The British encouraged this secession, worsening the war even further. In 1900, the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and Northern Nigeria Protectorate passed from company hands to the Crown. 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]. France sold Louisiana to the United States in 1803, the same year that it gave up on trying to regain Saint-Domingue from the Haitian Revolution. 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. [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. [56], Walter Egerton's sixfold agenda for 1908, as detailed on 29 November 1907, in a telegram to the Colonial Office, is representative of British priorities. Afeadie, Philip Atsu. British exploitation of their fatherland. In 1894 the territory was redesignated the Niger Coast Protectorate and was expanded to include the region from Calabar to Lagos Colony and Protectorate, including the hinterland, and northward up the Niger River as far as Lokoja, the headquarters of the Royal Niger Company. The principal figure in the political activity that ensued was Herbert Macauley, often referred to as the father of Nigerian nationalism. British colonialism led to the spread of the English language in Africa, and many former British colonies still maintain English as an official language. Public works, such as harbour dredging and road and railway construction, opened Nigeria to economic development. The approaches of the two men to colonial development were diametrically opposed. [65], Half of all taxes went to the colonial government and half went to the Native Treasury. It continued to enjoy special privileges and maintained a de facto monopoly over commerce. By 1938 the NYM was agitating for dominion status within the British Commonwealth of Nations so that Nigeria would have the same status as Canada and Australia. To reduce costs, Lagos was administered first from Freetown in Sierra Leone, along with Gold Coast forts such as Elmina, and later from Accra (in present-day Ghana); only in 1886 did Lagos become a separate colony. They noticed something odd about the local fishermen and asked to come ashore. [82], Oil exploration began in 1906 under John Simon Bergheim's Nigeria Bitumen Corporation, to which the Colonial Office granted exclusive rights. 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. Although Azikiwe later came to be recognised as the leading spokesman for national unity, when he first returned from university training in the United States, his outlook was pan-African rather than nationalist, and emphasised the common African struggle against European colonialism. mitchelville beach house. In the immediate post-World War II period, Nigeria benefited from a favourable trade balance. The Resident also oversaw a Provincial Court at the region's capital. To some extent, competition amongst these companies undermined their collective position vis--vis, local merchants. The Colony was ultimately governed by the British Colonial Office in London. All were knighted. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria. [73] In direct reaction to the epidemic, colonial authorities allowed African doctors and medical personnel to work with influenza patients due to the severity of the situation. Three of these posts were assigned to representatives from each region, and one was reserved for a delegate from the Northern Cameroons. The Journal of Modern African Studies, 8(04), 563. doi:10.1017/s0022278x00023909. In-text citation: European slave trading from West Africa began before 1650, with people taken at a rate of about 3,000 per year. When direct Portuguese contacts in the region were withdrawn, however, the influence of the Catholic missionaries waned. The British finalized the border between Nigeria and French West Africa with the Anglo-French Convention of 1898. 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. From 1815 to 1840, palm oil exports increased by a factor of 25, from 800 to 20,000 tons per year. 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. In the Bight of Biafra, the major ports were Old Calabar (Akwa Akpa), Bonny and New Calabar. . 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. In one year, Lugard recruited 2600 troops, evenly split between Hausa and Yoruba. It was colonized by the British in 1884 and the colony is established at the Berlin conference which divides Africa by European powers. The Sokoto jihad and the Yoruba wars stimulated the slave trade at a time when the British were actively trying to stop it. NEPU formed a parliamentary alliance with the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC). These schools would teach "the basic principles that would and should regulate character and conduct". The movement soon assumed both religious and national characteristics. The conference is popularly called "The Berlin Conference". So, how did Europeans end up in Africa? The war was between the Republic of Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a secessionist nation that had declared independence from Nigeria. The southern nationalists were inspired by a variety of sources, including such prominent American-based activists as Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. British expansion accelerated in the last decades of the nineteenth century. The superior weapons, tactics and political unity of the British are commonly given as reasons for their decisive . Ethnic and kinship organisations that often took the form of a tribal union also emerged in the 1920s. 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. 