British Colonization of Nigeria – JSS3 Nigerian History Lesson Note (Second Term)

Colonisation is the process by which one country takes control of another land and its people.

• Period: British colonisation of Nigeria began in the 19th century and ended with independence in 1960.
• Result: Britain gained control over the many regions, peoples and resources of present-day Nigeria.
• Scope of this lesson: how the British colonised Nigeria, why they did so, and how their rule affected Nigerians.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. explain what colonisation means and describe how Britain gained control of Nigerian territories between 1861 and 1914;
2. describe the methods the British used to conquer Nigeria;
3. state the economic, strategic and ideological reasons for British colonisation;
4. explain Indirect Rule and outline the colonial administrative structure;
5. identify the political, economic, social and cultural effects of colonisation;
6. give examples of Nigerian resistance to British rule.

What are the key terms in this topic?

These words appear throughout the lesson.

How did Britain first make contact with Nigerian territories?

Britain’s involvement with Nigerian territories began as trade, and direct political control came later.

1. Early trade relations: European traders, first the Portuguese and later the British, traded along the Nigerian coast from the 15th century onwards. Early goods included ivory and pepper, and later slaves.
2. Shift to “legitimate commerce”: Britain abolished the slave trade in 1807. British traders then turned to palm oil, used for making soap and as a machine lubricant in British factories.
3. Trading posts: British traders set up posts along the coast and major rivers. These were the first permanent British presence in Nigerian territories.
4. Missionary activities: British Christian missionaries arrived from the 1840s, for example at Badagry in 1842. They opened schools and churches and spread Christianity and Western education.

How did Britain gain control of Nigerian territories?

Britain gained control in stages between 1861 and 1914, using both peaceful and violent means.

How did Lagos become a British colony (1861)?

Lagos was the first Nigerian territory to come under direct British control.

• Background: Lagos was a small but important coastal kingdom involved in the slave trade.
• British intervention: The British bombed Lagos in 1851 and replaced the ruling king with one more favourable to British interests.
• Annexation: In 1861, Oba Dosunmu signed a treaty of cession under pressure, and Lagos became a British colony.
• Justification: The British claimed they were stopping the slave trade, though commercial interests also mattered.

How were the Southern Protectorates formed (1885-1906)?

Britain gradually extended its control over southern Nigeria through protectorates.

• Oil Rivers Protectorate: In 1885, Britain declared a protectorate over the Niger Delta, where the palm oil trade was flourishing.
• Niger Coast Protectorate: In 1893, this protectorate was enlarged and renamed.
• Royal Niger Company: This British company signed treaties with local rulers and controlled trade in the Niger area. It prepared the way for British government control.
• Southern Nigeria Protectorate: Britain formed the Protectorate of Southern Nigeria in 1900. In 1906 it joined Lagos Colony to create the Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria.

How was the Northern Protectorate formed (1900-1903)?

The conquest of northern Nigeria came later than that of the south.

• Royal Niger Company treaties: The company signed many treaties with northern rulers and claimed rights over their lands.
• Northern Nigeria Protectorate: In 1900, the British government took over the company’s claims and declared the Protectorate of Northern Nigeria.
• Military conquest: Frederick Lugard led British forces against the Sokoto Caliphate in 1903. Superior weapons defeated the local resistance.
• Other northern peoples: Other kingdoms and peoples were brought under British control, sometimes by treaty and sometimes by force.

What was the amalgamation of 1914?

Amalgamation was the joining of the Northern and Southern Protectorates into one country on 1 January 1914.

• New name: The joined territory was called the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria.
• First Governor-General: Frederick Lugard (later Lord Lugard) held the post.
• Importance: It created the geographical base of modern Nigeria. It joined peoples with different cultures, religions and political systems.

What is the difference between a colony and a protectorate?

A colony is a territory ruled directly by a foreign power, as Lagos was from 1861.

A protectorate is a territory that a foreign power rules while keeping local rulers in place, as in Northern Nigeria from 1900.

What methods did the British use to conquer Nigeria?

The British used four main methods: treaty-making, military force, commercial penetration and missionary activity.

Treaty-making

• “Protection” treaties: British agents persuaded many rulers to sign treaties accepting British “protection”.
• Deception: Many treaties were written in English, which the rulers could not read. Interpreters often misrepresented the contents.
• True meaning: Rulers thought they were signing trade agreements or defensive alliances. The treaties often gave Britain wide control over their lands.

Military force

When peaceful methods failed, the British used force.

• Superior weapons: Maxim guns (early machine guns), rifles and artillery gave the British a large advantage.
• Punitive expeditions: The British used this name to suggest they were punishing resistance and not conquering.

Examples of military conquest, in order of date:

1. The bombardment of Lagos (1851).
2. The Ijebu expedition (1892).
3. The Benin expedition (1897), which led to the looting of thousands of Benin bronze artworks.
4. The Aro expedition (1901-1902).
5. The conquest of the Sokoto Caliphate (1903).

Commercial penetration

• Trading companies: British companies built economic control before political control followed.
• Infrastructure: Roads, railways and ports moved goods and tied the economy to British interests.
• Currency changes: British currency replaced traditional currencies and linked local economies to Britain’s financial system.

Missionary activities

• Education: Mission schools taught Christianity, Western values and the English language.
• Cultural influence: Missionaries introduced new clothing, building styles and music.
• New elite: Mission school graduates became an educated class that linked the British and local people.

