British Colonization Of Nigeria Essay

Nigeria is a country in West Africa and was colonized by the British. It was established as a colony in 1884 at the Berlin conference where Africa was divided by European powers. The British simply 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. The European imperialist push into Africa was motivated by three main factors, economic, political, and social. Nigeria in the past was forced to participate in the slave trade. The British colonized and controlled Nigeria first by setting up trading posts and selling manufactured goods. They originally split Nigeria into two separate regions; the north and the south. The Southern and Northern Nigeria Protectorates controlled these two regions. The Protectorates created a system of command and administrations built around indigenous authorities of Nigeria. In 1914 the two Protectorates unified to form the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria. The British took

an interest in Nigeria because of its resources.
The first legacy is economic. Nigeria was the perfect place for the British to manufacture goods. Nigeria became part of British imperial expansion that focused on exploiting raw materials, minerals, and foodstuffs important to Western industrial development. Britain tried to encourage tropical export crops in Nigeria and to stimulate demand there for British manufactured goods. The colonies built a railroad network between the 1890s and World War II, and constructed roads at an accelerating rate after the 1930s. These developments, along with the introduction of the pound sterling as the universal medium of exchange, encouraged export trade in tin, cotton, cocoa, groundnuts, and palm oil. The major product the British wanted to export was palm oil. Palm oil was the type of oil used for cooking all over the world. Palm oil derives from the palm oil tree. The British also wanted to secure trading with the country of Nigeria. Nigeria had resources that weren't available anywhere else.
The second legacy is political. The village people ruled the Nigerian government before colonization. Villagers with important titles had special privileges in the community meetings. The British practice a way of governing called "indirect rule." Indirect rule was when the British appointed certain villagers to be leaders. The leaders were told what to do by the British. But the other tribe members didn't listen to the new leaders and the leaders were replaced by British officers.
The third legacy is social.
The British colonization did have a positive impact on Nigeria.

As a colony, Nigeria experienced a good deal of growth in infrastructure and trade. Roads and railroads were built throughout the country. Communication became more rapid due to the telegraph and postal system. Cash crops such as rubber, peanuts, and palm oil were promoted in rural areas, and were sold and exported. Also involved in export was the expanding mining industry. In general, a cash economy was becoming increasingly important to Nigeria. And this economic system that was set into place mainly benefited Europe, while exploiting the labor and resources of Nigeria. Unfortunately, the Nigerian people could see that the colonial system was not working for their benefit. They were taxed heavily and unable to move up the ladder to positions of privilege and power that the colonial administrators enjoyed. They also resented the disrespect for local customs shown by British

colonizers.