12 tribes of israel family tree; why did poseidon often adopt the shape of a steed. The NPC federal parliamentary leader, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, was appointed Prime Minister of Nigeria. The Governor-General represented the British monarch as head of state and was appointed by the Crown on the advice of the Nigerian prime minister in consultation with the regional premiers. A lack of interest in extending the NPC beyond the Northern Region corresponded to this strictly regional orientation. The Action Group was largely the creation of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, General Secretary of Egbe Omo Oduduwa and leader of the Nigerian Produce Traders' Association. "Nigerian Forces Comforts Fund, 19401947: 'The Responsibility of the Nigerian Government to Provide Funds for the Welfare of Its Soldiers'. During the war, the colonial government earmarked a large portion of the Nigerian budget as a contribution to imperial defence. As a further step toward independence, the Governor's Executive Council was merged with the Council of Ministers in 1957 to form the all-Nigerian Federal Executive Council. With this victory, the British went on to conquer the rest of Yorubaland, which had also been weakened by sixteen years of civil war. The British High Commissioners could depose emirs and other officials if necessary. The factors that led to the colonization of africa by the europeans. Three years later internal divisions arose that was dominated by major ethnic loyalties. 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. Facebook Instagram Email. [10], Following military conquest, the British imposed an economic system designed to profit from African labor. The nationalism that became a political factor in Nigeria during the interwar period derived both from an older political particularism and broad pan-Africanism, rather than from any sense among the people of a common Nigerian nationality. Most of the fighting was done by Hausa soldiers, recruited to fight against other groups. Colonial Nigeria was ruled by the British Empire from the mid-nineteenth century until 1960 when Nigeria achieved independence. The Colonial Office approved most of Lugard's plan, but balked at authorising him to pass laws without their approval. Every Sultan and Emir and the principal officers of state will be appointed by the high Commissioner throughout all this country. Beecroft was the British representative to Fernando Po, where the African Slave Trade Patrol of the Royal Navy was stationed. Because of the spread of mission schools and wealth derived from export crops, the southern parties were committed to policies that would benefit the south of the country. The political parties jockeyed for positions of power in anticipation of the independence of Nigeria. [43][44] The British forces began annual pacification missions to convince the locals of British supremacy. Regional administrations also varied widely in the quality of local personnel and in the scope of the operations they were willing to undertake. The delegation was led by Balewa of the NPC and included party leaders Awolowo of the Action Group, Azikiwe of the NCNC, and Bello of the NPC; they were also the premiers of the Western, Eastern and Northern regions, respectively. 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. [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. Most accounts of Nigeria's colonisation were written by British officials, presenting it as a noble civilising mission to rid Africans of barbaric superstition and corrupt tribal leadership. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria. Unification meant only the loose affiliation of three distinct regional administrations into which Nigeria was subdividedNorthern, Western and Eastern regions. The British led a series of military campaigns to enlarge its sphere of influence and expand its commercial opportunities. These were the Agent-General, the Senior Judicial Officer, and the Commandant of the Constabulary. In February 1961, a plebiscite was conducted to determine the disposition of the Southern Cameroons and Northern Cameroons, which were administered by Britain as United Nations Trust Territories. By the end of the Napoleonic Wars, it ended slavery in its possessions. British colonialism destroyed the Ndebele state at the end of the nineteenth century. The palm oil trade was also linked to the Sokoto jihad and the Yoruba wars, because many warriors recognized the importance of slaves not only as soldiers and producers of food to feed soldiers but additionally as producers of palm oil to trade for European dane guns and other goods. Colonialism is both a practice and a word that means so much to Nigeria. Columbus, in his voyage, sought fame and fortune, as did his Spanish sponsors. [74] The disease first found its home among the many trading ports along the West African coast. Imperialism, or the extension of one nation-state's domination or control over territory outside its own boundaries, peaked in the 19th century as European powers extended their holdings around the world. Political activists in the southern areas spoke of self-government in terms of educational opportunities and economic development. Afeadie, "The Hidden Hand of Overrule" (1996), p. 1719. [75] The colonial government was not equipped nor ready in general for such a situation. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 1991. The receding British presence enabled local officials and politicians to gain access to patronage over government jobs, funds for local development, market permits, trade licenses, government contracts, and even scholarships for higher education. Nigerian recruits participated in the war effort as labourers and soldiers. Its final leg enabled it to meet another line, constructed 19071911, running from Baro, through Minnia, to Kano. [19] This scenario provided an opportunity for naval expeditions and reconnaissance throughout the region. In the name of liberating the Igbos from the Aro Confederacy, the British launched the Anglo-Aro War of 19011902. During World War II, Awolowo reorganized it as a predominantly Yoruba political party, the Action Group. Free shipping for many products! Alan Lennox-Boyd, M.P., the British Secretary of State for the Colonies. 