The Niger delta is a vast low-lying region through which the waters of the Niger River drain into the Gulf of Guinea. In 1914, the area was formally united as the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria. General Muhammadu Buhari took over the helm of affairs in May 2015 after a peaceful transfer of power from the Jonathan led administration. [20], The Dufuna canoe was discovered in 1987 not far from the Komadugu Gana River, in Yobe State. A number of oracles and local cults attracted devotees while the central deity, the earth mother and fertility figure Ala, was venerated at shrines throughout Igboland. The school was quite traditional in its subject matter, being largely confined to the political history that colleagues in Europe and North America were then rejecting. Shortly afterwards the AG opposition leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, was imprisoned to be without foundation. [84] The name Federal Republic of Nigeria was restored on 31 August 1966. A state council (the Oyo Mesi) named the Alaafin (king) and acted as a check on his authority. The Young Majors went into hiding. Nigeria is a West African country occupying an area of 923,769 sq. The Igala are an ethnic group of Nigeria. [81] In the Northern Region, however, the Hausa and Fulani people demanded that the detainees be placed on trial for murder.[81]. Nigeria, country located on the western coast of Africa. Their capital city was situated about 100km north of present-day Oyo. Additionally, the Ironsi government was unable to produce a constitution acceptable to all sections of the country. On the 31st of December 1899 the charter for the Royal Niger Company was revoked by the British government, and the sum of 865,000 was paid to the company as compensation. The greatest and the well-known empire that ruled the region before the British arrived was the Benin Empire whose ruler was known as Oba of Benin. On 1 October 1995 Abacha announced the timetable for a three-year transition to civilian rule. Unlike the forest-bound Yoruba kingdoms, Oyo was in the savanna and drew its military strength from its cavalry forces, which established hegemony over the adjacent Nupe and the Borgu kingdoms and thereby developed trade routes farther to the north. "The period 1919-1935 was colonial imperialism's last territorial drive in Africa. The Fulani came from the Senegal River valley, where their ancestors had developed a method of livestock management based on transhumance. Excavations in Ugwuele, Afikpo and Nsukka show evidence of habitation as early as 6,000 BC. Each king is a ritual reproduction of Eri. In August 1983, Shagari and the NPN were returned to power in a landslide with a majority of seats in the National Assembly and control of 12 state governments. According to one of the various myths about him, he founded Ife and dispatched his sons and daughters to establish similar kingdoms in other parts of what is today known as Yorubaland. It has been in an acute stage since last January when a military coup d'tat destroyed the constitutional regime bequeathed by the British and upset the underlying tribal and regional power relationships. [9][10] Local merchants provided them with slaves, escalating conflicts among the ethnic groups in the region and disrupting older trade patterns through the Trans-Saharan route.[11]. Nonetheless, Kano and Katsina, with their famous mosques and schools, came to participate fully in the cultural and intellectual life of the Islamic world. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British journalist Flora Shaw, who later married Baron Frederick Lugard, a British colonial administrator. The capital is Idah in Kogi state. Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna fled to Kwame Nkrumah's Ghana where he was welcomed as a hero. ), height: 54cm (21.2in. [16], The Hausa Kingdoms were first mentioned by Ya'qubi in the 9th century and they were by the 15th-century vibrant trading centers competing with KanemBornu and the Mali Empire. In November 1999, the army destroyed the town of Odi, Bayelsa State and killed scores of civilians in retaliation for the murder of 12 policemen by a local gang. In the 11th-century, the conquests initiated by Gijimasu of Kano culminated in the birth of the first united Hausa Nation under Queen Amina, the Sultana of Zazzau but severe rivalries between the states led to periods of domination by major powers like the Songhai, Kanem and the Fulani. In an attempt to alleviate such problems Abubakar's government implemented a civil service pay raise and other reforms. The Onitsha Kingdom, which was originally inhabited by Igbos from east of the Niger, was founded