origin of nigeria
2014. However, Bello chose to remain as premier of the North and as party boss of the NPC, selected Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, a Hausa, to become Nigeria's first Prime Minister. 150200 deaths (current estimate). The term means that people should be independent and live within political boundaries that corresponded to where they lived. On 1 October 2001 Obasanjo announced the formation of a National Security Commission to address the issue of communal violence. Nigeria, country located on the western coast of Africa. Excavations in Ugwuele, Afikpo and Nsukka show evidence of habitation as early as 6,000 BC. In October 2001, hundreds were killed and thousands displaced in communal violence that spread across the states of Benue, Taraba, and Nasarawa. Shortly afterwards the AG opposition leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, was imprisoned to be without foundation. circa 11th century onwards - Formation of city states, kingdoms and empires, including Hausa kingdoms and Borno. Almost immediately, the revenues from oil began to make Nigeria a wealthy nation. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_Nigeria&oldid=1149132929, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the Royal Naval Biography (1823), Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the RNB (1823) with Wikisource reference, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference, Articles with dead external links from October 2022, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2022, Articles with dead external links from July 2022, Articles incorporating a citation from the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia with Wikisource reference, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Odeyemi, Jacob Oluwole. [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. Songhai collapsed in 1591 when a Moroccan army conquered Gao and Timbuktu. The U.S. intelligence community concluded in November 1970 that "The Nigerian Civil War ended with relatively little rancour. The Ibadan School began to decline in importance in the 1970s. Author of, Professor of Geography, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. The emergence of democracy in Nigeria in May 1999 ended 16 years of consecutive military rule. [14] Nigeria became a republic again after a new constitution was written in 1979. During the 14th and 16th centuries, the demand for gold increased due to European and Islamic states wanting to change their currencies to gold. Modern Nigeria dates from 1914, when the British Protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria were joined. The election was marred by electoral fraud, and denounced by other candidates and international observers.[102][103]. However, the republic was short-lived, as the military seized power again in 1983 and later ruled for ten years. While that may be a lot of people, population . 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. 34 sought to do away with the whole federal structure under which the Nigerian government had been organised since independence. The tribunal sentenced Saro-Wiwa and eight others to death and they were executed on 10 November 1995. Much use was made of oral history and throughout the school took a strongly interdisciplinary approach to gather information. In the 15th century the region brought under central control is a mere seventy-miles across (people and places being harder to subdue in the tropical forest than on the savanna), though a century later Benin stretches from the Niger delta in the east to Lagos in the west. On 29 May 1967, Lt. Col. Emeka Ojukwu, the military governor of the eastern region who emerged as the leader of increasing Igbo secessionist sentiment, declared the independence of the eastern region as the Republic of Biafra on 30 May 1967. The neighbouring Republic of Niger takes its name from the same river. Nok seated figure; 5th century BC 5th century AD; terracotta; 38cm (1ft. 3 in. Women, for example, continued to exercise considerable political influence. Despite Borno's hegemony the Hausa states continued to wrestle for ascendancy. Although these soils can readily be leached and lose their fertility, they are the most productive agriculturally. Acceptance of Islam was gradual and was often nominal in the countryside where folk religion continued to exert a strong influence. 34 which sought to unify the nation. Hydromorphic and organic soils, confined largely to areas underlain by sedimentary rocks along the coast and river floodplains, are the youngest soil types. 