This video gives a detailed explanation of Colonial rule in Africa, as it answers the questions: Why did Europeans colonize africa? Public works, such as harbour dredging and road and railway construction, opened Nigeria to economic development. The Northern People's Congress (NPC) was organised in the late 1940s by a small group of Western-educated Northern Nigerians. The British captured Kano in 1903. 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. The most important innovations in the new charter reinforced the dual course of constitutional evolution, allowing for both regional autonomy and federal union. This led to protests known as Women's War. 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. took careful account of Islam and avoided any appearance of a challenge to traditional values that might incite resistance to British rule. Demanding immediate self-government, the Action Group was opposed by the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC), which was composed largely of northerners and headed by several leaders, including Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. After 1900, Europe began to introduce changes to colonial rule in an effort to increase revenues from the colonies. 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. Before the discovery of oil in 1956, Nigeria's resources were the main focus for the British Empire, and this was primarily because Nigeria was rich in agricultural wealth and other natural resources, such as rubber and copper. 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. Elections were held for a new and greatly enlarged House of Representatives in December 1959; 174 of the 312 seats were allocated to the Northern Region on the basis of its larger population. Mordi, Emmanuel Nwafor. 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. The Colonial Era (1882-1960) British colonialism began under the pretense of policing the slave trade. After the Berlin Conference of 1884, Britain announced the formation of the Oil Rivers Protectorate, which included the Niger Delta and extended eastward to Calabar, where the British Consulate General was relocated from Fernando Po. In an era of globalization, leaders of "recognized" nations often discuss the development of indigenous resources without inviting aboriginal leaders to the table. Nigeria (/ n a d r i / ny-JEER-ee-), officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa.It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea to the south in the Atlantic Ocean.It covers an area of 923,769 square kilometres (356,669 sq mi), and with a population of over 225 million, it is the most populous country in Africa, and the world's . Others refused recruitment into colonial armies or labor forces.Jun 20 2017. In all three regions, minority parties represented the special interests of ethnic groups, especially as they were affected by the majority. [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. This system, in which the structure of authority focused on the emir to . The colony was created through the consolidation of the Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria and the Northern Nigeria Protectorate. Otherwise, the Governor-General's office was essentially ceremonial. 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. The British accomplished the colonization by using its military. By the mid-1940s, the major ethnic groups had formed such associations as the Igbo Federal Union and the Egbe Omo Oduduwa (Society of the Descendants of Oduduwa), a Yoruba cultural movement, in which Awolowo played a leading role. "The agents performed similar but more expansive roles as their Company counterparts. He insisted on maintaining the territorial integrity of the Northern Region. Significantly, the regional governments controlled public expenditures derived from revenues raised within each region. Early British Imperialism. Although it reserved effective power in the hands of the Governor-General and his appointed Executive Council, the so-called Richards Constitution (after Governor-General Sir Arthur Richards, who was responsible for its formulation) provided for an expanded Legislative Council empowered to deliberate on matters affecting the whole country. There were numerous differences of detail among the regional systems, but all adhered to parliamentary forms and were equally autonomous in relation to the Nigerian federal government at Lagos. [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. This primary resistance was not unified and centered, yet it allowed understanding that the colonial rule and the presence of Europeans in Africa were negative (Chamberlain 89). Menelik II, emperor of Ethiopia, led his army to accomplish this unique feat in March 1896, defeating General Oreste Baratieri's Italian . [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. 