in the 16th century by migrants from Anioma (Western Igboland). Acceptance of Islam was gradual and was often nominal in the countryside where folk religion continued to exert a strong influence. These were cancelled due to fraud and subsequent primaries scheduled for September also were cancelled. The public response convinced Babangida of intense opposition to an economic recession. By Hameed Ajibola Jimoh Esq", "Nigerian Diaspora and Remittances: Transparency and market development", https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/igbo/hd_igbo.htm, "Nigeria EARLY HISTORY Sourced from The Library of Congress Country Studies", "The architecture and chemistry of a dug-out: the Dufuna Canoe in ethno-archaeological perspective", "Nigeria: Dufuna Canoe: a Bridge Across 8,000 Years", "The Nok of Nigeria - Archaeology Magazine Archive", "Iron and its influence on the prehistoric site of Lejja", "Early West African Metallurgies: New Data and Old Orthodoxy", "Kanem-Bornu | historical empire, Africa | Britannica", "Islamic Schools, the Ulama, and the State in the Educational Development of Northern Nigeria", "Bayajidda HAUSA Historical Legend Myth or Reality", "The Evolution of the Aro Confederacy in Southeastern Nigeria, 1690-1720. This was to commemorate the June 12th election of 1993, and the events that surrounded it. The government also moved to recover millions of dollars in funds secreted to overseas accounts. The Sokoto Plains lie in the northwestern corner of the country, while the Borno Plains in the northeastern corner extend as far as the Lake Chad basin. But before then, he was the governor of both the Northern and Southern protectorates. ); terracotta; Muse du quai Branly. Some Fulbe converted to Islam as early as the 11th century and settled among the Hausa, from whom they became racially indistinguishable. Much use was made of oral history and throughout the school took a strongly interdisciplinary approach to gather information. [105][106] However, his re-election bid in 2015 was truncated with the emergence of former military ruler General Muhammadu Buhari, mainly on his inability to quell the rising insecurity in the country. Morocco was unable to control the empire and the various provinces, including the Hausa states, became independent. They can be found in Idah, Igalamela/Odolu, Ajaka, Ofu, Olamaboro, Dekina, Bassa, Ankpa, omala, Lokoja, Ibaji, Ajaokuta, Lokoja and kotonkarfe Local government all in Kogi state. In October 2001, hundreds were killed and thousands displaced in communal violence that spread across the states of Benue, Taraba, and Nasarawa. Although Abacha was initially welcomed by many Nigerians, disenchantment grew rapidly. The civil war that disrupted Kanem in the second half of the 14th century resulted in the independence of Borno. Other states where Igalas can be found are Anambra, Delta and Benue states. Borno regained some of its former might in the succeeding decades, but another drought occurred in the 1790s, again weakening the state. Nigeria is not only large in arealarger than the U.S. state of Texasbut also Africas most populous country. [78] Federal Government Prime Minister Balewa declared martial law in the Western Region and arrested Awolowo and other members of his faction charged them with treason. On 1 October 2001 Obasanjo announced the formation of a National Security Commission to address the issue of communal violence. Iboland is an overpopulated, economically depressed area where massive unemployment is likely to continue for many years. Sonni Ali seized Timbuktu in 1468 and Djenn in 1473, building his regime on trade revenues and the cooperation of Muslim merchants. Large freshwater swamps give way to brackish mangrove thickets near the seacoast. The Benin Empire (14401897; called Bini by locals) was a pre-colonial African state in what is now modern Nigeria. Numerous ancient African civilizations settled in the region that is known today as Nigeria, such as the Kingdom of Nri,[1] the Benin Empire,[2] and the Oyo Empire. He remained incommunicado for 50 days, by which time rumours were rife that he had died. Key Facts. It arose at the University of Ibadan in the 1950s and remained dominant until the 1970s. Author of, Professor of Geography, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. According to the Bayajidda legend, the Hausa states were founded by the sons of Bayajidda, a prince whose origin differs by tradition, but official canon records him as the person who married the last Kabara of Daura and heralded the end of the matriarchal monarchs that had erstwhile ruled the Hausa people. The early independent kingdoms and states that make up