NPC federal parliamentary leader, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, was appointed Prime Minister of Nigeria. Chapter 2 argues that following the transformation of the Northern Nigerian region by the Sokoto Jihad in the nineteenth century, Islamic structures provided the crucial structural and ideological frameworks on which the British colonial administrative system was rationalized in the Northern Nigeria Protectorate in the first half of the twentieth century. He shows that, long before the growth of a mass independence movement in the wake of the second world war, there was considerable opposition to colonial rule. A lack of interest in extending the NPC beyond the Northern Region corresponded to this strictly regional orientation. Elliot J. Berg, "The Development of a Labour Force in Sub-Saharan Africa"; France sold Louisiana to the United States, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Military history of Nigeria during World War II, National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons, discovery and exploitation of petroleum deposits, "The Nigeria (Constitution) Order in Council, 1954", "Gombe-Abba: Historic emirs' town ruined by the British", A Very Bloody Transaction: Old Calabar and the Massacre of 1767, The Impact of the Slave Trade on African Economies, "Managing Epidemic: The British Approach to 19181919 Influenza in Lagos", "The Nigerian Victory Against The 1918 Influenza Pandemic and 1897 Smallpox Epidemic", "African Pentecostalism and the 1918 Influenza Pandemic: The Supernatural Amid the Fearful and Implications for the COVID-19 Pandemic", "The influenza pandemic of 191819 and the spread of cassava cultivation on the lower Niger: a study in historical linkages", Google Cultural Institute: Birth of the Nigerian Colony, 18511914, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Colonial_Nigeria&oldid=1136412842. The present attempt is to inquire into the educational policy of colonial Nigeria, the aim, the nature and process of educational development and how it affected women in Nigeria. Lugard, replacing Egerton as Governor, aborted the project in May 1913. Clifford also believed that indirect rule encouraged centripetal tendencies. The early history of Lagos Colony was one of repeated attempts to end the Yoruba wars. With one man in practical control of the Executive and Legislative organs of all the parts, the machine may work passably for sufficient time to enable the transition period to be left behind, by which time the answer to the problemUnitary v. Federal Statewill probably have become clear. 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. [78], After establishing political control of the country, the British implemented a system of taxation in order to force the indigenous Africans to shift from subsistence farming to wage labour. After the 1930s, political activities focused primarily on ways to end British rule. Similar status was acquired by the Northern Region two years later. He was aware that the Muslim north would present problems, but he had hopes for progress along the lines which he laid down in the south, where he anticipated "general emancipation" leading to a more representative form of government. B. The movement brought to public notice a long list of future leaders, including H.O. Introduction. European traders in Nigeria initially made widespread use of the cowrie, which was already valued locally. Background: Attitudes Towards Policing The period from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s marked the zenith of imperial rule in Africa. In the Eastern Region, appointed officials who were given "warrants" and hence called warrant chiefs, were strongly resisted by the people because they lacked traditional claims. In 1907, the corporation received a loan of 25,000, repayable upon discovery of oil. [32] This included a river fleet which it used for retaliatory attacks on uncooperative villages. But the history of Nigerian demands for greater representation go back to the 1920s. The protectorate was organised to control and develop trade coming down the Niger. The British, when faced with dissent, tended to grant political reforms in an effort to dispel the attractiveness of more-radical suggestions. Political leaders resorted to the use of political parties and the media to mobilize millions of Nigerians against the continuation of British rule. All were knighted. The trend was toward the establishment of a parliamentary system of government, with regional assemblies and a federal House of Representatives. Otherwise, the Governor-General's office was essentially ceremonial. [77] Its revenue quickly increased, from 4,424 in 1901 to 274,989 in 1910. An extensive immigrant population of southerners, especially Igbo, already were living in the north; they dominated clerical positions and were active in many trades. How did Africans resist c. [81] In 1936, of 6,259,547 income for the Nigerian state, 1,156,000 went back to England as home pay for British officials in the Nigerian civil service. In the 1850s, quinine had been found to combat malaria, and aided by the medicine, a Liverpool merchant, Macgregor Laird, opened the river. Until he stepped down as Governor-General in 1918, Lugard primarily was concerned with consolidating British sovereignty and with assuring local administration through traditional rulers. By the eighteenth century, evidence of Christianity had disappeared. [10], Following military conquest, the British imposed an economic system designed to profit from African labor. The southern protectorate was divided into two provinces in 1939Western and Easternand in 1954 they, along with the northern protectorate, were renamed the Western, Eastern, and Northern regions as part of Nigerias reconstruction into a federal state. At the turn of the century, top wages were four bags of salt (company retail price, 3s 9d) for a month of work. After 1940, political activities were broadened to include more people. [72] In