1.1 Nigeria’s social dynamics

The emergence of Nigeria

Like so many other African states, Nigeria is the creation of European imperialism. Its very name after the great Niger River, the country’s dominating physical feature was suggested in the 1890s by British journalist Flora Shaw, who later became the wife of colonial governor Frederick Lugard. The modern history of Nigeria–as a political state encompassing over 400 ethnic groups of widely varied cultures and modes of political organization dates from the completion of the British conquest in 1903 and the amalgamation of northern and southern Nigeria into the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria in 1914.

The Colonial and Pre-Colonial Eras in Nigeria

Defining the Colonial Period: “colonial” period is essentially the period between World War I and World War II while the precolonial period referenced in this module covers the 19th century up to World War I.

The history of the Nigerian people extends backward in time for some three millennia. Archaeological evidence, oral traditions, and written documentation establish the existence of dynamic societies and well-developed political systems whose history had an important influence on colonial rule and has continued to shape independent Nigeria. Nigerian history is fragmented in the sense that it evolved from a variety of traditions, but many of the most outstanding features of modern society reflect the strong influence of the three regionally dominant ethnic groups–the Hausa in the north, the Yoruba in the west, and the Igbo in the east.