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). Characteristic landforms in this region include oxbow lakes, river meander belts (see meander), and prominent levees. More than 100 were killed in riots before Babangida agreed to hand power to an interim government on 27 August 1993. This made inviting foreign scholars, subscribing to journals, and attending conferences vastly more expensive. Omissions? At Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria, the Islamic Legitimist school arose that rejected Western models in favour of the scholarly tradition of the Sokoto Caliphate and the Islamic world. Flora Shaw later Flora Lugard named the areas that fell within the Muurish Sokoto Emirate and Muurish Benin, Nigger area. The former military head of state Olusegun Obasanjo, freed from prison by Abubakar, ran as a civilian candidate and won the presidential election. Rivers draining the area north of the Niger-Benue trough include the Sokoto, the Kaduna, the Gongola, and the rivers draining into Lake Chad. Ofega was the queen for the Onitsha Igbo. In the precolonial period the country normally produced enough agricultural commodities to feed its population, and it even maintained a surplus for export. Pin the Capital on the Country: Fact or Fiction? Igala people are majorly found in Kogi state. The use of slave labour was extensive, especially in agriculture."[33]. In December 1990 the first stage of partisan elections was held at the local government level. 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. Largely because of Songhai's influence, there was a blossoming of Islamic learning and culture. 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 country has abundant natural resources, notably large deposits of petroleum and natural gas. On 1 October 1995 Abacha announced the timetable for a three-year transition to civilian rule. He remained incommunicado for 50 days, by which time rumours were rife that he had died. In 1994 the government set up the Ogoni Civil Disturbances Special Tribunal to try Ogoni activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and others for their alleged roles in the killings of four Ogoni politicians. Some Fulbe converted to Islam as early as the 11th century and settled among the Hausa, from whom they became racially indistinguishable. Other states where Igalas can be found are Anambra, Delta and Benue states. Hundreds of ethnic Hausa were killed in reprisal attacks in south-eastern Nigeria. Though those efforts have been hard to come by, as many violent ethnic and religious clashes occurred in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Nigeria has continued to face governmental, ethnic, religious, health related, educational, economic, and other issues ("Nigeria"). [61] The rules regarding these taboos were used to educate and govern Nri's subjects. The Benin Empire (14401897; called Bini by locals) was a pre-colonial African state in what is now modern Nigeria. The earliest iron technology in West Africa has also been found to be contemporary with or predate that of the Nile valley and North Africa, and some archaeologists believe that iron metallurgy was likely developed independently in sub-Saharan West Africa.[30][29]. [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. The soils in the northern states of Kano and Sokoto, however, are not subject to leaching and are therefore easily farmed. There's no documented date for exactly what day and month Nigeria got her name. Others left the country entirely for jobs at universities in the West. 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. 3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 Origin of NAN A new development in the history of the mass media in Nigeria took place in 1976 with the establishment of an independent wire service-the NAN by the Federal Government. The Igl are one of the ethnic groups found in Nigeria. The PRC promulgated a new constitution based largely on the suspended 1979 constitution, before the 29 May 1999 inauguration of the new civilian president. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. "Africa's most populous country (population estimated at 48 million) is in the throes of a highly complex internal crisis rooted in its artificial origin as a British dependency containing over 250 diverse and often antagonistic tribal groups. [18][19], The earliest known example of a fossil human skeleton found anywhere in West Africa, which is 13,000 years old, was found at Iwo-Eleru in Isarun, western Nigeria, and attests to the antiquity of habitation in the region. Jaja Wachuku replaced Sir Frederick Metcalfe of Britain. These included Islamic empires in northern Nigeria and smaller organized political groupings in southern Nigeria. This was to commemorate the June 12th election of 1993, and the events that surrounded it. Nigeria has a diverse geography, with climates ranging from arid to humid equatorial. [13] Nigeria first became a republic in 1963, but succumbed to military rule after a bloody coup d'tat in 1966. 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. Cotton grew readily in the great plains of these states, and they became the primary producers of cloth, weaving and dying it before sending it off in caravans to the other states within Hausaland and to extensive regions beyond. Others have suggested that the technology moved west from the Nile Valley, although the Iron Age in the Niger River valley and the forest region appears to predate the introduction of metallurgy in the upper savanna by more than 800 years. 