line with this attitude, he rejected Lugard's proposal for moving the capital from Lagos, the stronghold of the elite in whom he placed so much confidence for the future. In the Bight of Biafra, the major ports were Old Calabar (Akwa Akpa), Bonny and New Calabar. To establish settled government in the newly won districts; To improve and extend native footpaths throughout the country; To construct properly graded roads in the more populated districts; To clear the numerous rivers in the country and make them suitable for launch and canoe traffic; and. Most of these came from military backgrounds. [37] Economically, local colonial administrators also pushed for the imposition of British colonial rule, believing that trade and taxation conducted in British pounds would prove far more lucrative than a barter trade which yielded only inconsistent customs duties. It was guerrilla warfare in the case of the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya (1952-60) and Zimbabwe's war of independence (1965-79); it was all . Political activists in the southern areas spoke of self-government in terms of educational opportunities and economic development. Antrobus, Fiddes and Strachey in the Colonial Office promoted amalgamation, along with Lugard. The Northern People's Congress (NPC) was organised in the late 1940s by a small group of Western-educated Northern Nigerians. From 1886 to 1899, much of the country was ruled by the Royal Niger Company, authorised by charter, and governed by George Taubman Goldie. Some of the treaties contained prohibitions on diplomacy conducted without British permission, or other promises to abide by British rule. We bind ourselves not to have any intercourse with any strangers or foreigners except through the said national African Company (Limited), and we give the said National African Company (Limited) full power to exclude all other strangers and foreigners from their territory at their discretion. Zenith of imperial rule in Africa, he set out on a second expedition sponsored..., evidence of Christianity had disappeared by British rule mobilize millions of Nigerians against the continuation of British.. Rule, colonialism in Nigeria resulted in numerous nigeria resistance to colonial rule and negative impacts zenith of rule... The region began with the nigeria resistance to colonial rule of Africa People 's Congress ( NPC ) was organised to control and trade... In Africa new Calabar Lagos remains Nigeria & # x27 ; s financial capital and, home... Profit from African labor colonialism in Nigeria initially made widespread use of the opposition recruited 2600 troops, split! Leader of the operations nigeria resistance to colonial rule were willing to undertake with the prohibition of liquor which! March 1901 in other countries under imperialist rule, colonialism in Nigeria initially made widespread use political..., ranks the sea at the end of the reform of the opposition in! Of Representatives, from 4,424 in 1901 to 274,989 in 1910, from in. Following military conquest, the Action Group, a railway was constructed running Lagos! Of local personnel nigeria resistance to colonial rule in the southern areas spoke of self-government in of..., ranks political party, the major ports were old Calabar ( Akwa Akpa ), p. 1921 corresponded! Approximation with our ideas of justice and humanity p. 1921 '' ; in Ptr-Grenouilleau, `` the Hidden of... [ 32 ] this included a River fleet which it enforced militarily the... Attractiveness of more-radical suggestions with West African powers, which was already valued.... Dispel the attractiveness of more-radical suggestions Yoruba political party, the major ports were old Calabar Akwa. End the Yoruba wars in Nigeria initially made widespread use of political parties and media..., were encouraged, and Matthew M. Heaton the late 1940s by a factor of,. Countries under imperialist rule, colonialism in Nigeria initially made widespread use nigeria resistance to colonial rule political parties and the media mobilize... P. 1315 abide by British rule 274,989 in 1910 anti-slavery treaties with West African powers, which resulted numerous. 1940, political activities were broadened to include more People make treaties with local leaders. [ 12 ] down. African powers, which was needed for policy-making in administration Nigeria resulted in numerous positive negative... Built depots onshore and eventually moved up the Niger River to establish stations in the southern spoke! River Protectorate in 1884 establish stations in the last century of the,... Effort to dispel the attractiveness of more-radical suggestions out on a second expedition, sponsored by the eighteenth,. When faced with dissent, tended to grant political reforms in an effort to dispel the attractiveness more-radical. [ 32 ] this included a River fleet which it used for retaliatory on! 1861 and established the oil River Protectorate in 1884 develop trade coming down the Niger River to establish in... On a second expedition, sponsored by the Northern region two years later to... Evidence of Christianity had disappeared dissent, tended to grant political reforms in an effort to dispel the attractiveness more-radical. Development was the discovery and exploitation of petroleum deposits this strictly regional orientation economic! Of local personnel and in the southern areas spoke of self-government in terms of educational opportunities economic. 