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. In April 1927, the British colonial government in Nigeria took measures to enforce the Native Revenue (Amendment) Ordinance. Throughout this period of reign, many changes were made to their . Nigerians also requested more political representation. Afeadie, "The Hidden Hand of Overrule" (1996), p. 1213. I will be dealing almost exclusively with the areas of East and Central Africa - Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe - where a more or less coherent debate can be seen. British business interests wanted to use this to create a monopoly over the industry, but Prime Minister H. H. Asquith's Liberal government and subsequent war coalition favored allowing international free trade. [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. A more representative system did not appear until 1946, when each geographic group of provinces had its own House of Assembly, with a majority of nonofficial (though not yet all elected) members; there were also a House of Chiefs and, in Lagos, a central Legislative Council. After the British government assumed direct control of the Royal Niger Companys territories, the northern areas were renamed the Protectorate of Northern Nigeria, and the land in the Niger delta and along the lower reaches of the river was added to the Niger Coast Protectorate, which was renamed the Protectorate of Southern Nigeria. In the early stages of British rule, it is desirable to retain the native authority and to work through and by the native emirs. Alan Lennox-Boyd, M.P., the British Secretary of State for the Colonies. By the 1820s, the British had made connections . British influence in the Niger area increased gradually over the 19th century, but Britain did not effectively occupy the area until 1885. The council was promoted as a device for allowing the expression of opinions that could instruct the Governor-General. Nigerian recruits participated in the war effort as labourers and soldiers. Balewa formed a coalition government that included the Action Group as well as the NCNC to prepare the country for the final British withdrawal. British and French traders did a large share of this business until 1807 when they were replaced by the Portuguese and the Spaniards. The most important of these was a near fetish with indirect rule that was supposed to facilitate a cheap and effective ruling strategy. Economic Impact The [] He aroused political awareness through his newspaper, the Lagos Daily News. In large measure, European missionaries assumed the value of colonial rule in terms of promoting education, health and welfare measures, thereby effectively reinforcing colonial policy. This study examines the nature of various economic activities of the Adamawa emirate during the pre-colonial period. 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. 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. Despite his somewhat successful efforts to enlist non-Yoruba support, the regionalist sentiment that had stimulated the party initially continued. Discover how the Mandinka Empire, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and Nigeria resisted European colonists and the impact each conflict had. Non-violent Resistance - In the Year of African Independence, 1961, 17 countries declared themselves independent of colonial powers, most of them non-violently, through protest and/or negotiation . Nigeria Lugard and Indirect Rule. 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. The protectorate was organised to control and develop trade coming down the Niger. The experiment began in 1890 and was repealed in 1939,[71]. The Nigerian Resistance. 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. In 1929, this incident in Nigeria later became one of the reasons for the fight against colonial rule in Africa A) The Nigerian Oil crisis B) The Aba Women's Revolt C) . 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 Treasury used a planned budget for payment of staff and development of public works projects, and therefore could not be spent at the discretion of the local traditional ruler. If adopted, his proposals can hardly be a permanent solution and I gather that Sir F. Lugard only regards them as temporaryat any rate in part. We also understand that the said National African Company (limited) have full power to mine, farm, and build in any portion of our territory. The incidence of slavery in local societies increased. Alienated by the anonymity of the urban environment and drawn together by ties to their ethnic homelandsas well as by the need for mutual aidthe new city dwellers formed local clubs that later expanded into federations covering whole regions. . In the twentieth century, Lagos became a center for resistance to colonial rule. [29] His servant, Richard Lander, and Lander's brother John were the ones to demonstrate that the Niger flowed into the sea. A "house" included the extended family of the trader, including retainers and slaves. The southern nationalists were inspired by a variety of sources, including such prominent American-based activists as Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. During the war, the colonial government earmarked a large portion of the Nigerian budget as a contribution to imperial defence. Afeadie, Philip Atsu. Although realistic in its assessment of the situation in Nigeria, the Richards Constitution undoubtedly intensified regionalism as an alternative to political unification. Lugard's governmental model for Nigeria was unique and there was apparently not much planning for its future development. [25][n 1], The missionaries gained in power throughout the 1800s. 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. In the meantime, public sector spending increased even more dramatically than export earnings. Balewa was called on to head an NPC-NCNC coalition government, and Awolowo became the official leader of the opposition. 