present-day state of Nigeria are (in alphabetical order): Benin Kingdom, Borgu Kingdom, Fulani Empire, Hausa Kingdoms, Kanem Bornu Empire, Kwararafa Kingdom, Ibibio Kingdom, Nri Kingdom, Nupe Kingdom, Oyo Empire, Songhai Empire, Warri Kingdom, Ile Ife Kingdom, and Yagba East Kingdom. By these same routes, Islam made its way south into West Africa after the 9th century. Lagos, however, is not perceived as the "spiritual and bureaucratic capital of Africa"; Addis Ababa has that role.". [99] Particularly notable disasters in this area have been: 1) October 1998, Jesse, 1100 deaths, 2) July 2000, Jesse, 250 deaths, 3) September 2004, near Lagos, 60 deaths, 4) May 2006, Ilado, approx. In early 1989 a constituent assembly completed a constitution and in the spring of 1989 political activity was again permitted. Many top minds were co-opted with plum jobs in the administration and left academia. Almost immediately, the revenues from oil began to make Nigeria a wealthy nation. According to another legend, Eri was one of Gad's sons who traveled down to build modern-day Igboland, as described in the Bible's book of Genesis. [14] Nigeria became a republic again after a new constitution was written in 1979. [95], The new president took over a country that faced many problems, including a dysfunctional bureaucracy, collapsed infrastructure, and a military that wanted a reward for returning quietly to the barracks. E. Elochukwu Uzukwu [48] Rather than relaxing colonial strictures in gratitude after the war, the European presence in Africa intensified. The Southwest part of Nigeria was formed recently as a nation by 850, it was also established as the basics of the Eastern Akan tribes. [100], Two militants of an unknown faction shot and killed Ustaz Ja'afar Adam, a northern Muslim religious leader and Kano State official, along with one of his disciples in a mosque in Kano during dawn prayers on 13 April 2007. At stake now are the most fundamental questions which can be raised about a country, beginning with whether it will survive as a single viable entity. With the increase of resource spending and oil exportation, Nigerian GDP and HDI (Human Development Index) have risen phenomenally since the economically stagnant rule of Sani Abacha, but the primary population still survives on less than US$2 per day. The major cause of Borno's decline was a severe drought that struck the Sahel and savanna from in the middle of the 18th century. However, when the Western Region parliament met to approve this change, Akintola supporters in the parliament started a riot in the chambers of the parliament. In November 2009, he fell ill and was flown out of the country to Saudi Arabia for medical attention. In the 1959 elections, the AG obtained 73 seats.[75]. [77] Fighting between the members broke out. Soils in Nigeria, and in Africa generally, are usually of a poorer quality than those in other regions of the world. The origin of Nigeria's educational policies dates back to the 1955 comprehensive education laws of the Western Nigeria, 1957 Universal Primary Education (UPE) of the Eastern region and the 1976 UPE national programme; the 2000 Universal Basic Education (UBE) is the baby programme which In May 1999 violence erupted in Kaduna State over the succession of an Emir resulting in more than 100 deaths. Britannica Quiz Geography Fun Facts Relief The Kingdom of Nri was a religio-polity, a sort of theocratic state, that developed in the central heartland of the Igbo region. [37] Contemporary historical scholarship views this legend as an allegory similar to many in that region of Africa that probably referenced a major event, such as a shift in ruling dynasties. However, Nigerias most diverse feature is its people. The oldest fossil remains found by archaeologists in the southwestern area of Iwo Eleru, near Akure, have been dated to about 9000 bce. [74], The Federation of Nigeria was granted full independence on 1 October 1960 under a constitution that provided for a parliamentary government and a substantial measure of self-government for the country's three regions. Nigeria is a patchwork of distinctive regions, including deserts, plains, swamps, mountains, and steamy jungles. Quiz, Central Intelligence Agency - The World Factbook - Nigeria, Official Site of the Embassy of Nigeria in Seoul, South Korea, Official Site of the Embassy of Nigeria in Germany, Official Site of the Embassy of Nigeria in Vienna, National Geographic Kids - Countries - Nigeria, Official Site of the Embassy of Nigeria in Stockholm, Sweden, Nigeria - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Nigeria - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Nigerian airport workers go on strike; travelers stranded, At least 33 people killed by gunmen in northwest Nigeria, AP PHOTOS: Joyous Holy Week celebrations around the world, At least 10 students abducted by gunmen in northwest Nigeria, Correction: Police-Shooting-Michigan-Race story. In the vote, widespread electoral fraud was alleged and riots erupted in the Yoruba West where heartlands of the AG discovered they had apparently elected pro-government NNDP representatives. The Iron Age Nok civilization of northern Nigeria dates back to about 1,500 BC, with evidence of settled life in the environs of Kaduna. It should not be confused with the modern-day country called Benin, formerly called Dahomey.