factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria
In one year, Lugard recruited 2600 troops, evenly split between Hausa and Yoruba. [59], Lugard advocated constantly for the unification of the whole territory, and in August 1911 the Colonial Office asked Lugard to lead the amalgamated colony.[60]. British staffs in each region continued to operate according to procedures developed before unification. The approaches of the two men to colonial development were diametrically opposed. [72], The Influenza pandemic made its way to the port of Lagos by September 1918 by way of a number of ships including the SS Panayiotis, the SS Ahanti, and the SS Bida. By the 1870s the Niger trade was becoming profitable, and a few French companies took notice. [43][44] The British forces began annual pacification missions to convince the locals of British supremacy. British colony and protectorate from 1914 to 1960, Contemporary photograph of the same building, now housing the, Developments in colonial policy under Clifford, Emergence of Southern Nigerian nationalism, Constitutional conferences in the UK (195758), All of this section to this point is from. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to see among other things the British interest in the area referred to as Sokoto Caliphate, the crises and conflicts that ensued, the resistance put up by the people and the eventual conquest of the caliphate. The British turned to Persia for oil.[83]. However, development of the Nigerian oilfields slowed when Bergheim died in a car crash in September 1912. 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. While each generated considerable political controversy, they moved the country toward greater internal autonomy, with an increasing role for the political parties. [11][12], The amalgamation of different ethnic and religious groups into one federation created internal tension which persists in Nigeria to the present day.[13]. Whereas Lugard had applied lessons learned in the north to the administration of the south, Clifford was prepared to extend to the north practices that had been successful in the south. They had obtained the assent of the emirs to form a political party to counterbalance the activities of the southern-based parties. In 1805, he set out on a second expedition, sponsored by the British Government, to follow the Niger to the sea. Although lacking Azikiwe's compelling personality, Awolowo was a formidable debater as well as a vigorous and tenacious political campaigner. The Niger Delta and Calabar, which once had been known for the export of slaves, became notable for the export of palm oil. Open Document. [72] In the south, he saw the possibility of building an elite educated in schools modelled on a European method (and numerous elite children attended high-ranking colleges in Britain during the colonial years). PhD dissertation accepted at the Graduate Programme in History, York University, Ontario. 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. The superior weapons, tactics and political unity of the British are commonly given as reasons for their decisive ultimate victory. His political platform called for economic and educational development, Africanization of the civil service, and self-government for Lagos. The Conquest (La Conqute) is a term used to describe the acquisition of Canada by Great Britain during the Seven Years' War.It also refers to the resulting conditio Progressive constitutions after World War II provided for increasing representation and electoral government by Nigerians. To raise additional revenues, Lugard took steps to institute a uniform tax structure patterned on the traditional system that he had adopted in the north during his tenure there. The Industrial Revolution was a period of scientific and technological development in the 18th century that transformed largely rural, agrarian societiesespecially in Europe and North America . 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. Other commercial crops, such as cocoa and rubber, were encouraged, and tin was mined on the Jos Plateau. 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]. It backed Yoruba irredentism in the Fulani-ruled emirate of Ilorin in the Northern Region, and separatist movements among non-Igbo in the Eastern Region. The goal of activists initially was not self-determination, but increased participation on a regional level in the governmental process. 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. It represented a substantial element of reformism in the North. All these things which I have said the Fulani by conquest took the right to do now pass to the British. British Colonize Nigeria Essay - 979 Words | Bartleby The rapid expansion in exports, especially after 1830, occurred precisely at the time slave exports collapsed. Lugard, replacing Egerton as Governor, aborted the project in May 1913. ", Simon Heap, "'We think prohibition is a farce': drinking in the alcohol-prohibited zone of colonial northern Nigeria. In 1841 the British tried to settle some Egba on a model farm in Lokoja, but the plan was aborted because the mortality rate among European officials was so high. Industrial Revolution: Definition, Inventions & Dates - HISTORY One place that felt victim to this imperialism was Africa. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeriaturkish airlines flight 981 victims. One of the factors that contributed to the success of indirect rule in Northern Nigeria was the use of the existing traditional system of administration. Modern nationalists in the south, whose thinking was shaped by European ideas, opposed indirect rule, as they believed that it had strengthened what they considered an anachronistic ruling class and shut out the emerging Westernised elite. The NPC continued to represent the interests of the traditional order in the pre-independence deliberations. Britain also encouraged the formation of the Muslim League of India in 1907. 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. During World War II, Awolowo reorganized it as a predominantly Yoruba political party, the Action Group. Three constitutions were enacted from 1946 to 1954. [] They needed special personnel: such officials who knew the local conditions and who could communicate between the Company and the indigenous people. From 1790 to 1807, predominantly British slave traders purchased 1,0002,000 slaves each year in Lagos alone. The decrease in trade indirectly led to the collapse of states like the Edo Empire. 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. It assumed that comparable alterations would be made elsewhere, an attitude that won the party minority voting support in the other regions. Missionary forces demanded prohibition of liquor, which proved highly unpopular. As a protectorate, it did not have the status of a colony, so its officials were appointed by the Foreign Office and not by the Colonial Office. In 1920, portions of former German Cameroon were mandated to Britain by the League of Nations and were administered as part of Nigeria. Balewa was called on to head an NPC-NCNC coalition government, and Awolowo became the official leader of the opposition. