In this post we will be looking at the meaning of colonization, Nigeria as a colony, Independent Nigeria, Positive and Negative Impacts of Colonialism in Nigeria.
INTRODUCTION
One of the first questions every Nigerian who has become political conscience and developed a certain mindset of patriotism asks is “How was Nigeria formed?” This leads us to the term Colonialism. In our present Nigerian society, students are taught at schools about their civic duties and obligations which is a shadow of what pertains to our colonialism. Today, we will be bringing an imaginary scale in measuring the negative and positive impacts of colonialism in Nigeria. Apparently, Nigeria was colonized by the British. The scramble for Africa was so intense that the Europeans were plunging into a war among themselves. This led to the German Chancellor, Otto Von Bismarck conveying a conference in Berlin. The conference had in attendance, Britain, France, Belgium, Portugal, Spain and Italy. Nigeria was a partition to Britain. From 1900 – 1960 the British had a leadership and colonialism that has been made headlines now and in centuries to come, introducing lots of practices both good and evil and even not until 1963 can it be said that Nigeria attained full independence. Colonization is sometimes used synonymously with settling, as with colonization in biology, but while colonization historically involved settling, colonization through settling is the particular form called settler colonialism. Colonization is in this case structured and enforced by the settlers directly, while there, or their ancestors’ metropolitan country maintains linkage or control through the settler’s colonialism. Settler colonialization either rules as a minority group through oppression and assimilation the indigenous peoples, or by establishing them self as the demographic majority through driving away, disadvantaging or outright killing the indigenous people, as well as through immigration and births of metropolitan as well as other settlers. European colonization of Australia, New Zealand, and other places in Oceania was fueled by explorers, and colonists often regarding the encountered landmasses as terra nullius (“empty land” in Latin). Resulting in laws and ideas such as Mexico’s General Colonization Law and the United States’ manifest destiny doctrine which furthered colonization. Despite countless declarations and referendums from the United Nations on the independence of colonial countries and peoples, implemented since 1946, there are in the world still over 60 colonies – sometimes designated territories – including Puerto Rico, Guam, and Bermuda.
WHAT IS COLONIZATION?
Colonization (or colonisation) is a process of establishing foreign control over target territories or peoples for the purpose of cultivation, often by establishing colonies and possibly by settling them.
Nigeria as a colony
Colonial Nigeria was ruled by the British Empire from the mid-nineteenth century until 1960 when Nigeria achieved independence. British influence in the region began with the prohibition of slave trade to British subjects in 1807. Britain annexed Lagos in 1861 and established the Oil River Protectorate in 1884. British influence in the Niger area increased gradually over the 19th century, but Britain did not effectively occupy the area until 1885. Other European powers acknowledged Britain’s dominance over the area in the 1885 Berlin Conference. From 1886 to 1899, much of the country was ruled by the Royal Niger Company, authorized by charter, and governed by George Taubman Goldie. In 1900, the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and Northern Nigeria Protectorate passed from company hands to the Crown. At the urging of Governor Frederick Lugard, the two territories were amalgamated as the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria, while maintaining considerable regional autonomy among the three major regions (Northern protectorate, Southern protectorate and the Colony of Lagos). Progressive constitutions after World War II provided for increasing representation and electoral government by Nigerians. The colonial period proper in Nigeria lasted from 1900 to 1960, after which Nigeria gained its independence.
Independent Nigeria
Nigeria was granted independence on October 1, 1960. A new constitution established a federal system with an elected prime minister and a ceremonial head of state. The NCNC, now headed by Azikiwe (who had taken control after Macaulay’s death in 1946), formed a coalition with Balewa’s NPC after neither party won a majority in the 1959 elections. Balewa continued to serve as the prime minister, a position he had held since 1957, while Azikiwe took the largely ceremonial position of president of the Senate. Following a UN-supervised referendum, the northern part of the Trust Territory of the Cameroons joined the Northern region in June 1961, while in October the Southern Cameroons united with Cameroun to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon. On October 1, 1963, Nigeria became a republic. Azikiwe became president of the country, although as prime minister Balewa was still more powerful. After a brief honeymoon period, Nigeria’s long-standing regional stresses, caused by ethnic competitiveness, educational inequality, and economic imbalance, again came to the fore in the controversial census of 1962–63. In an attempt to stave off ethnic conflict, the Mid-West region was created in August 1963 by dividing the Western region. Despite this division, the country still was segmented into three large geographic regions, each of which was essentially controlled by an ethnic group: the west by the Yoruba, the east by the Igbo, and the north by the Hausa-Fulani. Conflicts were endemic, as regional leaders protected their privileges; the south complained of northern domination, and the north feared that the southern elite was bent on capturing power. In the west the government had fallen apart in 1962, and a boycott of the federal election of December 1964 brought the country to the brink of breakdown. The point of no return was reached in January 1966, when, after the collapse of order in the west following the fraudulent election of October 1965, a group of army officers attempted to overthrow the federal government, and Prime Minister Balewa and two of the regional premiers were murdered. A military administration was set up under Maj. Gen. Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, but his plan to abolish the regions and impose a unitary government met with anti-Igbo riots in the north. The military intervention worsened the political situation, as the army itself split along ethnic lines, its officers clashed over power, and the instigators and leaders of the January coup were accused of favouring Igbo domination. In July 1966 northern officers staged a countercoup, Aguiyi-Ironsi was assassinated, and Lieut. Col. (later Gen.) Yakubu Gowon came to power. The crisis was compounded by intercommunal clashes in the north and threats of secession in the south. Gowon’s attempt to hold a conference to settle the constitutional future of Nigeria was abandoned after a series of ethnic massacres in October. A last-ditch effort to save the country was made in January 1967, when the Eastern delegation, led by Lieut. Col. (later Gen.) Odumegwu Ojukwu, agreed to meet the others on neutral ground at Aburi, Ghana, but the situation deteriorated after differences developed over the interpretation of the accord. In May the Eastern region’s consultative assembly authorized Ojukwu to establish a sovereign republic, while, at the same time, the federal military government promulgated a decree dividing the four regions into 12 states, including 6 in the north and 3 in the east, in an attempt to break the power of the regions.