[31]. The Nigerian Civil War led some to question whether Nigeria was, in fact, a unified nation with a national history. President Babangida demonstrated his intent to encourage public participation in decision making by opening a national debate on proposed economic reform and recovery measures. The military rivalries of the Hausa states strained the region's economic resources at a time when drought and famine undermined farmers and herders. Obasanjo had recently stated on national radio that he would "deal firmly" with election fraud and violence advocated by "highly placed individuals." The military Provisional Ruling Council (PRC) under Abubakar commuted the sentences of those accused in the alleged coup during the Abacha regime and released almost all known civilian political detainees. Each king is a ritual reproduction of Eri. The constitution includes provisions for a bicameral legislature, the National Assembly consisting of a 360-member House of Representatives and a 109-member Senate. "The petroleum industry is expanding faster than expected and oil revenues will help defray military and social service expenditures "Nigeria emerged from the war with a heightened sense of national pride mixed with an anti-foreign sentiment, and an intention to play a larger role in African and world affairs." Author of. . [72] On 1 January 1900, the British Empire created the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and the Northern Nigeria Protectorate. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by the Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. [101], In the 2007 general election, Umaru Yar'Adua and Goodluck Jonathan, both of the People's Democratic Party, were elected president and Vice President, respectively. The mai (king) of Kanem and his court accepted Islam in the 11th century, as the western empires also had done. [36], The Hausa Kingdoms were a collection of states started by the Hausa people, situated between the Niger River and Lake Chad. [75], Capturing 89 seats in the federal parliament was the second-largest party in the newly independent country the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC). Chairs were thrown and one member grabbed the parliamentary Mace and wielded it like a weapon to attack the Speaker and other members. The name, "Nigeria", given us by Flora Shaw, wife of former colonial master, Frederick Lugard, bears a negative vibration. [70] The young Audu, who was an aspirant in last Friday's APC primary in Kogi State, described the primary as a highly compromised and fraudulent process characterized by unprecedented irregularities. While the hero had a child with the queen, Bawo, and another child with the queen's maid-servant, Karbagari. The coastal areas are drained by short rivers that flow into the Gulf of Guinea. Political parties, however, tended to reflect the makeup of the three main ethnic groups. During his first days in office, President Babangida moved to restore freedom of the press and to release political detainees being held without charge. This lack of communication left the new acting President Jonathan with no knowledge of his predecessor's plans. Ofega was the queen for the Onitsha Igbo. [90] All of this meant that by 1979, Nigeria was the sixth largest producer of oil in the world with revenues from oil of $24 billion per year. [55] The Nri had a taboo symbolic code with six types. Additional sanctions were imposed as a result of Nigeria's failure to gain full certification for its counter-narcotics efforts. However, the subsequent massacre of thousands of Ibo in the north prompted hundreds of thousands of them to return to the south-east where increasingly strong Igbo secessionist sentiment emerged. Communal violence has plagued the Obasanjo government since its inception. Each king traces his origin back to the founding ancestor, Eri. [14] Nigeria became a republic again after a new constitution was written in 1979. The Soviet Union benefits from Nigerian appreciation