The Scepter of Colonialism

Published on January 21, 2026

In the 1870s and 1900, Africa faced European imperialist aggression, diplomatic pressures, military invasions, and eventual conquest and colonisation. At the same time, African societies put up various forms of resistance against the attempt to colonise their countries and impose foreign domination. The conquest and subsequent partitioning of Africa by European powers and the geographical territory in West Africa today called Nigeria has had significant implication on the spiritual, mental, psychological, economic, political and philosophical evolution of the entire continent. The colonisation of Africa remains a monumental setback to the independent effort of the continent to unite and forge an identity for her people. The enslavement of man by man through colonisation has not only stifled the maturation of human reasoning but has reduced man to a level of bestiality which inhibits his ability to fully explore potentials inherent in him. Consequently, the advancement of human society has been dwarfed by the evils of colonisation.

The occupation of this territory by the British was with all intents and purposes at variance with the collective resolve and aspiration of the indigenous population who were developing their technology, education, warfare, economy, spirituality and culture independently before the disruptive forces of the imperial powers eclipsed a once peaceful, serene, harmonious and fertile Africa to an ecological disaster owing to the heinous, dastard and horrendous acts of cruelty by the colonial masters in such a horrific coordinated orchestration of monstrous carnage which left gloom over the continent‟s horizon.

Due to inferior military might, the African continent bowed to British invasion and subsequent annexation of present day Nigeria into a British colony, though not without stiff resistance from leaders such as King Jaja of Okpobo. This culminated into a marriage of inconvenience among the multifarious ethnic groups that occupy this geographical territory.

The reaction of particularly three ethnic nationalities that formed the major part of this territory, viz; Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, to this union varied significantly. While the Hausa in the North overwhelmingly stooped to British rule, the resistance in the South Western and South Eastern regions of the country, largely inhabited by the Yoruba and Igbo, was aggressively spontaneous.

This was not surprising given the differing structures of social organization that obtained in the various regions. Colonial rule in the North for instance, was largely aided by the emirate system of administration which gave enormous power to the emirs to rule their territories while answerable to the colonial authority through Indirect Rule System. However, in the Southern part of the country, the colonial administration met stiff opposition as protests against the Crown were widespread. This was partly due to the native authority system that was shortlived in 1949 in the region leaving the chiefs with less autonomy to compel absolute obedience as opposed to the emirate system which conferred absolute power and autonomy on the emir who doubled as a religious and political leader.

Nigeria was amalgamated in 1914 by Lord Lugard, the first High Commissioner of Nigeria from 1900 to 1906. Lugard created the Protectorate of Northern Nigeria in 1900 with headquarters at Lokoja (later moved to Jebba). It was later relocated to Zungeru. From Zungeru, it was finally relocated to Kaduna. Lugard returned in 1912 as Governor of Northern and Southern Nigeria, it was in this capacity that he carried out the amalgamation of 1914. Thereafter he continued as Governor-General of the amalgamated entity from 1914 to 1918 (Geary, 1965).

Given the fusion of different kingdoms and city states like (Kanem-Borno, the Fulani/Dan Fodio Empire, Benin Empire, Kingdom of Ife and Oyo Empire, Bonny, New Calabar, Okrika, Brass, Warri, etc.), the Igbo polities of the south-east, and the disparate ethnic groups of the Plateau and others that were not part of any of these prominent empires; the new Nigerian nation came to have a land area of 356,669 sq. miles; so big that it was doubted if it could survive or be sustained. The British architects of the amalgamation and the inhabitants both doubted the entity‟s survival (Crowder,1966: 23).

After the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914, the colonial administration successively ensured that the two protectorates were administered separately. As Best (2011) noted, the colonialists did that for two reasons. First, they had promised not to interfere with the religion, culture and customs of the caliphate. Second, the need to foster a culture of friendship and nurture the emirate system as a basis for succession after independence. Thus, even though Nigeria was amalgamated, a cultural and, by implication, religious iron-curtain separated the North from the South. Whereas Western education and the westernized elite, urbanization, Christianity, commerce and other factors were revolutionising the South, the North remained a culturally and religiously conservative terrain committed to preserving Islam and its traditions. Whereas Christian missionaries worked to transform the traditional society and its ways of life in the parts of Nigeria where they operated, this included the Middle Belt areas of the historical north, the colonialists, using the Indirect Rule System, worked with the Emirs to preserve existing traditions in the core North (Coleman, 1958; Whitaker, 1973).

This preservationist orientation of colonialism was responsible for the perpetuation of the dichotomy between the North and the South on the one hand, and between the Middle Belt groups converted to Christianity and the Muslim North on the other hand, a dichotomy that continued into independence and has remained prevalent to date. The dichotomy has further helped to weaken the bonds of nationhood (Best, 2011: 11)
Suffice therefore to state that the problem of the Nigerian State which particularly hinges on ethno-religious division was introduced by the British for easier conquest, since it is much easier to conquer a divided than a united people.