BRITISH COLONISATION OF NIGERIAN TERRITORIES
By 1880, the British had been well established along the coast of West Africa and began to advance into the interior. With the abolition of slave trade in Britain in Continue Reading
THE EVOLUTION OF THE NIGERIAN STATE
The Berlin Treaty There were two major events that served as the prelude to the conference where the treaty took place. Firstly, King Leopold was interested in the Congo Basin, Continue Reading
EARLY EUROPEANS IN NIGERIA
The Europeans who came to Nigeria were the explorers, Christian missionaries, traders and merchants. These people included the following: The explorers were Mungo Park, Hugh Clapperton, Richard and John Lander. Continue Reading
BACKGROUND TO THE EUROPEAN EXPLORATION
During the Middle Ages, the Europeans could not travel far. This was probably the reason why their knowledge of the outside world was very limited. The Europeans could not travel Continue Reading
ORIGIN OF SLAVE TRADE
Slavery was common and normal in West Africa as it was in all the early empires of history. Slavery was the end product of those that were captured in pre-colonial Continue Reading
THE IGBO AND ISOKO
Igbo and its Origin Two major assumptions explain the origin of the Igbos. The first one claims that the Igbo originated from the East, probably from Israel or Egypt. The Continue Reading
THE BENIN KINGDOM UP TO 1800
According to Benin traditions of origin, the people of Benin migrated from the East. After a long period of wandering, they settled at lle-Ife, from where they finally settled at Continue Reading
HAUSA STATES
Introduction The word ‘Hausa’ does not refer to a race; rather, it refers to Hausa-speaking people. The word ‘Hausa’ refers to the mixed tribes who speak the Hausa language. The Continue Reading
THE SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA
The Europeans had frequented the coasts of West Africa since the fifteenth century and established settlements along the coast in order to facilitate trade, in particular the transatlantic slave trade. Continue Reading
WOMEN AND AUTHORITY IN WEST AFRICAN HISTORY
Authority is the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience. This chapter explores the political authority of West Africa women and the spiritual female principle in Continue Reading