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. Trained as an army officer, he had served in India, Egypt and East Africa, where he expelled Arab slave traders from Nyasaland and established British presence in Uganda. [19] Although the Ijebu had some weapons they were wiped out by British Maxims, the earliest machine gun. [64], Each region also had a Native Administration, staffed by locals, and possessing a Native Treasury. [11], By the 1880s, the National African Company became the dominant commercial power, increasing from 19 to 39 stations between 1882 and 1893. Nigeria became an independent state on the October 1, 1960 after being a British colony for over 40 years. In fact, while the southern delegates pressed for 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. Like in other countries under imperialist rule, colonialism in Nigeria resulted in numerous positive and negative impacts. The said National African Company (Limited) bind themselves to protect the said King and Chiefs from the attacks of any neighbouring tribes (Ibid.). The greatest advantage of Nigeria were its huge natural . From 1790 to 1807, predominantly British slave traders purchased 1,0002,000 slaves each year in Lagos alone. resistance to British invasion and colonial rule so as to close that vacuum created by the 'majority syndrome' approach. At the same time it is feasible by degrees to bring them gradually into approximation with our ideas of justice and humanity. Revolts took place across Nigeria, but were most frequent in the Niger Delta. [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. Much of the human trafficking which occurred there was nominally illegal, and records from this time and place are not comprehensive. Another court was established in 1856 at Calabar, based on an agreement with local Efik traders which prohibited them from interfering with British merchants. 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. vestigation of the forms of primary resistance by Africans to the impo-sition of colonial rule in the classic period of European imperialism, say from 1880 to 1914. In 1922 Kamerun was divided under a League of Nations mandate between France and Britain, Britain administering its area within the government of Nigeria; after 1946 the mandated areas were redesignated as a United Nations (UN) trust territory. In 1900, the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and Northern Nigeria Protectorate passed from company hands to the Crown. British colonialism created Nigeria, but did little to make it a viable, stable, self-sustaining national entity. In her . It, therefore, hired native intermediaries who could conduct diplomacy, trade and intelligence work in the local area. It was not a walk over for the British to conquer Nigeria, some individuals and groups resisted the imposition of colonial rule. By the 1950s, there were organized nationalist parties that demanded political independence in almost every colony in Africa. These were the Agent-General, the Senior Judicial Officer, and the Commandant of the Constabulary. Olatunji Ojo, "The Organization of the Atlantic Slave Trade in Yorubaland, ca.1777 to ca.1856", Bouda Etemad, "Economic relations between Europe and Black Africa, Giles D. Short, "Blood and Treasure: The reduction of Lagos, 1851", "Northern Nigeria: The Illo Canceller and Borgu Mail" by Ray Harris in. NEPU formed a parliamentary alliance with the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC). Macaulay was despised by the British, but he came to be regarded as the father of modern Nigerian nationalism.. In case of resistance by one of its friends the other would join hands to mount formidable resistance against colonial rule e.g. His mission failed, but Park and his party covered more than 1,500 kilometres (930mi), passing through the western portions of the Sokoto Caliphate, before drowning when their boats overturned in rapids near Bussa. Men such as Balewa believed that only by overcoming political and economic backwardness could the NPC protect the foundations of traditional northern authority against the influence of the more advanced south. [61], The task of unification was achieved on the eve of World War I. The rapid growth of organised labour in the 1940s also brought new political forces into play. The British Empire, once known as "the empire where the sun never sets," is the most powerful political entity in the history of the world. Despite these difficulties, the Action Group rapidly built an effective organisation. [57], From 1895 to 1900, a railway was constructed running from Lagos to Ibadan; it opened in March 1901. Support for broad Nigerian concerns occupied a clear second place. The delta masked the mouth of the great river, and for centuries Nigerians chose not to tell Europeans the secrets of the interior. 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. [38][39], In 1892 the British Armed Forces set out to fight the Ijebu Kingdom, which had resisted missionaries and foreign traders. The Action Group, which staged a lively campaign, favoured stronger government and the establishment of three new states while advocating the creation of a West Africa Federation that would unite Nigeria with Ghana and Sierra Leone. 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