of its help during the war, but is not trying for control. The entire territory of the Royal Niger Company came into the hands of the British government. [108], The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu, won the February 2023 presidential election to succeed Muhammadu Buhari as the next president of Nigeria. [53], Archaeological evidence suggests that Nri hegemony in Igboland may go back as far as the 9th century,[54] and royal burials have been unearthed dating to at least the 10th century. The Etymological Origins of the Word Nigeria The name Niger-ia, or Nigger area was given to that country by the mistress of one of the most evil-minded genocidal murders of Muurs named Lord (Bloodclat!) The need to protect its commercial interests compelled Borno to intervene in Kanem, which continued to be a theatre of war throughout the 15th century and into the 16th century. General Muhammadu Buhari was declared the winner of the 2015 presidential elections. It has one of the largest river systems in the world, including the Niger Delta, the third largest delta on Earth. Other eroded surfaces, such as the Udi-Nsukka escarpment (see Udi-Nsukka Plateau), rise abruptly above the plains at elevations of at least 1,000 feet (300 metres). There's no documented date for exactly what day and month Nigeria got her name. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. In the history of Nigeria, we can say Nigeria today can thus be traced back to pre-historic dwellers living as early as 1100BC, the various kingdoms and empires of the 17 th century. Yar'Adua's presidency was fraught with uncertainty as media reports said he suffered from kidney and heart disease. On 20 December 1997, the government arrested General Oladipo Diya, ten officers, and eight civilians on charges of coup plotting. Jaja Wachuku replaced Sir Frederick Metcalfe of Britain. Security officers rounded up the accused, including former Head of State Obasanjo and his deputy, retired General Shehu Musa Yar'Adua. Head of State Babangida promised to return the country to civilian rule by 1990 which was later extended until January 1993. In response, petroleum workers called a strike demanding that Abacha release Abiola and hand over power to him. History of Nigeria Early Nigerian cultures The Nok culture Evidence of human occupation in Nigeria dates back thousands of years. The monarch of Nigeria was still head of state but legislative power was vested in a bicameral parliament, executive power in a prime minister and cabinet, and judicial authority in a Federal Supreme Court. History & Background. Social, economic, and cultural history also began to grow in prominence. The Lagos invasion by the British annexing Lagos into a colony; Lagos was a seat of power serving as both political and economic capital. Nigeria has a diverse geography, with climates ranging from arid to humid equatorial. After calling off a threatened strike in July the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) reconsidered a general strike in August after the government imposed conditions on Abiola's release. Nok male head; 550-50 BC; terracotta; Brooklyn Museum (New York City, USA). The 1965 national election produced a major realignment of politics and a disputed result that set the country on the path to civil war. A sign of federalism has been the growing visibility of state governors and the inherent friction between Abuja and the state capitals over resource allocation.[97]. Problems exist with inflation, internal debt, and a huge military budget, competing with popular demands for government services. They discovered that Nigerians have to be civilized so as to be good customers. Throughout the 16th-century much of northern Nigeria paid homage to Songhai in the west or to Borno, a rival empire in the east. Lord Lugard Created Nigeria 104 Years Ago. Toyin Falola, and Julius Omozuanvbo Ihonvbere. Despite its relative political weakness in this period, Borno's court and mosques under the patronage of a line of scholarly kings earned fame as centres of Islamic culture and learning. 4 January 2016. The most powerful of these states were Ghana, Gao, and Kanem, which were not within the boundaries of modern Nigeria but which influenced the history of the Nigerian savanna. Gradually Borno's position weakened; its inability to check political rivalries between competing Hausa cities was one example of this decline. Eri, the god-like founder of Nri, is believed to have settled in the region around 948 with other related Igbo cultures following in the 13th century. Jack McCaslin is a . The Nok culture is thought to have begun smelting iron by 600-500 BC and possibly some centuries earlier. However, the spike in oil prices from $3 per barrel to $12 per barrel, following the Yom Kippur War in 1973 brought a sudden rush of money to Nigeria. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British journalist Flora Shaw, who later married Baron Frederick Lugard, a British colonial administrator. The Niger has many rapids and waterfalls, but the Benue is not interrupted by either and is navigable throughout its length, except during the dry season. [96], Most civil society leaders and Nigerians witnessed marked improvements in human rights and freedom of the press under Obasanjo. Another factor was the military threat of the Tuareg centred at Agades who penetrated the northern districts of Borno. Translated in Arabic as nahr al-anhur "river of rivers." updated on June 13, 2019 Gently undulating plains, which become waterlogged during the rainy season, are found in these areas. [52] Eri's origins are unclear, though he has been described as a "sky being" sent by Chukwu (God). The Sokoto Plains and the Borno Plains are located in the northwestern and northeastern corners of the country respectively. Katsina and Daura were the "Chiefs of the Market," as their geographical location accorded them direct access to the caravans coming across the desert from the north. 34 sought to do away with the whole federal structure under which the Nigerian government had been organised since independence. Other tribes such as the Nri Kingdom also . The country's landscape features plains in the north and south. In 1808 the Hausa Nation was finally conquered by Usman dan Fodio and incorporated into the Hausa-Fulani Sokoto Caliphate.[45]. A new republic was planned to be established in 1993 but was aborted by General Sani Abacha. The Akintola faction argued that the Yoruba peoples were losing their pre-eminent position in business in Nigeria to people of the Igbo tribe because the Igbo-dominated NCNC was part of the governing coalition and the AG was not. Many Fulani moved into Hausaland and Borno, and their arrival increased tensions because they had no loyalty to the political authorities, who saw them as a source of increased taxation. [41] They are called the Banza Bakwai meaning Bastard or Bogus Seven on account of their ancestress' slave status.[41]. Nok seated figure; 5th century BC 5th century AD; terracotta; 38cm (1ft. 3 in. The Northern People's Congress (NPC) represented conservative, Muslim, largely Hausa and Fulani interests that dominated the northern region of the country, consisting of three-quarters of the land area and more than half the population of Nigeria. [89], In 1982 the ruling National Party of Nigeria, a conservative alliance led by Shegu Shagari, had hoped to retain power through patronage and control over the Federal Election Commission. There they constituted a devoutly religious, educated elite who made themselves indispensable to the Hausa kings as government advisers, Islamic judges, and teachers. In the 1959 elections held in preparation for independence, the NPC captured 134 seats in the 312-seat parliament. The school was characterised by its overt Nigerian nationalism and it was geared towards forging a Nigerian identity through publicizing the glories of pre-colonial history. The judiciary system continued to be hampered by corruption and lack of resources after Abacha's death. At the same time, rival schools developed. South of Kano the mixed soils contain locally derived granite and loess (wind-borne deposits). The mouth of this head is slightly open. [24], Stone axe heads, imported in great quantities from the north and used in opening the forest for agricultural development, were venerated by the Yoruba descendants of Neolithic pioneers as "thunderbolts" hurled to earth by the gods. During the 14th and 16th centuries, the demand for gold increased due to European and Islamic states wanting to change their currencies to gold. Gobir, located in the west, was the "Chief of War" and was mainly responsible for protecting the empire from the invasive Kingdoms of Ghana and Songhai. John A. Ayoade, and Adeoye A. Akinsanya, eds. ", Ogbeidi, Michael M. "Political leadership and corruption in Nigeria since 1960: A socio-economic analysis. The Ife model of government was adapted at Oyo, where a member of its ruling dynasty controlled several smaller city-states. In August 1998 Abubakar appointed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct elections for local government councils, state legislatures and governors, the national assembly, and president. Thus, the AG was reduced to an opposition role in their own stronghold.[77]. 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