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria 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. BRITISH CONQUEST, COLONIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION IN NIGERIA - ResearchGate In the main the following factors contributed to the growth of colonies: Firstly, in the first place the discovery of new lands encouraged the various colonies to establish their colonies there. This led to protests known as Women's War. This page was last edited on 30 January 2023, at 05:21. Nigeria: From Colonization To Decolonization | Afrolady There were three main factors that contributed to the European colonization Africa which were, political, social, and economic. It is not a personal union of separate colonies under the same Governor like the Windwards, it is not a Confederation of States. In 1950 Aminu Kano, who had been instrumental in founding the NPC, broke away to form the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU), in protest against the NPC's limited objectives and what he regarded as a vain hope that traditional rulers would accept modernization. Its residents were employed in official capacities and were active in business. British colonialism destroyed the Ndebele state at the end of the nineteenth century. French Roman Catholic missionaries, established in Ouidah (Whydah), arrived in Lagos and considered missionary work on the Niger. Broadening political participation and expanding educational opportunities and other social services also were viewed as threats to the status quo. One of the most effective tactics, the British used to take over most of India. As a practice, colonialism is traced to the1854 and 1855 conference at Berlin in Germany. Although per capita income in the country as a whole remained low by international standards, rising incomes among salaried personnel and burgeoning urbanization expanded consumer demand for imported goods. They were the most politically conscious segment of the population and created the vanguard of the nationalist movement. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria The council was promoted as a device for allowing the expression of opinions that could instruct the Governor-General. [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. The Colonial Office approved most of Lugard's plan, but balked at authorising him to pass laws without their approval. Clifford also believed that indirect rule encouraged centripetal tendencies. by How Africa 6 years ago. 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. The classic example in English history was the victory of the Parliament over the king. On 9 May 1913, Lugard submitted a formal proposal to the Colonial Office in which Northern and Southern provinces would have separate administrations, under the control of a "strongly authoritarian" Governor-General. Therefore, other factors exist to explain the institutional design. Britain subsequently lobbied other European powers to stop the slave trade as well. necessitated by several factors. . ", Helen Chapin Metz, ed. Adam Smith wrote in 1776 that the African societies were better established and more populous than those of the Americas, thus creating a more formidable barrier to European expansion. [23] Regardless, slavery had decimated the population and fuelled militarisation and chaos, thereby paving the way for more aggressive colonisation.[21][24]. The history of external colonisation of Africa can be divided into two stages: Classical antiquity and European colonialism. [54] Olivier was a member of the Fabian Society and a friend of George Bernard Shaw. In an economy with many qualified applicants for every post, great resentment was generated by any favouritism that authorities showed to members of their own ethnic group. In practice, British administrative procedures under indirect rule entailed constant interaction between colonial authorities and local rulersthe system was modified to fit the needs of each region. During the war, the colonial government earmarked a large portion of the Nigerian budget as a contribution to imperial defence. 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. In the 1920s, Nigerians began to form a variety of associations, such as professional and business associations, like the Nigerian Union of Teachers; the Nigerian Law Association, which brought together lawyers, many of whom had been educated in Britain; and the Nigerian Produce Traders' Association, led by Obafemi Awolowo. The most powerful figure in the party was Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto. 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. A lack of interest in extending the NPC beyond the Northern Region corresponded to this strictly regional orientation. Lord Lugard recorded a huge success mainly because he used the highly developed traditional system of administration that was already in existence in the Northern Nigeria. The British colonial agricultural and industrial policies in Nigeria have implications for the country's economic advancement. The superior weapons, tactics and political unity of the British are commonly given as reasons for their decisive . Some European traders switched to legitimate business only when the commerce in slaves became too hazardous. The NPC federal parliamentary leader, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, was appointed Prime Minister of Nigeria. An example was that at Onitsha, where they could bargain directly with local suppliers and purchase products likely to turn a profit. The economy suffered from the decline in the slave trade, although considerable smuggling of slaves to the Americas continued for years afterward. The cleavage between the Yoruba and the Igbo was accentuated by their competition for control of the political machinery. How Britain Conquered And Created Nigeria - Politics - Nigeria - Nairaland [32] This included a river fleet which it used for retaliatory attacks on uncooperative villages. In 1912, Lugard returned to Nigeria from his six-year term as Governor of Hong Kong, to oversee the merger of the northern and southern protectorates. 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. 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. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeriacan low magnesium kill you. In the north Frederick Lugard, the first high commissioner of Northern Nigeria, was instrumental in subjugating the Fulani emirs. "The Hidden Hand of Overrule: Political Agents and the Establishment of British Colonial Rule in Northern Nigeria, 18861914". The Fulani conquest and rule of the Hausa Kingdom of Northern Nigeria In pursuance of the above general principles the chief civil officers of the provinces are to be called Residents which implies one who carries on diplomatic relations rather than Commissioners or Administrators. [19][41], In 18961897 the forces of the Niger Coast Protectorate fought with the remnants of the Edo Empire. The rapid growth of organised labour in the 1940s also brought new political forces into play. Bello wanted to protect northern social and political institutions from southern influence. Seven Years' War | The Canadian Encyclopedia West Africa | International Encyclopedia of the First World War (WW1) By extending the elective principle and by providing for a central government with a Council of Ministers, the Macpherson Constitution gave renewed impetus to party activity and to political participation at the national level. The choice of political elite at the time of independence can also explain these differences. In contrast, the British pursued comparatively limited settlement and institutional transformation in the more populous and more politically and economically developed preco-lonial areas. Despite his somewhat successful efforts to enlist non-Yoruba support, the regionalist sentiment that had stimulated the party initially continued. The election of the House of Representatives after the adoption of the 1954 constitution gave the NPC a total of seventy-nine seats, all from the Northern Region.