GST112 Module 2

Nigeria under Colonial Rule

Advent of Colonial Rule in Nigeria

The Colonial Era (1882-1960)

It is imperative to note that before the colonial state creation there were multiple ethnic groups
with complete system of government each operating independently within what is to later be
called Nigeria. For instance, the Kanem-Borno Kingdom, Fulani Emirate which rules the
Savannah of Northern Nigeria, the Ife Kingdom, Benin Kingdom, Yoruba Emirate of Oyo. The
city states of the Niger delta as well as the politically decentralize but culturally homogenous Ibo
peoples of the Easter region and the small tribes of Plateau. They had different cultural
diversities and which are merged as one entity or nation.
The colonial period in Nigeria began with the slave trade in the 15th century. The Portuguese
paved the way for the slave trade, and Nigeria was a big area of business for them. They sold
slaves in order to obtain spices and weapons in other areas. However, the article written by John
Edward Phillips entitled "What's New About African History?" states that the Nigerians
themselves were the ones who provided the slaves. Tensions between different ethnic groups and
tribes caused prisoners of war, so to speak, who would be sold to the Portuguese as slaves. For
many Nigerians, this was their main source of income.

It is clear that the incursion of the European largely depend on the early contact with Africans
most especially in transnational trade network in slaves and their struggle over land in Africa
after the 1884- 1885 Berlin Conference in Germany. Besides, these European merchants
abolished trade in human slaves due to the development of industrial capitalism in the 1800’s
where labour intensive economy was transformed into capital industrial development, hence,
there was urgent need for raw materials readily available in Africa. Also, certain factors like,
Global strategies, national prestige, maintenance of status quo in the World economy,
Evangelical mission, adventurism and economic expansionism facilitated the white men‟s
decision to move into the interior part of Africa, utilized the ignorance of African chiefs,
conquered, subjected them to force rule of which the kingdoms mentioned above later became
Nigeria or nation-states. There are forms of stiff residence against British infiltration into the
sub-region by various kings like; king Kosoko (1861) when Lagos was annexed, Jaja of Opobo,
Nana of Itsekiri, Attaihru Ahmadu (in the North) and others could not matched the maxim guns
of the imperialist. Thus, the British imperial company‟s (Royal Niger Company) charter was
revoked to usher in the actual British colonial mercenaries and polices put in place to feature
their administration, exploitation of the resources to their home industries.

Establishment of British Colonial Mercenaries

Between 1900-1914, the British sought to secure central direction of policy and pool economy
resources together for easy administration has adopted policy of gradual amalgamation of its
various units in Nigeria, for instance in 1906 the Lagos Colony and Protectorate was merged
with the Southern protectorate to smoothen its economics ambition, that is, the British
government utilized the financial position of the South to cover the cost of administration and
development in the financially weak colony and protectorate of Lagos saddled with white
elephant of a railway in need of extension since 1901 though administrative fusion was not
attained. The British equally adopted the doctrine of a dual mandate for the administration of the
colonies they had acquired. However, expansions of trade are the primary instrument for
carrying out the dual mandate policy in Nigeria. Dual mandate means the British administrative
policy where by the resources of the colony was develop in a way to assist the natives but mainly
to developed the metropolis of the colonial center. Research have shown that no real
infrastructure for internal industrial development existed, except of course that which aided the
production of exportable agricultural staples to enhance the British self enlighten motives in
Nigeria.

The Role of Governor-General Lord Lugard Fredrick Lord Lugard was appointed as the first
High Commissioner of the Northern Nigeria in 1900. He had no civil service experience and was
a military man through and through. Therefore, his new position as the High Commissioner was
seen as a military task that should be carried out with military precision, he gives order and
prompt obedient follows. He did not allowed constructive criticism from any resident officers in
the North. Most especially those who are against his indirect rule system in the Emirates are
sanction and sent to non emirates part of the North as reward those who supported him. In
addition, given his military experience, Lugard would prefer to work with military officers to
seasoned administrators to serve in the political department. In fact, he believed that “army
officers are an admirable class of men. They are gentlemen their training teaches them prompt
decision. Their education in military law gives them knowledge of the rule of evidence and
judicial procedure”. Besides, Lugard administrative system in the North revealed the incapability
of military with governance, he made blunder especially his strained relationship with the staff
and frequent administrative change and transfer of staff officers, this is made clear in Lugard’s
assertion (1904-35) thus; “Every resident or assistance resident shall be removable from one
province to another and the area included without his jurisdiction shall be liable to diminution or
alteration from time to time at the discretion of the high commissioner” This policy of Lugard
virtually lower the morale of the political officers in the Northern Nigeria. Lugard‟s attitude and
military action which are nondemocratic could be view in his policy of indirect rule, it was
adopted to off-set the high cost of administering the vast Northern Nigeria later turn to
administrative policy system which made it difficult to discipline corrupt and erring emirs in the
North. In fact, any administrator who insulted the emir are either sanctioned or transferred to a
non-emirate areas for anti-direct rule system. Accordingly, his returned from Hong Kong in 1913
enhanced the formulation of policy of amalgamation which led to 1913 memorial protest of the
Northern political officers against bias nature of certain clauses in the policy on welfare of staff.
Also his preference to stay in the North and for the relative success of indirect rule manifested in
his decision to merge the developed Southern protectorate with the financially poor Northern
protectorate in 1914.