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. This led to protests known as Women's War. Order. Although lacking Azikiwe's compelling personality, Awolowo was a formidable debater as well as a vigorous and tenacious political campaigner. Offers a bold rethink: a clear-eyed, unromanticized history of colonial Nigeria written by a Nigerian. Though the Europeans possess many considerable settlements both upon the coast of Africa and in the East Indies, they have not yet established in either of those countries such numerous and thriving colonies as those in the islands and continent of America. [58], Some of these public work projects were accomplished with the help of forced labour from native black Africans, referred to as "Political Labour". In the early stages of British rule, it is desirable to retain the native authority and to work through and by the native emirs. Goods were made available on credit to African middlemen, who were expected to trade them at a pre-arranged price and deliver the proceeds to the company. David Ellis, "African and European relations in the last century of the transatlantic slave trade"; in Ptr-Grenouilleau. [11], Britain's imperialistic posture became more aggressive towards the end of the century. Its architecture was in both Victorian and Brazilian style, as many of the black elite were English-speakers from Sierra Leone and freedmen repatriated from the Empire of Brazil and Spanish Cuba. The CMS initially promoted Africans to responsible positions in the mission field; for instance, they appointed Samuel Ajayi Crowther as the first Anglican Bishop of the Niger. 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. Retrieved October 11, 2014 from. In the north, appeals to Islamic legitimacy upheld the rule of the emirs, so that nationalist sentiments were related to Islamic ideals. The Delta streams were called "oil rivers". But by providing for comparable regional governments exercising broad legislative powers, which could not be overridden by the newly established 185-seat federal House of Representatives, the Macpherson Constitution also gave a significant boost to regionalism. British Prime Minister Lord Palmerston detested slavery, and in 1851 he took advantage of divisions in native politics, the presence of Christian missionaries, and the maneuvers of British consul John Beecroft to encourage the overthrow of the regime. Therefore, other factors exist to explain the institutional design. The superior weapons, tactics and political unity of the British are commonly given as reasons for their decisive ultimate victory. They were helped by two major factors; the discovery of quinine as a preventive drug against malaria and the armory the British possess which was superior compared to those of the Nigerians. In Europe, Britain sent troops to help its ally, Prussia, which was surrounded by its enemies. Direct taxation on men was introduced in 1928 without major incidents. British expansion was conducted primarily by commercialists and resulted in more solid economic potential than the French endeavor (Crowder, 1990). Northern leaders committed to modernization were also firmly connected to the traditional power structure. In contrast, the British pursued comparatively limited settlement and institutional transformation in the more populous and more politically and economically developed preco-lonial areas. Nigerian delegates were selected to represent each region and to reflect various shades of opinion. Rather than seeing themselves as Zulu, Xhoasa, Sotho, etc, nationalist leaders wanted Africans to view themselves as South Africans. Kingdoms and empires of precolonial Nigeria, Controversies surrounding the 2007 presidential election, Nigeria under Umaru Musa YarAdua and Goodluck Jonathan, The 2015 elections and electorate concerns, Recession, fight against corruption, and insecurity, Which Country Is Larger By Population? [11], By the 1880s, the National African Company became the dominant commercial power, increasing from 19 to 39 stations between 1882 and 1893. The conquest was personal to William. A "house" included the extended family of the trader, including retainers and slaves. The Nigerian Civil War is also known as the Nigerian-Biafran war and took place between July 1967 and January 1970. The British captured Kano in 1903. The boundaries of the two protectorates and the territories of the Royal Niger Company were difficult to define, but the tension was eased in 1894 when both entities were merged into the Niger Coast Protectorate. FACTORS THAT LED TO NATIONALISM IN NIGERIA. But in the 1700s, the Bight of Benin (also known as the Slave Coast) became the next most important hub. Consequently, he may well deserve the epithet of the "father of Nigeria", which historians accorded him. The company received 865,000 compensation for the loss of its Charter. All these things which I have said the Fulani by conquest took the right to do now pass to the British. Early nationalists tended to ignore Nigeria as the focus of patriotism. 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. Its residents were employed in official capacities and were active in business. 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. These seven factors led to the development of the slave trade: The importance of the West Indian colonies The shortage of labour The. Recovery came quickly and improvements in port facilities and the transportation infrastructure during World War I furthered economic development. 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. It, therefore, hired native intermediaries who could conduct diplomacy, trade and intelligence work in the local area. After the defection of Kano, the only significant disagreement within the NPC was related to moderates. The appointment of Joseph Chamberlain as colonial secretary in 1895 especially marked a shift towards new territorial ambitions of the British Empire. Sir Richmond Palmer, acting as Lieutenant Governor in the North, disagreed with Clifford and advocated the principles of Lugard and further decentralisation. 1833 - The abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire. By the eighteenth century, evidence of Christianity had disappeared. Awolowo had little difficulty in appealing to broad segments of the Yoruba population, but he worked to avoid the Action Group from being stigmatized as a "tribal" group. Despite his somewhat successful efforts to enlist non-Yoruba support, the regionalist sentiment that had stimulated the party initially continued. In the north, for instance, legislation took the form of a decree cosigned by the Governor and the emir, while in the south, the Governor sought the approval of the Legislative Council. ", Helen Chapin Metz, ed. The history of external colonisation of Africa can be divided into two stages: Classical antiquity and European colonialism. [79][80], Much of the colony's budget went to payments of its military, the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF). Economic competition among these "houses" was so fierce that trade often erupted into an armed battle between the crews of the large canoes. Herbert Richmond Palmer developed details of this model from 1906 to 1911 as the Governor of Northern Nigeria after Lugard.