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. Under Goldie's direction, the Royal Niger Company was instrumental in depriving France and Germany of access to the region. 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? Durres Port. 979 Words. The British Conquest of Nigeria From about the mid nineteenth century, the British began to alter the nature of their relationship between themselves and Nigerians. The country was divided politically, lacking European rivals, and no sense of national unity. A chief of Bonny in 1860 explained that he refused a British treaty due to the tendency to "induce the Chiefs to sign a treaty whose meaning they did not understand, and then seize upon the country".[14]. Economic competition among these "houses" was so fierce that trade often erupted into an armed battle between the crews of the large canoes. Siollun concludes with what he calls "the mistake of 1914": his view that the British resolution to join their northern and southern protectorates into one poorly integrated colony constitutes the single most consequential decision of colonial rule in Nigeria. The council was headed by a Governor. Consequently, he may well deserve the epithet of the "father of Nigeria", which historians accorded him. During World War II, three battalions of the Nigeria Regiment fought against Fascist Italy in the Ethiopian campaign. 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. 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. It was a relatively simple adjustment for many Igbo families to transport the oil to rivers and streams that led to the Niger Delta for sale to European merchants. It was suspended in 1950 against a call for greater autonomy, which resulted in an inter-parliamentary conference at Ibadan in 1950. PDF BRITISH CONQUEST, COLONIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION IN NIGERIA - ResearchGate 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. It was supported not only by the income from huge agricultural surpluses but also by a new range of direct and indirect taxes imposed during the 1950s. Protestant missionaries tended to divide the country into spheres of activity to avoid competition with each other, and Catholic missions similarly avoided duplication of effort among the several religious orders working there. Frederick Lugard, shortly before becoming High Commissioner of Northern Nigeria.[68]. 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. The kingdom of Benin began in the 900s when the Edo people settled in the rainforests of West Africa. 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. At the turn of the century, top wages were four bags of salt (company retail price, 3s 9d) for a month of work. Causes Of European Colonization In Africa | ipl.org As a practice, colonialism is traced to the1854 and 1855 conference at Berlin in Germany. The experiment began in 1890 and was repealed in 1939,[71]. THE FULANI CONQUEST AND RULE OF THE HAUSA KINGDOM 235 from 1804, the date of the Hegira. 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. Lugard, replacing Egerton as Governor, aborted the project in May 1913. In 1907, the corporation received a loan of 25,000, repayable upon discovery of oil. All were knighted. In 1920, portions of former German Cameroon were mandated to Britain by the League of Nations and were administered as part of Nigeria. In contrast, the British pursued comparatively limited settlement and institutional transformation in the more populous and more politically and economically developed preco-lonial areas. He used for the first time in Nigeria modern, sometimes flamboyant, electioneering techniques. According to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Voyage Database, 308,800 were sold across the Atlantic from Lagos in 17761850. Lagos became a major slave port in the late 1700s and into the 1850s. The decrease in trade indirectly led to the collapse of states like the Edo Empire. The trend was toward the establishment of a parliamentary system of government, with regional assemblies and a federal House of Representatives. The Ekumeku, who were well organized and whose leaders were joined in secrecy oaths, effectively utilized guerrilla tactics to attack the British. After initially adopting an indirect rule approach, in 1906 the British merged the small Lagos Colony and the Southern Nigeria Protectorate into a new Colony of Southern Nigeria, and in 1914 that was combined with the Northern Nigeria Protectorate to form the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria. 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. Oil income was still marginal, but the prospects for continued economic expansion appeared bright and accentuated political rivalries on the eve of independence. The NPC was called on to form a government, but the NCNC received six of the ten ministerial posts. Northern leaders committed to modernization were also firmly connected to the traditional power structure. It was also partly to protect the Egba that the British shelled Lagos in 1851, expelled Kosoko, the reigning oba, and restored his uncle, Akitoye, who appeared more willing to join in a campaign to abolish the slave trade. 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. Doctrine of Lapse. Some of the treaties contained prohibitions on diplomacy conducted without British permission, or other promises to abide by British rule. 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. 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. Significantly, Macauley's NNDP remained almost entirely a Lagos party, popular only in the area whose people already had experience in elective politics. The cleavage between the Yoruba and the Igbo was accentuated by their competition for control of the political machinery. 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. