Nigeria is a country in West Africa. It was colonized by the British in 1884 and the colony is established at the Berlin conference which divides Africa among European powers. The British targeted Nigeria because of its resources. The British wanted products like palm oil and palm kernel and export trade in tin, cotton, cocoa, groundnuts, palm oil, and so on (Graham, 2009). The British accomplished the colonization by using its military. Although there was strong resistance from natives against the British, it was all crushed by the British. As a result, the trading post at the Niger River is created and the British economic rule is maintained over the colonies, exploiting Nigerians (Graham, 2009).
After the British conquest of northern and southern Nigeria and the merging of the two to establish Nigerian colonies and protectorate, the British seek the best interests between direct rule and indirect rule. They will not hesitate to use the means of the direct rule if they think that indirect rule cannot guarantee their colonial status. The divide-and-rule policy is always adopted by the British during the colonization of Nigeria. The consequences of colonization consist of many parts. Politically, slavery was abolished. Economically, the tax system and transportation system deepened the British’s plunder and control over the economy in Nigeria. Culturally, the British controlled the religious culture in Nigeria by training a group of local people to spread Christianity in Nigeria, opening missionary schools, and other ways.
“Nigeria was granted independence on October 1, 1960, but the journey to achieving the right to self-government started seven years before when Anthony Enahoro moved the motion for self-governance in the British-led parliament in 1953. […] Foremost Nigerians like Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, and Tafawa Balewa who like Enahoro were some of the nationalists who fought for the country’s independence” (Omotayo). They were trying their best to convince their colonial Britain of the need for independence but prove the capability of self-governance. They had to use their knowledge to prove this through a presentation at the parliament and with solid logic. On the other hand, the British needed to consider the gain and loss from Nigeria since British is in a turbulent era: Nazism in Europe was over, but Communism and the Soviet Union were increasingly powerful (America also). The available resources were limited, so it was necessary for the British to balance the risk of losing their power in the world.
Work Cited:
Katie Graham. (2009). “Nigeria: Colonization”. Retrieved from “https://hj2009per6nigeria.weebly.com/colonization.html”.
Omotayo Yusuf. (2017). “How Nigeria got its independence”. Legit. Retrieved from “https://www.legit.ng/1044956-four-nigerians-fought-britain-seven-years-won-pictured.html”.
