The Early Regions in Nigeria – Basic 4 Nigerian History Lesson Note (First Term)

What is a Region?

A region is a large area of land with:

• Similar people and culture
• Same type of government
• Shared language or traditions
• Clear boundaries that separate it from other areas

Think of it like dividing Nigeria into big sections for easier management.

The Early Regions in Nigeria

1. Northern Region

• Created: 1900
• Created by: British Colonial Government
• Capital: Kaduna
• Covered: All northern parts of Nigeria
• Main People: Hausa-Fulani
• Main Religion: Islam

2. Southern Region

• Created: 1900
• Created by: British Colonial Government
• Later divided into:
  1. Western Region (1914)
  2. Eastern Region (1914)

After 1914 Division:

3. Western Region

• Created: 1914
• Created by: Lord Lugard (British Governor)
• Capital: Ibadan
• Main People: Yoruba
• Main Religion: Christianity and Traditional

4. Eastern Region

• Created: 1914
• Created by: Lord Lugard (British Governor)
• Capital: Enugu
• Main People: Igbo
• Main Religion: Christianity and Traditional

Reasons Why These Regions Were Created

1. Easier Administration

• Nigeria was too big for one person to manage
• Different governors could handle each region
• Faster decision-making in smaller areas

2. Cultural Differences

• Different ethnic groups lived in different areas
• Different languages and customs
• Different religions (Islam in North, Christianity in South)

3. Economic Reasons

• Different products from different regions
• North: cotton, groundnuts, livestock
• West: cocoa, palm oil
• East: coal, palm oil, yam

4. Better Control

• Divide and rule – British strategy
• Prevent unity among Nigerians
• Easier to control smaller groups

5. Geographic Differences

• North: mostly savanna and desert
• South: mostly forest and coastal areas
• Different farming and lifestyle patterns

Location of These Regions on Map

Northern Region:

• Covered: All areas above the River Niger and Benue
• States today: Sokoto, Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Borno, and others
• Largest region by land area

Western Region:

• Covered: Southwest Nigeria
• States today: Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti
• Bordered: Atlantic Ocean to the south

Eastern Region:

• Covered: Southeast and parts of South-South Nigeria
• States today: Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Cross River
• Bordered: Cameroon to the east

Exercises

1. Fill in the blanks:

• A region is a _______ area of land with similar people
• The Northern Region was created in _______
• _______ created the Western and Eastern regions
• The Western Region’s capital was _______

2. True or False:

• All regions were created in the same year ( )
• Lord Lugard created the regional divisions ( )
• Regions were created to make administration easier ( )
• All regions had the same culture ( )

3. Match the region with its capital:

• Northern Region → Kaduna
• Western Region → Ibadan
• Eastern Region → Enugu

4. Circle the reasons for creating regions:

• Easier administration
• To build more roads
• Cultural differences
• Economic reasons
• To plant more trees
• Better control

5. Which region would you find these today?

• Lagos State → _______ Region
• Kano State → _______ Region
• Enugu State → _______ Region

6. Put these events in order:

• ( ) Western and Eastern regions created
• ( ) Northern and Southern regions created
• ( ) Nigeria became independent
• ( ) Lord Lugard became Governor-General

7. Short Answer:

• What does “region” mean?
• Who created the first regions in Nigeria?
• Why did the British divide Nigeria into regions?
• Which region was the largest by area?

8. Map Exercise: Draw a simple map of Nigeria and label where the three main regions were located.

Answer Key:

1. large, 1900, Lord Lugard, Ibadan
2. False, True, True, False
3. Matching as shown above
4. Circle: Easier administration, Cultural differences, Economic reasons, Better control
5. Western, Northern, Eastern
6. 2, 1, 4, 3 (1900, 1914, 1960, 1914)
7. Large area with similar people / British Colonial Government / Easier to manage and control / Northern Region
8. Students should draw basic map with North, West, and East marked