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria. Three constitutions were enacted from 1946 to 1954. This scheme proved unpopular and confusing to many involved parties and was phased out. June 30, 2022 . The British targeted Nigeria because of its resources. The council was promoted as a device for allowing the expression of opinions that could instruct the Governor-General. Order. Frederick Lugard, who was appointed as High Commissioner of the Northern Nigeria Protectorate in 1900 and served until 1906 in his first term, often has been regarded by the British as their model colonial administrator. brighton grey motion loveseat; waterford, ct obituaries; jane wymark children. [9] Administration and military control of the territory was conducted primarily by white Britons, both in London and in Nigeria. FACTORS THAT LED TO NATIONALISM IN NIGERIA. factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria Some European traders switched to legitimate business only when the commerce in slaves became too hazardous. 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. 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. 1833 - The abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire. [11][12], In 1900, the British Government assumed control of the Southern and Northern Protectorates, both of which were ultimately governed by the Colonial Office at Whitehall. The company interfered in the territory along the Niger and the Benue, sometimes becoming embroiled in serious conflicts when its British-led native constabulary intercepted slave raids or attempted to protect trade routes. The militias and RWAFF battalions were reorganized into the RWAFF Nigeria Regiment.[62]. The British colonization of Kenya destroyed the culture and economy of the native people, but it established a democratic government and left Kenya a more modernized country. He definitely laid the basis for British claims. The British wanted products like palm oil and palm kernel and export trade in tin, cotton, cocoa, groundnuts, palm oil and so on (Graham, 2009). factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria Even before gaining its charter, the Company signed treaties with local leaders which granted it broad sovereign powers. [11], The British led a series of military campaigns to enlarge its sphere of influence and expand its commercial opportunities. 1 Economic Motives. Additionally. Animosity, Amnesia, or Admiration? Mass Opinion Around the World Toward 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. Military Conquest. It was replaced by a new coalition government led by David Lloyd George featuring Conservatives and Lloyd George's supporters in the Liberal Party, while Asquith and the remainder of the Liberals entered opposition.[69]. the British Government completed their assignment of conquest and came up with what they called the Amalgamation of Nigeria . In popular parlance, discussions of colonialism in Africa usually focus on the European conquests that resulted in the scramble for Africa after the Berlin Conference in the 19th century. Colonial System of Administration In Nigeria: Definition, Historical When direct Portuguese contacts in the region were withdrawn, however, the influence of the Catholic missionaries waned. [73] The spread of the disease was quick and deadly, with an estimated 1.5% of the population of Lagos falling victim. African Nationalism | South African History Online By 1903 the conquest of the emirates was complete. To start with, European nations were motivated by economic factors arising from the industrial revolution which started in Britain and extended to other European countries such as Belgium, France and Germany (Hochschild, 158).They wanted cheaper mineral resources for their home industries claiming that resources were abundant in Africa for factors that led to the british conquest of nigeria A.J. Timeline of the British Empire - Historic UK Colonialism is both a practice and a word that means so much to Nigeria. African Resistance to European Imperialism: Conflicts & Impact Each was under a Lieutenant Governor and provided independent government services. In Europe, Britain sent troops to help its ally, Prussia, which was surrounded by its enemies. Reasons for the development of the slave trade - BBC Bitesize 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. [43][44] The British forces began annual pacification missions to convince the locals of British supremacy. An example was that at Onitsha, where they could bargain directly with local suppliers and purchase products likely to turn a profit. In practice, Lugard used the annual sessions to inform the traditional rulers of British policy, leaving them with no functions at the council's meetings except to listen and to assent. 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. What Britain Did to Nigeria A Short History of Conquest and Rule Max Siollun. In contrast to Lugard, Clifford argued that colonial government had the responsibility to introduce as quickly as practical the benefits of Western experience. European Colonialism in Africa. June 30, 2022 . Beecroft agreed on condition that the slave trade be abolished, and British merchants have a monopoly in commodities. [76], The British treasury initially supported the landlocked Northern Nigeria Protectorate with grants, totalling 250,000 or more each year. Unification meant only the loose affiliation of three distinct regional administrations into which Nigeria was subdividedNorthern, Western and Eastern regions. Aside from the possibility of treasure, the European governments aimed to find a passage through the Americas to Asia. British colonialism led to the spread of the English language in Africa, and many former British colonies still maintain English as an official language. The British Conquest and Resistance of Sokoto Caliphate, 18971903 [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]. 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. [82], Oil exploration began in 1906 under John Simon Bergheim's Nigeria Bitumen Corporation, to which the Colonial Office granted exclusive rights. Empty cart. [63], The Protectorate was centrally administered by the Colonial Civil Service, staffed by Britons and Africans called the British Native Staffmany of whom originated from outside the territory. 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. Both Africans and Europeans found illegal supplies such as secret stills, obtaining colonial liquor permits, and smuggling.