[66]. brighton grey motion loveseat; waterford, ct obituaries; jane wymark children. The conquest and colonization of the Nigerian territory stirring up nationalist sentiments among the few educated elements mostly foreign educated Africans and liberated slaves, and later African students in Britain. [57], Egerton also supervised improvements to the Lagos harbour and extension of the local telegraph network. PhD dissertation accepted at the Graduate Programme in History, York University, Ontario. Local rulers continued to administer their territories, but consular authorities assumed jurisdiction for the equity courts established earlier by the foreign mercantile communities. 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. Rivalry between the Royal Niger Company and the Lagos Protectorate over the boundary between the emirate of Ilorin and the empire of Ibadan was resolved with the abrogation of the charter of the Royal Niger Company on January 1, 1900, in return for wide mineral concessions. Although the capital was not moved, Lugard's bias in favour of the Muslim north was clear at the time. A constabulary force was raised and used to pacify the coastal area. The British turned to Persia for oil.[83]. ", Tamuno, T. N. (1970). British soap and cosmetics manufacturers tried to obtain land concessions for growing oil palms, but these were refused. . From January 1914 onwards, the newly united colony and protectorate was presided over by a proconsul, who was entitled the Governor-General of Nigeria. [67], This system, in which the structure of authority focused on the emir to whom obedience was a mark of religious devotion, did not welcome change. The mud-walled city of Kano was captured in February, and, after a vigorous skirmish at Kotorkwashi, the sultans capital, Sokoto, fell the next month. British colonialism created Nigeria, joining diverse peoples and regions in an artificial political entity along the Niger River. "John Beecroft, 17901854: Her Brittanic Majesty's Consul to the Bights of Benin and Biafra 18491854". Clifford emphasized economic development, encouraging enterprises by immigrant southerners in the north while restricting European participation to capital intensive activity. The essential basis of this system was a money economyspecifically the British pound sterlingwhich could be demanded through taxation, paid to cooperative natives, and levied as a fine. Despite conquering villages by burning houses and crops, continual political control over the Igbo remained elusive. Crowther was succeeded as bishop by a British cleric. Instead, the companies had to be content with a monopoly of the export trade in these products. An example was that at Onitsha, where they could bargain directly with local suppliers and purchase products likely to turn a profit. They invited missionaries to follow them and, in the 1840s, made themselves available as agents who allowed missionaries and British traders to gain access to such places as Lagos, Abeokuta, Calabar, Lokoja, Onitsha, Brass, and Bonny. Significantly, the regional governments controlled public expenditures derived from revenues raised within each region. Ever since, the north-south divide has dominated the politics of independent Nigeria. 1) Lack of British Personnel: Obviously Nigeria was not the only West African country colonized by the British, other countries like Ghana, Sierra-Leone and The Gambia were part of the British colonies. Africans come from Africa. In 1890, a group of adventurers known as the Pioneer Column, sponsored by South African-based British arch-imperialist Cecil John Rhodes, occupied Zimbabwe and claimed the country for the British. Laird's efforts were stimulated by the detailed reports of a pioneer German explorer, Heinrich Barth, who travelled through much of Borno and the Sokoto Caliphate, where he recorded information about the region's geography, economy and inhabitants. In this way Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowtherborn in the Yoruba-inhabited area of Oshogbo and the first African ordained by the CMSwas able to establish mission stations at Onitsha, Lokoja, and Eggan and later at Brass and Bonny. In the long term, the acceptance of Christianity by large numbers of Nigerians depended on the various denominations adapting to local conditions. The Niger Delta and Calabar, which once had been known for the export of slaves, became notable for the export of palm oil. 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. Borno capitulated without a fight, but in 1903 Lugard's RWAFF mounted assaults on Kano and Sokoto. [9] Administration and military control of the territory was conducted primarily by white Britons, both in London and in Nigeria. Colonial official A. J. Harding commented in 1913: Sir F. Lugard's proposal contemplates a state which it is impossible to classify. A people with no knowledge of their past would suffer from collective amnesia, groping blindly into the future without guide-posts of precedence to shape their course. They gathered information which was needed for policy-making in administration. In all three regions, minority parties represented the special interests of ethnic groups, especially as they were affected by the majority. [31], Captain John Glover, the colony's administrator, created a militia of Hausa troops in 1861. Dike, K. O. The yoruba-Igbo rivalry became increasingly important in Nigerian politics. Most of the fighting was done by Hausa soldiers, recruited to fight against other groups. A Hurst Publication. Officials of the Sokoto Caliphate considered these treaties quite differently; from their perspective, the British were granted only extraterritorial rights that did not prevent similar arrangements with the Germans and the French and certainly did not surrender sovereignty.