Introduction
The Federation of Nigeria has never been a homogenous country. Nigeria is a country with a daunting history. On October 1, 1960 the populous country of Nigeria, having the largest landmass of the West African states, gained its independence (Metz, 1991). Nigeria is a country of “great diversity,” due to various amounts of the ethnic groups (See Society and Culture p5).There are more than 250 ethnic groups that are influenced by politics and popularity. Nigeria’s history dates back to 1914, when it was just a colony under the British rule (Schwarz, 1965).
The road to independence for Nigeria has been filled with strife and turmoil, since colonized by the British in the1800s. Nigeria is a product of Great Britain’s imperialistic views. The British contributed to the structure and how Nigeria is governed today. Before independence, the European slave trade (fifteenth century) impacted Nigeria significantly, (See p.4 table 1). A desire for gold and profit, in 1807, Britain declares the slave trade to be illegal (Matthews, 2002). During this time, the British realized that they could take advantage of Nigeria’s natural resources and treasures.
Meanwhile, banning the Slave trade, European missionaries began to spread the Gospel of the Christian faith and Western philosophy. But the Islamic teaching made its way in to Nigeria, as well (Matthews, 2002). The tensions between the two were contentious, that it triggered the jihad, or holy war (See Society and Culture p5). The religion tensions have ascended more today than ever before. What will happen if this tension is hyperbolized? Will these two major religions ever come to a compromise? Many questions have surfaced from this conflict alone.
Nigeria has a multiplicity...
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According to Flint, marks a new direction in colonial policy, with ‘self-government’ becoming a paramount concern [9] R Pearce, P 79 [10] R Pearce, P 80 [11] R Pearce, P 80 [12] R Pearce, P 84 [13] Founder of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroon’s. [14] T Falola & A. D. Roberts, West Africa, Oxford History of British Empire, 20th Century, P 524
Shokpeka, S. A., & Nwaokocha, O. A. (2009). British Colonial Economic Policy in Nigeria, the Example of Benin Province1914-1954. Human Ecology, 28(1), 58-65.
Africa has served as a place of religious encounter and change. Within Africa there is a unique blend of traditional religion and Western religions such as Islam and Christianity. Even in the modern day, neither traditional nor Western religions have eliminated the other. The religions coexist harmoniously within the African mindset. However, the way these religions coexist is not simply in the blending of the two, but rather in a culture of oscillation. Religious authorities create an environment where polyontology, but not syncreticism can thrive.
The Portuguese arrived in Benin, in modern Nigeria, between 1472 and 1486 to find an established and ancient kingdom with remarkable social and ritual complexity, with art that was comparatively naturalistic, and with a political system that was, on the surface, recognizable to the Europeans: monarchy. Even more importantly, they found a land rich in pepper, cloth, ivory, and slaves, and immediately set out to establish trade (Ben-Amos 35-6). Though we often imagine "first contacts" between Europeans and Africans as clashes of epochal proportions, leaving Europeans free to manipulate and coerce the flabbergasted and paralyzed Africans, this misjudges the resilience and indeed, preparedness, of the Benin people. The Benin were able to draw on their cultural, political, and religious traditions to fit the European arrival in an understandable context. Indeed, as the great brass plaques of the Benin palace demonstrate, the arrival was in fact manipulated by the Benin to strengthen, not diminish, indigenous royal power.
The prior history of Nigeria before the 1900’s is critical in exploring the effects of colonialism. During the pre-colonial era, Nigeria was mainly divided into three tribes: Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa Fulani. A female’s role differed according to kinship structure of the tribe and the status of the woman in the economy. Neither new nor peculiar, women have long been regarded as the “subordinate” class in Nigerian culture. Nigerian women were able to achieve high statuses by lineage or marrying into ruling class families. Under customary laws, a woman’s purpose was to be fertile and able to bear children. Tribes expected their women to marry into Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa Fulani patri-lineage and bear sons to guarantee the future of the tribe. A wife’s position improved as she gave birth to more children and gain approval from elder members. Women who could not were scorned just as Mama wa...