Colonial Administration in Nigeria

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 staff of this
office came primarily from the British upper-middle class—i.e., university-educated men,
primarily not nobility, with fathers in well-respected professions. The first five heads of the
Nigeria Department (1898–1914) were Reginald Antrobus, William Mercer, William Baillie
Hamilton, Sydney Olivier, and Charles Strachey. Olivier was a member of the Fabian
Society and a friend of George Bernard Shaw.
Under the Colonial Office was the Governor, who managed the administration of his colony and
held powers of emergency rule. The Colonial Office could veto or revise his policies. The seven
men who governed Northern Nigeria, Southern Nigeria and Lagos through 1914 were Henry
McCallum, William MacGregor, Walter Egerton, Ralph Moor, Percy Girouard, Hesketh
Bell and Frederick Lugard. Most of these came from military backgrounds. All were knighted.
Walter Egerton's sixfold agenda for 1908, as detailed on 29 November 1907, in a telegram to the
Colonial Office, is representative of British priorities.

1. To pacify the country;

2. To establish settled government in the newly won districts;
3. To improve and extend native footpaths throughout the country;
4. To construct properly graded roads in the more populated districts;
5. To clear the numerous rivers in the country and make them suitable for launch and canoe
traffic; and
6. To extend the railways.
Egerton also supervised improvements to the Lagos harbour and extension of the local telegraph
network.
From 1895 to 1900, a railway was constructed running from Lagos to Ibadan; it opened in March
1901. This line was extended to Oshogbo, 100 kilometres (62 miles) away, in 1905–1907, and
to Zungeru and Minna in 1908–1911. Its final leg enabled it to meet another line, constructed
1907–1911, running from Baro, through Minnia, to Kano.
Some of these public work projects were accomplished with the help of forced labour from
native black Africans, referred to as "Political Labour". Village Heads were paid 10 shillings for
conscripts and fined £50 if they failed to supply. Individuals could be fined or jailed for refusing
to comply.
Frederick Lugard
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. 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. Joining the Royal Niger Company in 1894, Lugard was
sent to Borgu to counter inroads made by the French, and in 1897 he was made responsible for
raising the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF) from local levies to serve under British
officers.
During his six-year tenure as High Commissioner, Sir Frederick Lugard (as he became in 1901)
was occupied with transforming the commercial sphere of influence inherited from the Royal
Niger Company into a viable territorial unit under effective British political control. His
objective was to conquer the entire region and to obtain recognition of the British protectorate by
its indigenous rulers, especially the Fulani emirs of the Sokoto Caliphate. Lugard's campaign
systematically subdued local resistance, using armed force when diplomatic measures failed.
Borno capitulated without a fight, but in 1903 Lugard's RWAFF mounted assaults on Kano and
Sokoto. From Lugard's point of view, clear-cut military victories were necessary because the
surrenders of the defeated peoples weakened resistance elsewhere.
Lugard's success in northern Nigeria has been attributed to his policy of indirect rule; that is, he
governed the protectorate through the rulers defeated by the British. If the emirs accepted British
authority, abandoned the slave trade, and cooperated with British officials in modernizing their
administrations, the colonial power was willing to confirm them in office. The emirs retained
their caliphate titles but were responsible to British district officers, who had final authority. The
British High Commissioners could depose emirs and other officials if necessary.

Political Administration under the Crown

Transition to Crown rule
Concrete plans for transition to Crown rule—direct control by the British Government—
apparently began in 1897. In May of this year, Herbert J. Read published a Memorandum
on British possessions in West Africa, which remarked upon the "inconvenient and unscientific
boundaries" between Lagos Colony, the Niger Coast Protectorate and the Royal Niger Company.
Read suggested they be merged, and more use made of Nigeria's natural resources. In the same
year, the British created the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF or WAFF), under the
leadership of Colonel Frederick Lugard. In one year, Lugard recruited 2600 troops, evenly split
between Hausa and Yoruba. The officers of the RWAFF were British. The operations of this
force are still not fully known due to a policy of strict secrecy mandated by the British
Government.
Guidelines for running the Nigerian colony were established in 1898 by the Niger Committee,
chaired by the Earl of Selborne, in 1898. The British finalized the border between Nigeria and
French West Africa with the Anglo-French Convention of 1898.
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. The
company received £865,000 compensation for the loss of its Charter. It continued to enjoy
special privileges and maintained a de facto monopoly over commerce. Under Lugard from 1900
to 1906, the Protectorate consolidated political control over the area through military conquest
and initiated the use of British currency in substitute for barter.