BACKGROUND TO BRITISH ADMINISTRATION (1861 1914) Flashcards
One of the challenges facing Nigeria as a nation-state is
political leadership which is a product of the nation’s colonial antecedent spanning almost a century. The political structure and the superstructure built and left behind as relics by the Colonial masters are often cited by scholars, as the source of the problems and prospects for the country. Issues such as lopsidedness of the political geography, unification of people who are diverse in history, culture, anthropology and level of economic development are mentioned as defects in the colonial policy of the Nigerian nation. Conversely, the unity in diversity, economies of large scale, large market and the psychological advantage of the strategic location of Nigeria in the international arena, are flash points in the amalgamation of the country.
The process of the British colonial administration in what is now known as the Republic of Nigeria started with the
annexation and proclamation of Lagos as, the Crown Settlement in 1861
). According to Okafor (1981:18), Lagos was not called a Colony until
1886 the British Settlement Act of 1843 enabled the British Government to establish a Crown Colony System of government there.
. Before the coming of the British, different ethnic nationalities in the Northern and Southern Areas of River Niger were living in
the world of their own. The Yorubas, Hausa-Fulanis, Igbos, Ijaws and other minority groups were either, in an Empire, Emirates, Kingdoms, princedoms and all other forms of native administrative systems.
. In 1851, Lagos was attacked by the British forces. what was claimed
It was claimed to be in, consonance with the Crown Settlement Treaty. King Kosoko was defeated and deposed but some scholars believed there were some political and economic underpinnings to it. Ajayi (1961:32) opines: It is at best only a half-truth to say that, Lagos was bombarded in 1861 because it was a notorious slave depot. The anxiety of Britain to intervene in Lagos was not just philanthropic desire, to destroy the slave trading activities of the Portuguese and Brazilians there, but also the economic desire to control the trade of Lagos from which they had, hitherto been excluded and from where they hoped to exploit the resources of the vast Country stretching to and beyond the Niger.
Effectively, the territory of Lagos became a British Colony on August 6, 1861 when
King Docemo signed the Treaty of cession with the British authority. Thus, marking the beginning of the British conquest of the area of geographical expression now called Nigeria. While Lagos was a Colony, the other areas were Protectorates. The Colony of Lagos did not enjoy autonomy under a distinct Governor until 1886. Hitherto, the territory was placed under the control of the West African Settlement then resident in Sierra Leone and later, between 1864 and 1866, the territory was administered from the Gold Coast (now Ghana).
a) Crown Colony
These were territories that were acquired by the British either by settlement, by cession, by purchase or by conquest. The British authority was unquestionable over the territories domestic or international affairs. The Crown not only controlled the foreign relations of the protected state but its domestic affairs were left in the hands of its native rulers (Price 1967:14). This was the status of Lagos and the areas surrounding Freetown and Bathurst (Wight 1947:8).
) Protectorates
These were the territories surrendered to the British by the traditional authorities through Treaties. In many cases, they were administered as one, that is, as a contiguous colony (Wight 1947: 9).
c) Anglophone T
his concept is the general term used to describe people of the territories colonized by the British who were known as Anglophones while their counterparts in the French territories are called francophone. Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia says: In a narrower sense, the notion of “Anglophone” reaches beyond the mere dictionary definition of “English-language speaker . The term specifically refers to people whose cultural background is primarily associated with English language, regardless of ethnic and geographical differences. The Anglophone culture is largely the legacy of the British colonial empire.
