COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION OF THE OIL RIVERS PROTECTORATE
The Oil Rivers Protectorate was named by the British traders referring to the abundance of oil palm which was the most profitable and important trading commodity in the region during the early 19th century. The Protectorate was established by the…
COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION OF LAGOS COLONY
Lagos was annexed by the British on 6th August, 1861 and was declared a Colony on the 5th of March, 1862 after the signing of the Lagos Treaty of Cessation. In effect, the powers of Oba Dosumu of Lagos were…
COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION OF SOUTHERN PROTECTORATE
The Southern Protectorate was established in 1900. It was administered by a High Commissioner. The first High Commissioner for Southern Nigeria Protectorate was Ralph Moor. In 1906, the Lagos Colony was joined with the Southern Protectorate. It, therefore, became the…
COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION OF NORTHERN PROTECTORATE
Sir Frederick Lugard was appointed the High Commissioner of the Protectorate of Northern Nigeria in 1900. In the military parade in Lokoja in the same year, Lugard declared the protectorate of Northern Nigeria and subsequently embarked on the conquest of…
THE ROLES OF NIGERIAN NATIONALIST NNAMDI AZIKIWE
Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe was born in Zungeru town (now in Niger State) on the 16th of November 1904 to an immigrant Ibo family from the then Eastern Nigeria. He was popularly and simply called Zik. His father was a clerk…
MEANING AND ORIGIN OF LEGITIMATE TRADE
The term, “legitimate trade” refers to the trade in commodities between Africans and the European merchants immediately after the abolition of slave trade. It was a trade where African raw materials, especially cash crops were exchanged for European goods. Such…
THE ROLES OF NIGERIAN NATIONALIST OBAFEMI AWOLOWO
Obafemi Jeremiah Awolowo popularly called Awo, was born in Ikenne (now in Ogun State) on the 6th of March, 1909. He had his early education at the Baptist High School and later Wesley College, Ibadan. Awo had to struggle to…
SONGHAI’S RELATIONS WITH HER NEIGHBOURS
Songhai Empire was a very important empire that commanded the respect of her neighbours. When the empire was established, it fought wars of conquest against small kingdoms and made them part of the empire. The Songhai Empire’s army was so…
SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS THAT LED TO THE FALL OF SONGHAI EMPIRE
Social Factors: The sack and subjugation of Timbuktu by external forces exposed the misrule of some emperors; this was coupled with the outbreak of drought and diseases. There was also the division of the empire into a number of separate…
SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS THAT LED TO THE RISE OF SONGHAI EMPIRE
Social Factors: The merchants of Songhai Empire worked in partnership. The state also protected the partnership. The port cities on the Niger made the empire a very strong and powerful trading kingdom. The expansion of the Sankore University in Timbuktu,…
THE LOCATION AND ORIGIN OF SONGHAI EMPIRE
LOCATION Songhai Empire was located in West Africa along the Niger River. When it reached its peak, its location extended more than 1000 miles towards the Atlantic Ocean. It was centred on the middle reaches of the Niger River and…
INDIRECT RULE IN NIGERIA
Indirect rule refers to the method of governing societies through the use of traditional institutions and personnel. The British adopted this strategy in the management of the affairs of Northern Region. There were many reasons for the adoption of this…
THE ROLE OF SIR FREDERICK LUGARD IN THE NIGERIAN HISTORY
Sir Frederick John Dealtry Lugard was born on 22 January, 1858. Between 1901 and 1928 he served as British soldier, explorer and colonial administrator in many parts of Africa and Asia. Sir Frederick Lugard, as he was fondly called, was…
MEANING OF NATIONALISM
Nationalism is the feeling of pride, which people have about their country and identity. It also means a strong desire of a people who share the same or similar economic and political experiences, culture, language, tradition, history and heritage. Nationalism…
HISTORY OF BENIN EMPIRE
Benin Empire developed from a number of small chieftaincies. Benin oral traditions claimed that the first rulers were called Ogiso (Kings of the Sky), and there were thirty-one of them. It was during their time that certain symbols of royal…
THE ROLE OF GEORGE TAUBMAN GOLDIE IN NIGERIAN HISTORY
George Taubman Goldie (1846-1925) was a trained engineer. He played a major role in the founding of Nigeria. He first learnt about Nigeria from Hausa pilgrims passing through the Sudan to or from Saudi Arabia. He must have also met…
RELATIONS BETWEEN IGBO AND THE NIGER DELTA STATES
The non-centralised states of the Igbos of the South-eastern Nigeria interacted actively with close and distant neighbours like the Igala, Bini and Ijo. Some Igbo communities such as Nri and the Arochukwu had more influence and interactions outside their areas.…
HISTORY OF IGALA KINGDOM
There are several versions of the origin of the Igala people according to oral traditions. The first version claimed that the first Attah was a hunter by profession who came from a group named Ado to the west of the…