total value of the imports of the country. It benefits Nigeria’s oil, natural gas, coal,
During the colonial period in Nigeria (from about 1850 to 1960), the British, like any other colonial power, asserted their dominance through a variety of media. The colonial experience of Nigeria and Britain, and Nigeria's early post-colonial history can be described, roughly chronologically, in three phases or periods: the formation of a ‘captured' colony, the education and inculcation of ‘proper,' British ways (i.e., the ‘taming' of the colony), and the immediate aftermath of colonialism (i.e., the ‘independence' of the colony). This essay attempts to scrutinize these periods in the light of the theories of Karl Marx, Ernest Gellner, and Jack Snyder. My claim is that Nigeria's colonial relationship with Britain, in general, reflects Marx's theory of the dichotomy between the oppressor and the oppressed, Gellner's theory that domination and oppression is disseminated through educational means, and Snyder's theory on the risks and dangers that young, ‘immature' … countries face when they gamble on democracy
Nigeria contains more historic cultures and empires than any other country in Africa. People were first known to inhabit Nigeria as early as 5 B.C. They first constructed a kingdom in the center of Nigeria, which is named Jos Plateau. This was the first of many widespread kingdoms of that region, but two centuries later it would extend to Bornu, which is located on the western region of Nigeria (Gascoigne 1). Nigeria was made up of mostly kingdoms until British colonized in the 1800’s. The Soko Jotojhad and Yotruba wars encouraged slave trade at the time the British were trying to abolish the slave trade. Slaves were normally traded for European goods such as guns and gun powder. At this time, the British encouraged trading palm oil over trading slaves. Many of the slaves that were exported to Britain were intercepted by naval ships and shipped to Sierra Leone to collect palm oil. Some Nigerians began to migrate back from Sierra Leone in search of their homes and trade. British missionaries were invited to follow the slaves back, and in the 1840’s they wer...
"Untouchability in Nigeria | International Humanist and Ethical Union." International Humanist and Ethical Union | The World Union of Humanist Organizations. Web. 08 Apr. 2010. .
According to Samuels in Case Studies in Comparative Politics, Nigeria began as a group of states and empires, which were conquered by the British Empire who ruled Nigeria through indirect rule with varying degrees of rule in North and South Nigeria (Samuels, 323-326). Since they were granted independence in 1960, three republics have been created and each has ended by military rule, which led to the creation of the fourth, and current republic in Nigeria. In the current regime Nigeria’s GDP is ranked 108 of 156 and has been decreasing, lower than some of the non oil-producing nations in Africa (“Nigeria”).
Nigeria is a developing country in West Africa that was colonized by the British in 1884 at the Berlin conference where Africa was divided by European powers (Graham 2009). The British wanted to expand their empire, which meant taking over other countries that had resources that they wanted, and would allow them to expand their trade market and economy. One of the colonies that British colonized was Colonial Nigeria, which was forced to participate in the slave trade in the past and was controlled by the British through the set up of trading posts and selling manufactured goods. The British split Nigeria into the north and the south regions (Temple 1912). The Southern and Northern Nigeria Protectorates controlled these two regions.
In the end, what holds African countries such as Nigeria together is their shared pride. Modern, western influences can bring positive changes to society, but new cultures cannot completely eradicate the foundational cultures to which a society is founded on.
Discussions of Nigeria gender equality in recent times have focused on steps taken towards putting women in their proper prospects. In the past, each gender had clearly defined roles and the issue of gender conflict never arose. The extent of gender inequality had been hidden for so long that its seriousness in the present time of Nigeria is now attracting international attention. The 2012 Gender in Nigeria Report recently shows that gender inequality not only exists in the country, but at highly worrying levels. There is a lack of gender balance in the economy, education, politics, health, access to justice and almost all areas of human development.
Okeke, Phil E. "Reconfiguring Tradition: Women's Rights and Social Status in Contemporary Nigeria." Africa Today 47.1 (2000): 49-63.
The culture of Nigeria is multi-ethnic and consists of three large ethnic groups. These groups are the Yoruba, Hausa-Fulani, and the Igbo. The people of Nigeria still hold their traditional languages, music, and dance closely and may differ from ethnic group to ethnic group. Although English is considered to be Nigeria’s official language, only fifty percent of the population can speak it. This is contributed to the fact of the different amount of tribes, and generally, every tribe has its own language (Boomie).