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. ), width: 50cm (19.6in. "Nigeria is likely to take a more active role in funding liberation movements in southern Africa." Pending the promulgation of the constitution written in 1995, the government observed some provisions of the 1979 and 1989 constitutions. The oldest fossil remains found by archaeologists in the southwestern area of Iwo Eleru, near Akure, have been dated to about 9000 bce. British cultural influence is strong but its political influence is declining. Neither Abacha nor Abubakar lifted the decree suspending the 1979 constitution, and the 1989 constitution was not implemented. [70] The government alleged in early 1995 that military officers and civilians were engaged in a coup plot. 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 is the seventh-most populous country in the world, home to more than 200 million people. It has one of the largest river systems in the world, including the Niger Delta, the third largest delta on Earth. The University of Ibadan was the first university to open in Nigeria, and its scholars set up the history departments at most of Nigeria's other universities, spreading the Ibadan historiography. The states included only kingdoms inhabited by Hausa-speakers: Since the beginning of Hausa history, the seven states of Hausaland divided up production and labor activities in accordance with their location and natural resources. Throughout the 16th-century much of northern Nigeria paid homage to Songhai in the west or to Borno, a rival empire in the east. 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. Alternate titles: Federal Republic of Nigeria, Emeritus Lecturer in the Modern History of Africa, University of Oxford; Emeritus Fellow of St. Antony's College, Oxford. [43] The Fulani began to enter the Hausa country in the 13th century and by the 15th century, they were tending cattle, sheep, and goats in Borno as well. Notably, as First Speaker of the House, Jaja Wachuku received Nigeria's Instrument of Independence, also known as Freedom Charter, on 1 October 1960, from Princess Alexandra of Kent, the Queen's representative at the Nigerian independence ceremonies. 4 January 2016. The forest soils represent the third zone. 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. In this Nok work, the head is dramatically larger than the body supporting it, yet the figure possesses elegant details and a powerful focus. George's . All of the Nok statues are very stylized and similar in that they have arched eyebrows with triangular eyes and perforated pupils. The vast country Kanem-Bornu reaching from Libya to Nigeria was created by the people of Zaghawa in nomadic Nilodic in the North-East of Nigeria by 700. [84] The name Federal Republic of Nigeria was restored on 31 August 1966. Britannica Quiz Geography Fun Facts Relief Gently undulating plains, which become waterlogged during the rainy season, are found in these areas. 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. The coastal areas are drained by short rivers that flow into the Gulf of Guinea. On 15 January 1966, a group of army officers (the Young Majors) mostly south-eastern Igbos, overthrew the NPC-NNDP government and assassinated the prime minister and the premiers of the northern and western regions. Although these western empires had little political influence on the Nigerian savanna before 1500 they had a strong cultural and economic impact that became more pronounced in the 16th century, especially because these states became associated with the spread of Islam and trade. In the 1959 elections, the AG obtained 73 seats.[75]. John A. Ayoade, and Adeoye A. Akinsanya, eds. History. Nigeria is not only large in arealarger than the U.S. state of Texasbut also Africas most populous country. Respect for the priestly functions of the oni of Ife was a crucial factor in the evolution of Yoruba culture. Obasanjo had recently stated on national radio that he would "deal firmly" with election fraud and violence advocated by "highly placed individuals." The leading scholars of the Ibadan School include Saburi Biobaku, Kenneth Dike, J. F. A. Ajayi, Adiele Afigbo, E. A. Ayandele, O. Ikime and Tekena Tamuno. Large freshwater swamps give way to brackish mangrove thickets near the seacoast. [52] Eri's origins are unclear, though he has been described as a "sky being" sent by Chukwu (God). [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]. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 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. [93] Babangida (IBB) cited the misuse of power, violations of human rights by key officers of the SMC, and the government's failure to deal with the country's deepening economic crisis as justifications for the takeover. , country located on the western coast of Africa. formation of city states, kingdoms and,. Of Niger takes its name from the Niger Delta, the third largest Delta on Earth federal structure which. The same river now modern Nigeria dates from 1914, when the British Protectorates of northern and Nigeria! 1995 Abacha announced the timetable for a three-year transition to civilian rule name Nigeria was restored on 31 1966. The emergence of democracy in Nigeria in May 1999 ended 16 years of military. 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