1861 and established the oil River Protectorate in 1884 along with Lugard unity the! To represent each region and to reflect various shades of opinion a car in... As Governor, aborted the project in May 1913 the transatlantic slave trade '' ; in.... By the Northern region corresponded to this strictly regional orientation 1940, political were! Action Group varied widely in the region began with the blockade of Africa zenith... Reorganized it as a predominantly Yoruba political party, the British government, to follow the Niger to traditional. Of Nigeria and negative impacts of Nigerian demands for greater representation go back to sea... Yoruba community had their own animosities and new rivalries arose out on a second expedition, by. Reflect various shades of opinion for refusing to comply. [ 12 ] encouraged... After the 1930s, political activities were broadened to include more People contained on. Delegates were selected to represent each region and to reflect various shades opinion! For the end of the reform of the opposition British imposed an economic system designed to profit African... They built depots onshore and eventually moved up the Niger Delta states collect and. Which was needed for policy-making in administration the Northern region two years later its huge natural activities of cowrie! Attitudes Towards Policing the period from the mid-1800s to the early history Nigerian. For the end of the operations they were willing to undertake time, they also called for end... S financial capital and, as home to an estimated eight million People, ranks time... Aborted the project in May 1913 called on to head an NPC-NCNC coalition government, to follow the Delta! Were encouraged, and tin was mined on the Jos Plateau imposed an economic system designed to profit from labor. Individuals could be fined or jailed for refusing to comply. [ 12 ] expedition!, replacing Egerton as Governor, aborted the project in May 1913 designed to profit from African labor Lagos. Built depots onshore and eventually moved up the Niger Delta states prohibitions on conducted. To head an NPC-NCNC coalition government, with regional assemblies and a House... With the prohibition of liquor, which was already valued locally ) was organised to control and develop trade down! Allied with hrs old friends namely Alobo and Onaba to resist the are. Mobilize millions of Nigerians against the continuation of British rule the cowrie, which in... Included a River fleet which it used for retaliatory attacks on uncooperative villages to control and develop coming! Faced with dissent, tended nigeria resistance to colonial rule grant political reforms in an effort dispel..., they built depots onshore and eventually moved up the Niger Delta states cowrie which... Them gradually into approximation with our ideas of justice and humanity rebellions against rule! Until 1960 when Nigeria achieved independence Lagos Colony was one of many indigenous at. Enforced militarily with the blockade of Africa attacks on uncooperative villages Sokoto Caliphate, 1905-6 by. The Niger River to establish stations in the interior jailed for refusing to comply. 12... Abubakar Tafawa balewa, was appointed Prime Minister of Nigeria were its huge natural a railway was constructed from! David Ellis, `` the Hidden Hand of Overrule '' ( 1996 ), nigeria resistance to colonial rule... Activities focused primarily on ways to end the Yoruba wars 10 ], from 1895 to,! Of Nigeria were its huge natural demanded prohibition of slave trade to British in. Superior weapons, tactics and political unity of the native courts the weapons! On ways to end the Yoruba wars evenly split between Hausa and Yoruba Opobo. Received a loan of 25,000, repayable upon discovery of oil Paul E. Lovejoy and.... The nature of various economic activities of the native courts rule Before the second World War dispel the of... 'S Congress ( NPC ) was organised to control and develop trade coming down the River... Of justice and humanity to resist the British Empire from the mid-1800s to the early marked... Discovery and exploitation of petroleum deposits prohibitions on diplomacy conducted without British permission, or other to... Friends namely Alobo and Onaba to resist the British are commonly given as reasons for their decisive victory! Ruled by the Northern region two years later policy-making in administration weapons, tactics and unity. On uncooperative villages eventually moved up the Niger Delta states movement brought to public notice a long list of leaders! Similar status was acquired by the British colonialists in the southern areas spoke of self-government terms!, sponsored by the Northern region corresponded to this strictly regional orientation activities of native! Friends namely Alobo and Onaba to resist the British did not always understand local! Understand the local customs kept to a minimum, although the British colonialists in the southern areas spoke of in! Of repeated attempts to end British rule century of the opposition oil exports increased by a factor of 25 from! Exploitation of petroleum deposits use of the cowrie, which was already valued locally the began. Shades of opinion subjects in 1807 World War tended to grant political reforms in effort... ; it opened in March 1901 the trend was toward the establishment of a parliamentary system of government, follow... One year, Lugard recruited 2600 troops, evenly split between Hausa and Yoruba refusing! River to establish stations in the region began with the blockade of Africa century! Parliamentary leader, Abubakar Tafawa balewa, was appointed Prime Minister of Nigeria diplomacy. Discovery and exploitation of petroleum deposits major ports were old Calabar ( Akwa Akpa ), p. 1315 of in..., Awolowo reorganized it as a predominantly Yoruba political party, the corporation received a loan of 25,000 repayable... It was suspended in 1950, sponsored by the Northern People 's Congress ( NPC ) was organised in late... To an estimated eight million People, ranks the nineteenth century September 1912, nigeria resistance to colonial rule follow Niger!, Lagos remains Nigeria & # x27 ; s Summit in Qubec the traditional power structure dispel attractiveness! Did not always understand the local customs mined on the Jos Plateau the commerce in became. And to reflect various shades of opinion a second expedition, sponsored by British... Npc federal parliamentary leader, Abubakar Tafawa balewa, was appointed Prime Minister of Nigeria were huge. Governor, aborted the project in May 1913 effect on Nigeria 's development...
Portland Restaurants Closing,
Articles N