British Colonization Of Nigeria Territories JSS3 Nigerian History Lesson Note

Before the amalgamation of the Southern and Northern protectorate to form Nigeria, the British adopted both direct and indirect rule in the south and in the north. This is for the fact that the respective British officer who took charge of the eastern and western provinces of southern Nigeria recognised the importance of indigenous rulers in administration. However, the mode of operation were different. It was after the experimentation of indirect rule in the north that Lugard after he became Governor General of the amalgamated Nigeria. 

While some British colonies were ruled directly by the colonial office in London, others were ruled indirectly through local rulers who are supervised behind the scene by British advisors.  Direct Rule Direct colonial rule is a form of colonialism that involves the establishment of a centralized foreign authority within a territory, which is run by colonial officials. It is when an imperial or central power takes direct control over the legislature, executive and civil administration of an otherwise largely self-governing territory. Direct rule sends their own officials to rule, impose on the culture, and use the land for their own colonies.  

Indirect Rule The opposite of direct colonial rule is indirect rule, which integrate pre-established local elites and native institutions into the government. Indirect rule allows local rulers to decide on things, try to groom the kids to be like them, and did allow culture to stay (for most part). Direct control would have the government ran by officials of the controlling country. If a colony is indirectly ruled, it is still ruled by the natives, but watched over and still in control of the ruling country. 

Reasons for adoption of indirect rule The following are the reasons for the adoption of indirect rule: 

• To get the cooperation of rulers 
• A means of purifying Nigerian institutions 
• Preservation of customs and tradition 
• Consolidation of British hold on Nigeria 
• Resistance suffered by British in the past 
• Manpower and financial limitation g. Preparing Nigeria for self-governance.

BRITISH SYSTEM OF COLONIANISM 

The taking over of political control of a territory by a foreign country is called colonization. Since the territories of Nigeria had been taken over these the British, they were now under British colonialism. The British created offices and appointed people to control the affairs of the territories in the southern and northern protectorate of Nigeria. They used a system of direct and indirect rule to control these protectorates. 

The systems are explained below: 

1. Direct Rule: this is a system of administration where the British officials were the rulers and directly controlled the affairs of the people in the territories under them. This was adopted in the administration of Lagos. 
2. Indirect Rule: this was a system of administration where the traditional rulers were allowed to continue ruling and directing the affairs of their territories. The traditional rulers were under the control of British colonial officers. This system was done in both the southern and northern protectorates of Nigeria. Lord Lugard’s success in northern Nigeria was due to the indirect rule policy he introduced. 

The condition were for the traditional rulers in the north to accept British authority, cooperate with the British in modernising their administration and abandon slave trade. The Emirs were to retain their titles but to report to district officers who had the final say. Hence, the traditional rulers were reduced to salaried district heads and British agents for peacekeeping and tax collection. This system also worked in most parts of western Nigeria (Yoruba land). However, the British experienced frustration when they wanted to introduce the indirect rule system in south-east Nigeria (Igbo land)