Positive Impacts of Colonialism in Nigeria
- Introduction of Christianity: The import of colonialism helped religiosity a lot. Before colonialism, the worship of gods was invoked, people sacrificed animals including humans to unknow and illusionary objects. Some worshipped their trees.
- Education: A new level of education was imported during colonialism in Nigeria. Before colonialism, Africans had a notion of education that was basically informal and men friendly alone. The introduction of a formal and class learning education was a new dawn for an African society. When it was first introduced, some parents would rather die than see their children attend such, some called it names. Well, others saw it as anvaswered prayer. A few embraced it at the initial. But today we are on in that same train of getting educated. Funny enough. It was men friendly, the ones who finally did embrace it saw it as a men business but a non-woman’s duty. They would rather send a nonetity of a boy than a vibrant young girl.
- Infrastructural development: Infrastructures were not left out. Before the colonial era in Nigeria, we had tattered roads, mud houses and no structural planning at all. But colonialism brought a change in taste and view. Modern ways of doing things were introduced other than our primitive style. It was colonialism that Nigeria man yearned to school abroad and get degrees. Our style of dress was also affected. Those days some cultural attires were no different from being naked, even though some will argue that we have copied wrongly. Let us not undermine the fact that there was a value placed on Nigerians when it comes to fashion and design. design though we have misused it.
- Technological and scientific development: There were introduction of machines that made life easier and stress free. Almost every sector had an impact. Eg, Agriculture, seeds and plantation, fertilizers, mechanized farming and even Health.
- Socioeconomic development: Socio-economically there was an advanced way of thinking and view of the Nigerian society with the introduction of colonialism. Nigeria men were triggered into politics, from the secondary schools to colleges advocates were rising. What are about the killing of twins? Many argue that colonialism brought no good at all and we were better off before they came. Our transportation system improved. Our Entertainment industry also had a more beautiful space till we started copying! Hygiene, counselling, moral instructions were enhanced by colonialism.
Negative impacts of colonialism in Nigeria
- Exploitation: During the colonial era, there was massive exploitation on resources of Nigerians. Resources ranging from Crude oil, iron ore, coal etc, were shipped in barrels daily to European countries and the end products were sold back to Nigeria. Lands were taken especially communities where resources were found. Persons who opposed them were killed vehemently! These were persons supposedly to be protecting rights.
- High level of corruption: corruption we all complain to be the biggest problem of Nigeria today, was inculcated by the colonial Masters. Colonialism orchestrated and watered a mindset that made way for intense embezzlement and violence es Moral decadence: pecially among leaders and political officers.Every sphere of Nigeria was affected by the menace. They sowed the seeds of inequality among national divisions of the country and that is the reason why there is an edge of aGeo-political zone over another. The eastern complain of a little share of the national cake.
- Moral decadence: The Moral Decadence of Nigerians have rapidly increased by virtue of colonialism. Indecent dressing, loss of national values and disrespect. This has become the order of the day.
- Slavery and racism: Could it be said that those who control you hate you? I will leave that for you to answer. The whites displayed racism to the maximum. In as much as they made us believe they had our interest. They had a different story for their white counterparts abroad. No wonder Chimamanda Adiche in her Tedtalk “The danger of the single story” narrates her own ordeal. Poverty is getting higher and higher. This is so because some fellow Nigerians have continued where our colonial masters stopped. They have been given the batons and they act like Britain’s in Nigeria instead of Nigerians in Nigeria. Our over dependence on a source of revenue other sectors have been mishandled and under utilised.
The colonialists targeted Nigeria primarily due to its abundant natural resources. They wanted products such as palm oil, groundnuts, cocoa, cotton, and palm kernel, all of which were abundant in the West African nation.
