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Nigeria has the largest population in Africa. Vrtually all the native African etnic groups are found in Nigeria. As a result, the Nigerian population and culture is highly diverse. The earliest evidence of human occupation has been found in Nigeria's central forest belt and in the Niger Delta. The Bantu are the largest tribal group in Africa. And it was in Nigeria that the Bantu and SemiBantu, migrating from southern and central Africa, intermingled with the Sudanese. Subsequently other groups (including Shuwa-Arabs, the Tuaregs, and the Fulanis) reached northern Nigeria in a series of migratory waves south across the Sahara Desert. Nigeria as a result contains more historic cultures and empires than any other other African country. The country's history has beeb traced back to the 5th century BC.
The history of African Empires is not well documented as they were pre-literate. There is no substantive evidence that the people of the Jos Plateau were influenced by the Nok culture, or the Eze Nri of today with Igbo Ukwu. The the history of Borno has been dated to the 9th Century when Arabic sources in north Africa noted the kingdom of Kanem centered east of Lake Chad. Other important cultures the Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, and Benin. Nigeria was one of the many African countries affeced by the slave trade. This began with the Arabs (8th century AD). The Portuguese began the Atlantic slave trade (15th century). Britain after the Napoleonic War began a campaign to end the slave trade. British navy patrols the coast to liberate captives from slave ships of other nations and to settle them at Freetown in neighboring Sierra Leone. Britain gradualy expanded its role in Nigeria. Britain gradually expanded its role in Nigeria. A British consul at Fernando Po was appointed to assume responsibility for the Bights of Biafra and Benin (1849). He began negotiating with the king of Lagos. It was from here that large numbers of captives were shipped. After these negotiations failed, a British ,ilitary force seized Lagos (1851). From this beginning, the British role in Nigeria steadily grew. The British role in Nigeria was strongest in the south. Frederick Lugard was appointed high commissioner of northern Nigeria with orders to pacify the tribes resisting British rule. The British appoint Lugard governor of both northern and southern Nigeria and ordered to merging them into a united colony (1913). He accomplishes this (1914). After World War II, Nigeria becone independent (1960).
The earliest evidence of human occupation has been found in Nigeria's central forest belt and in the Niger Delta. The Bantu are the largest tribal group in Africa.
Nigeria has the largest population in Africa. Vrtually all the native African etnic groups are found in Nigeria. As a result, the Nigerian population and culture is highly diverse. It was in Nigeria that the Bantu and SemiBantu, migrating from southern and central Africa, intermingled with the Sudanese. Subsequently other groups (including Shuwa-Arabs, the Tuaregs, and the Fulanis) reached northern Nigeria in a series of migratory waves south across the Sahara Desert. Nigeria as a result contains more historic cultures and empires than any other other African country. There are estimated 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria. While no single group enjoys an absolute numeric majority, four major groups constitute 60 percent of the population: Hausa-Fulani in the north, Yoruba in the west, and Igbo in the east. Other groups include: Kanuri, Binis, Ibibio, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Efik, Nupe, Tiv, and Jukun.
The country's history has beeb traced back to the 5th century BC.
The history of African Empires is not well documented as they were until the Islamic period pre-literate. Nigeria was nevr unified in pre-colonial times, thus this period had to be considere at the regional level. There is no substantive evidence that the people of the Jos Plateau were influenced by the Nok culture, or the Eze Nri of today with Igbo Ukwu. The the history of Borno has been dated to the 9th Century when Arabic sources in north Africa noted the kingdom of Kanem centered east of Lake Chad. Other important cultures the Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, and Benin. Northern The north was dominated by The Hausa who founded the Kano Kingdom in northenr Nigeria (999) which endured for nearly milenium. The Hausna and Kano were finally conquered by the Fulani as part of the Islamic Jihad that created the Sokoto Caliphate (1805). This occurred before British influence hd expanded into northern Nigeria. Kano was the most prosperous province of the Sokoto Caliphate. It was governed by an emir who ruled as a vassal ofthe Caliphate. British in the 19th century gradually expanded its influence inland, evebntually reaching Muslim-dominated northern Nigeria. The British seized Kano Emirate (1903).
Nigeria was one of the many African countries affeced by the slave trade. This began with the Arabs (8th century AD). Some Muslim kingdoms in the north had very large slave populations. The Portuguese began the Atlantic slave trade (15th century). The European influence was for four centuries limited to the coast where they established trading posts. Britain after the Napoleonic War began a campaign to end the slave trade. The British Royl Navy patroled the coast to liberate captives from slave ships of other nations and to settle them at Freetown in neighboring Sierra Leone.
The Portuguese moving south along the West African coast to find a trde route to the East were the first Europeahns to reach what is modern Nigeria.
Britain after the Napoleonic Wars gradualy expanded its role in Nigeria. Britain gradually expanded its role in Nigeria. A British consul at Fernando Po was appointed to assume responsibility for the Bights of Biafra and Benin (1849). He began negotiating with the king of Lagos. It was from here that large numbers of captives were shipped. After these negotiations failed, a British military force seized Lagos (1851). This began a century of British cilonial rule. From this beginning, the British role in Nigeria steadily grew. The British role in Nigeria was strongest in the south. Frederick Lugard was appointed high commissioner of northern Nigeria with orders to pacify the tribes resisting British rule. The British appoint Lugard governor of both northern and southern Nigeria and ordered to merging them into a united colony (1913). He accomplishes this (1914). After World War II, Nigeria becone independent (1960).
Nigeria was one of the many African countries involved with Deconnization that began with Ghana (1956). Nigeria as Africa's most populace country was a major step in the Decolinization process. The first step was to set up an African political structure (mid-1950s). A Federal prime minister was elected (1957). The Western and Eastern regions were granted internal self-government (1957). his was granted to the Northern region (1959). Full independemce was granted (October 1960). Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa leding a coalition and became the country's first independent prime minister. The tensions between the country's etnic and religious communities was a problem tht Britain wrestled wih during the colonial period. Even before inependence, they were a major concern of Bigeria's emerging new leaders. The most serious outbreak was the deadly Biafran War which occurred only a few years after independence (1967-70). Many African countries were terribly poor, limiting their development capabilities. This was not the case in Nigeria which has a sizeable oil resources. The oil revenue, tragically does not seem to have been used to develop the country. In recent years, a fundamentalist Islamic sugency ha created chaos in the north. Regional hostilities continue to be a a major aspect of independent Nigeria. More than half the country's Fulani and Hausa territories in thevnorth. Northerners thus have their own regional assembly, but also are represented in the federal government in Lagos.
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