The history of Nigeria traces back to early inhabitants around 13,000 BC and ancient civilizations like the Nok culture (1500 BC). Numerous ancient African civilizations settled in the region that is known today as Nigeria, such as the Kingdom of Nri, the Benin Kingdom, and the Oyo Empire. Islam reached Nigeria through the Bornu Empire between (1068 AD) and Hausa Kingdom during the 11th century, while Christianity came to Nigeria in the 15th century through Augustinian and Capuchin monks from Portugal to the Kingdom of Warri. The Songhai Empire also occupied part of the region.
Through contact with Europeans, early harbour towns such as Calabar, Badagry and Bonny emerged along the coast after 1480, which did business in the transatlantic slave trade, among other things. In its initial endeavour to stop the slave trade in West Africa, the United Kingdom gradually expanded its sphere of influence after 1851, starting from the tiny island of Lagos (3 km2) and the port city of Calabar.
At the Berlin Congo Conference in 1885, the European powers demarcated their spheres of interest in Africa without regard to ethnic or linguistic boundaries and without giving those affected a say. Thereafter, the British made increasing advances in the Niger region, which they had negotiated in Berlin, and ultimately defeated the Sokoto Caliphate.
Under the British colonial administration, purchasing cartels (of companies such as Unilever, Nestlé and Cadbury) kept the prices of cocoa, palm oil and peanuts artificially low, thereby damaging Nigerian agriculture, but on the other hand ports and an extensive railway network were also built. Newspapers, political parties, trade unions and higher education institutions were established - rather against the wishes of the colonial rulers in order to control the oversized colony.
Nigeria gained independence from Britain in 1960. This was followed by a turbulent period including a coup, counter-coup and the murders of political leaders.
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Nigeria Independence Day ceremony, 1960.
The Biafra War (1967-1970)
From 1967 to 1970, the "Biafra War" raged in the south-east - one of the worst humanitarian disasters of modern times. In May 1967, the Republic of Biafra declared independence from Nigeria as a homeland for the Igbo people in south-eastern Nigeria, sparking a devastating civil war. After secession was declared, Nigeria’s federal government sent in its military and began an economic blockade, preventing the entry even of humanitarian aid into breakaway Biafra. Hundreds of thousands of people starved to death and died from disease.
While the Biafran cause seemed noble to many, only a few countries recognised the new republic. Both Britain and the Soviet Union sent substantial military aid to Nigeria to help it reconquer the Igbo territories and enforce the blockade. The war ended in January 1970 when Ojukwu fled into exile.
Map of Nigerian Civil War.
Political and Economic Developments
After three decades mostly of increasingly restrictive military dictatorships, Nigeria became a democratic federal republic based on the US model in 1999. Quadrennial elections are criticised as "non-transparent". Nevertheless, changes of power in the presidential villa at Aso Rock took place peacefully in 2007, 2010, 2015 and 2023, making Nigeria one of the few stable democracies in the region - despite its shortcomings.
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In the aftermath of the 1967-70 civil war, Nigeria's government became more centralized. The oil boom of the 1970s" provided the tax revenue to strengthen the central government further. The economic history of Nigeria falls into three periods. They are the: pre-colonial, the colonial and the post-colonial or independence periods.
Unlike the 1970s, a major feature of Nigeria's economy in the 1980s was its dependence on petroleum, which accounts for 87 percent of export receipts and 77 percent of the Federal government's current revenue in 1988. Falling oil output and prices contributed to another noteworthy aspect of the economy in the 1980s-the decline in per capita real gross national product, which persisted until oil prices began to rise in 1990.
Nigeria has one of the largest populations in Africa with over 200 million citizens. Its economy booms from the oil industry in the Niger Delta, and is said to be the leading economy in Africa in 2020. Although Nigeria's economy is doing well, research has proven 35 percent of the population live in absolute poverty. Approximately, 90 million Nigerians are believed to live on less than one US dollar a day.
Contemporary Challenges
With economic insecurity, high unemployment rates, and poverty, the Boko Haram group was able to emerge within Nigeria as political protests. The Boko Haram revolt of 2014, which received much attention in the West, fell apart due to infighting and the united approach of Nigeria and its neighbours. Boko Haram is a violent social group that arose, partly in response to the social and economic deprivation of Nigeria's northeastern population. They were able to recruit among the youths population of Nigeria because of unemployment; approximately 64 million youths are unemployed with 1.6 million being underemployed.
Boko Haram targets individuals or organizations who encourage lifestyles believed to follow western culture, like the US or Europe. The Boko Haram is believed to be responsible for roughly 10,000 deaths and 2.6 million displaced Nigerians since 2011. Nigeria's economy suffered when attacks held by the Boko Haram began on local businesses, government buildings, and local facilities such as schools and churches.
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Foreign investors began to withdraw their money from Nigeria because of the state of conflict Nigeria is in and the degrading economy as a result of the Boko Haram; causing Nigeria to lose 1.33 trillion dollars in foreign investments. Nigerian refugees who were displaced or just seeking refuge from the Boko Haram migrated to neighboring countries such as Cameroon, Ghana, Niger, and Chad. Majority citizens migrated to the southern half of Nigeria where there are more opportunities for work, better economy, and more security.
Cultural and Historical Perspectives
The history has been portrayed through literature.
As Yerima pointed out, historical plays are more about the portrayal of characters and portrayal of the story because a playwright must first have a thematic intention; he selects historical material to use to justify his position as a storyteller. Therefore, what comes first to the playwright is not the portrayal of the true historical event but his interpretation of the history.
In the North, rule by the Islamic elite remained a structure through which individuals were ruled during the colonial and postcolonial period (Cooper, 2003, 171-172). While this wasn’t an officially recognized form of rule, the collaboration Islamic leaders had with the Northern People’s Congress created an overlap between religious rule and institutionalized political rule (Ibid, 172).
Human Rights
Nigeria has a long history of violation of human rights. It is commonly believed that human rights violations in Nigeria have colonial roots. In an effort to consolidate and expand their power, the British colonial masters grossly violated the rights of the people in Nigeria. But even 50 years after independence, the Nigerian citizens continue to face constant violations of their basic rights.
After independence, Nigeria has experienced a mix of periods of military and civilian rule. The military rule in Nigeria became a symbol of complete authoritarianism. After every military coup, the government suspended the constitution and, thus, absolved itself of the accountability towards its people. Similarly, the civilian rule also came to be characterized by the institutional failure in observing people’s rights.
Key Events in Post-Colonial Nigeria
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1960 | Nigeria gains independence from Britain |
| 1967-1970 | Biafra War |
| 1999 | Nigeria becomes a democratic federal republic |
| 2014 | Boko Haram revolt |
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