NIGERIAN HISTORY SINCE EARLY PERIOD TILL COLONIAL ERA

The earliest evidence of civilization in Nigeria dates back to the description of the rocks of Iwo-Eleru, located near Akure, Ondo state. Inside this cave a skeleton dating back to 9000 BC during the late period of Stone age was found. Several notable events of the 11th century shaped the culture, landscape and political organization of Nigeria's first peoples. Social groups in Nigeria did not live in isolation, but instead formed segmented political kingdoms and empires. Even nomadic peoples such as the Fulani, moved in a well-organized political structure. These first Nations created long-range diplomatic and economic relations.

 

Much of the trade involved buying and selling slaves and Nigeria played an important role in the transatlantic slave trade, with seven of the thirteen major slave depots in West Africa located in Nigeria. The abolition of the slave trade from the supply of side (in Africa) was the main merit of European missionaries. The first Europeans on the coast of Nigeria were the Portuguese in 1472, they established regular trade contacts with the locals. Since the end of XV century there were English, Danish, French and German merchants who bought spices, palm nuts and ivory. British colonial era covers the period from 1840 to 1960. Initially, the interest of Europeans was manifested in trade and humanitarian projects in Africa, along with this, there was also a strong desire to study geographical wealth. In 1797 Mungo Park went to West Africa on the Niger river. Another major expedition in 1820s was carried out by Hugh Clapperton, in which there was a meeting with representatives of the Royal family house and subsequently carried out the trade on the river Niger. By the 1850s, European governments had not only begun to dominate trade in West Africa, but also because of the interest in the security of the territory, which had been largely driven by competition among European powers. In the case of Nigeria, it should be noted that the British did not claim the territory of that country because of the desire to dominate the French or Germans.

 

By the arrival of British colonizers, Nigeria was a feudal state, the colonial administration appeared in 1861, after the seizure of the Benin Lagos. In 1870, the United national African company (from1886 — Royal Nigerian company) was founded, headed by sir George Goldie, one of whose functions was to control trade between Britain and the population of the Niger river basin. Along with the merchants the territory of Nigeria was penetrated by Anglican missionaries of the Church missionary society (eng. Church Missionary Society), the result of which was the ordination of Samuel Crowther first Anglican Bishop of the Yoruba (1864). In 1902, as a result of the Anglo-Aro war, the territory of the Aro Confederation was annexed to colonial Nigeria. In 1903 a military expedition of Frederick Lugard put an end to the feudal state of Sokoto. The resistance to colonial expansion was fierce, as a result of the struggle, the Northern and southern protectorates were merged to create unity in Nigeria in 1914. Nigeria became A British colony during the second half of the 20th century. Thus, in 1914. British possessions on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea were united in a single colony, called the Colony and protectorate of Nigeria. The specificity of the British colonization was to preserve the power of local rulers loyal to the British crown. In 1916 when the Governor established an Advisory Council of Nigerian (Nigerian Council) consisting of representatives of the local aristocracy. The colonialists built in Lagos, a major seaport, held in 1916, the railway Lagos-Kano, introduced new crops: cocoa beans and peanut.

 

The end of the second World War marked the beginning of a period of organized resistance to the colonial regime in the country. Nigerians called on the people to actively oppose the current state of society. In 1945, 40,000 workers began a General strike that lasted more than one month. The demand of the workers was the increase of payment and improvement of working conditions. At the end of the strike, the workers ' demands were agreed upon.

 

Thus, by the end of the 1950s Britain was experiencing great difficulties in maintaining the leading position of colonial rule and came to an agreement to maintain a dialogue of cultures and the need for dialogue with the anti-Colonial leaders of Nigeria and colonial officials. One of the first steps in the decolonization process had been the process of gaining the independence and form of government of a state that could meet the requirements of an independent Nigeria. In 1957, Nigeria's Eastern and Western regions became self-governing, and then two years later, the country's Northern Region. The General elections, which determined the structure and composition of the first Republic of Nigeria, took place in December 1959, Nigeria became independent on 1 October 1960.

 

References

 

1. Falola T. Historical Dictionary of Nigeria / T. Falola, A. Genova. – The Scarecrow Press Inc, Lanham, Maryland, 2009 – 473P.

2. Katchru B. The handbook of World Englishes / B. Katchru, Y. Katchru, C. Nelson. – Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Malden MA, 2006 – 833P.