BRITAIN AND NIGERIA’S INDEPENDENCE IN 1960

BRITAIN AND NIGERIA’S INDEPENDENCE IN 1960

CHAPTER ONE 
Introduction 

The territory known as Nigeria was a British creation. Its coastal areas have for some three to four hundred years been involved in trade, particularly slave trade with Britain. With the abolition of slave trade and the setting up of industries, the Britain’s were in need of raw materials and market for their product. This led to another form of trade relationship between the Nigerians and Britain. Apart from Britain, there were other European countries like France, Germany, Portugal that were also interested in trade with Nigeria. This lead to conflict and competition among these European States, in an attempt to resolve this conflict, a conference was called for in Berlin and in that conference, Nigeria became the lot of Britain.

The Berlin Conference, gave Britain the control over Nigeria, when the Britain tries to implement the treaty of the Berlin in Nigeria, she met with a lot of resistance from the Nigerian people who were not part of the conference nor their consent sort for. Only to wake up one morning and was informed that they are now the property of Britain. This resulted to conflict and war, but the British were victorious due to their superior weapons. By 1914, all the territories of Nigeria were under the control of British, and colonial administration was set up to govern the whole of the country headed by a Governor General Lord Lugard.

Origin of the Nationalist Movement

The conquest and colonization of the Nigerian territory stirring up nationalist sentiments among the few educated elements mostly foreign educated Africans and liberated slaves, and later African students in Britain.

The early Nigerian nationalist did not seek independence. They accepted the British rule and were glad and proud of their status as British citizens. But they fought against specific acts of the British administration. First they fought the imposition of taxation and water rates, to this end, a political association called the People’s Union, was formed by Obasa and Dr. Randle.1 The People Union petition against the water rate. The imposition of taxes lead to the Aba Women Riot of 1929. There was also a struggle against hand acquisition by the colonial government for that purpose, the Lagos Ancilliary of the Aborigines Right Protection Society (LAARPS) was formed. The Ancilliary led a delegation to London to protest against the Land policy of the colonial government.2

Another factor that led to nationalism was racial discrimination. Africans were not considered eligible for top service positions called European appointments. They were also excluded from the well-kept quarters of towns called European reservations. They were treated as second rated citizens in their own countries. Even well qualified Nigerians were denied access to good jobs, and even if they were appointed, they do not have equal status and salary with their European colleagues. Churches were not free from prejudice. It was common for white missionaries to discriminate against blacks. Many of them refused to serve under black priests. Unlike their French counterpart that operates the principles of assimilation and direct rule. The British, operates the principle of isolation, they have few contact with the people. They administer the people through indirect rule. They rule through the traditional rulers who were illiterate, they became a tool in their hands to exploit the people. Since most of the traditional rulers were installed by the British after defeating the former ones, they were to support the British administration and any act or otherwise is viewed as treason. The traditional rulers became the middle men, between the British and the people, the educated Nigerians were left out of the administration. This lead to resentment and grievances. The educated elite reasoned that if Britain was to hand over the administration of the country to it’s citizens in a later day, the educated elite and not the traditional rulers that administer the country, not inclusion of the educated elite in the administration of the country was a sign that the British was not preparing the nation for independence. The educated elite began to context for Nigerian representative in the administration of the country.

BRITAIN AND NIGERIA’S INDEPENDENCE IN 1960