Why did Britain colonise Nigeria?

Britain colonised Nigeria for economic, strategic and ideological reasons.

Economic interests

• Raw materials: Nigeria supplied palm oil, cotton, groundnuts, cocoa, rubber, tin and coal to British industries.
• Markets: Nigerian territories were markets for British manufactured goods.
• Trade control: Colonial rule let Britain set favourable terms for British merchants.

Strategic considerations

• Competition with other powers: In the Scramble for Africa, Britain wanted to claim Nigerian areas before France or Germany did.
• Control of trade routes: Holding the River Niger and the coast gave Britain an advantage in West African trade.

Ideological justifications

• “Civilising mission”: Many British people claimed they were bringing civilisation, Christianity and progress to Africans.
• Anti-slavery campaign: Ending the slave trade was used as a moral reason for intervention, especially in Lagos.
• “Effective occupation”: After the Berlin Conference (1884-1885), European powers had to show real control over claimed lands. This pushed Britain to set up formal colonial rule.

How did the British govern Nigeria?

The British governed Nigeria through Indirect Rule, a set administrative structure, a dual legal system and economic policies.

What was Indirect Rule?

Indirect Rule was a system in which Britain governed through existing traditional rulers instead of ruling the people directly.

• Developer: Frederick Lugard developed the system, and it worked best in Northern Nigeria.
• How it worked: Emirs, obas and chiefs kept their positions. They had to obey British orders and collect taxes for the colonial government.

What was the colonial administrative structure?

The structure ran from the Governor at the top down to Native Authorities at local level.

What was the colonial legal system?

The colonial legal system was a dual system that used both British law and native courts.

• British law: It applied to certain matters, especially those involving Europeans or commerce.
• Native courts: They handled local disputes under customary law, but under British supervision.

What were the colonial economic policies?

Colonial economic policy aimed to export raw materials and import British goods.

• Cash crop production: The British encouraged palm oil, cocoa and groundnuts for export.
• Mining: Tin mining in Jos and coal mining in Enugu were developed.
• Infrastructure: Railways, roads and ports served the export of raw materials and import of manufactured goods.
• Taxation: Taxes had to be paid in cash. This forced people to grow cash crops or work for wages.
• Marketing boards: They controlled the prices of export crops, often keeping prices low to benefit British interests.

What were the effects of British colonisation on Nigerian peoples?

British colonisation had political, economic, social and cultural effects that lasted beyond independence.

Political effects

• Creation of Nigeria: Peoples who had not been united politically were brought into one country.
• Loss of real power: Even under Indirect Rule, real power lay with the British.
• New boundaries: Colonial boundaries sometimes divided one ethnic group or joined separate groups.
• New political elite: A Western-educated elite emerged and later led the independence movement.

Economic effects

• World economy: Nigeria became linked to the global economy, mainly as a supplier of raw materials.
• Cash economy: Subsistence and barter economies were gradually replaced by a cash economy.
• Dependency: Nigeria exported raw materials and imported manufactured goods, so it relied on Britain.
• Infrastructure: Railways and ports were built for colonial purposes but later helped development.

Social and cultural effects

• Western education: It created new opportunities and challenged traditional knowledge systems.
• Christianity: Many Nigerians converted, which changed religious practices and beliefs.
• Urbanisation: Towns and cities grew around administrative centres and transport hubs.
• New social classes: Education, jobs and wealth created divisions that replaced traditional status.
• Cultural mixing: Nigerian cultures took in some European elements while keeping core local values.

Lasting legacy

• Regional differences: Different colonial policies left lasting gaps in education, infrastructure and wealth between regions.
• Religion: Islam’s strength in the North and Christianity’s strength in the South were reinforced by colonial policies.
• Language: English became the official language and a common language across many ethnic groups.
• Governance: Many later governance challenges are linked to how Nigeria was created and to colonial authoritarian rule.

How did Nigerians resist British colonisation?

Many Nigerian peoples resisted British rule through armed, cultural and political action, despite British military strength.

Armed resistance and protest

• Ijebu resistance: The Ijebu fought British forces in 1892.
• Benin resistance: The Kingdom of Benin resisted until it was conquered in 1897.
• Sokoto resistance: Forces of the Sokoto Caliphate fought the British until their defeat in 1903.
• Women’s War of 1929: Women in south-eastern Nigeria protested against taxation and colonial policies.

Cultural resistance

• Languages: Nigerian peoples kept their languages despite the spread of English.
• Religious practices: Traditional worship continued, sometimes blending with Christianity or Islam.
• Cultural expression: Music, art and literature kept distinctly Nigerian features.

Political resistance

• Early nationalist groups: By the early 20th century, educated Nigerians formed organisations to demand more rights.
• Press activities: Nigerian-run newspapers criticised colonial policies and called for more Nigerian involvement in government.
• Nationalist consciousness: These early efforts grew into the nationalist movements that won independence in 1960.

Evaluation

1. What is colonisation?
2. Name the Nigerian territory that first came under direct British control, and state the year.
3. Describe how treaties were used to extend British control over Nigerian rulers.
4. Give four reasons why Britain colonised Nigeria.
5. What was Indirect Rule, and why was it less successful in Igboland than in Northern Nigeria?

Assignment

Write a short account of the amalgamation of 1914. State the date, the territories joined and the first Governor-General. Then explain two economic effects and two social effects of British colonisation on Nigerian peoples.