It might suggest speech and that the figure has something to tell us. The chiefs of Akwa Akpa placed themselves under British protection in 1884. This lack of primary ethnic support makes Jonathan a target for militaristic overthrow or regional uprisings in the area. Eventually, the police with tear gas were required to quell the riot. 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. In November 2009, he fell ill and was flown out of the country to Saudi Arabia for medical attention. The FMG is neither very efficient nor dynamic, but the recent announcement that it intends to retain power for six more years has generated little opposition so far. The election was marred by electoral fraud, and denounced by other candidates and international observers.[102][103]. In October 1989 the government established two parties, the National Republican Convention (NRC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP); other parties were not allowed to register. History & Background. [62][63], The Arochukwu kingdom emerged after the Aro-Ibibio Wars from 1630 to 1720, and went on to form the Aro Confederacy which economically dominated Eastern Nigerian hinterland. However, on 23 June, Babangida, using several pending lawsuits as a pretence, annulled the election, throwing Nigeria into turmoil. The Abiriba and Aro are Brothers whose migration is traced to the Ekpa Kingdom, East of Cross River, their exact take of location was at Ekpa (Mkpa) east of the Cross River. ", This page was last edited on 10 April 2023, at 11:20. These parties were the People's Democratic Party (PDP), the All People's Party (APP), and the predominantly Yoruba Alliance for Democracy (AD). 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. The Yoruba are especially known for the Oyo Empire that dominated the region. On 27 October 1958 Britain agreed that Nigeria would become an independent state on 1 October 1960. [83] The Ironsi government's efforts to abolish the federal structure and the renaming the country the Republic of Nigeria on 24 May 1966 raised tensions and led to another coup by largely northern officers in July 1966, which established the leadership of Major General Yakubu Gowon. Their history is reflected in the Bayajidda legend,[37] which describes the adventures of the Baghdadi hero Bayajidda culminating in the killing of the snake in the well of Daura and the marriage with the local queen magajiya Daurama. Updates? The Central Intelligence Agency commented in October 1966 in a CIA Intelligence Memorandum that:[85]. However, the bloody nature of the Young Majors coup caused another coup to be carried out by General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi. The term means that people should be independent and live within political boundaries that corresponded to where they lived. - Offers a view of one of the main sources of income for the country. [67] From 1725 until 1750, roughly 17,000 enslaved Africans were sold from Calabar to European slave traders; from 1772 to 1775, the number soared to over 62,000. Nigeria has a diverse geography, with climates ranging from arid to humid equatorial. circa 800 BC - Jos plateau settled by Nok - a neolithic and iron age civilisation. However, the opposition had accusations of electoral fraud in polls. Archaeological research, pioneered by Charles Thurstan Shaw, has shown a long history of human settlement in Nigeria. Its scholars also wrote the textbooks that were used at all levels of the Nigerian education system for many years. Administratively, Nigeria remained divided into the Northern and Southern Provinces and Lagos Colony. The Ibadan School began to decline in importance in the 1970s. They crossed the river to Urupkam (Usukpam) west of the Cross River and founded two settlements: Ena Uda and Ena Ofia in present-day Erai. [41] The Akintola faction argued that the Yoruba peoples were losing their pre-eminent position in business in Nigeria to people of the Igbo tribe because the Igbo-dominated NCNC was part of the governing coalition and the AG was not. Nigeria. Olusegun Obasanjo inherited a country suffering economic stagnation and the deterioration of most democratic institutions. To them, being civilized meant being Christianized. [52] Eri's origins are unclear, though he has been described as a "sky being" sent by Chukwu (God). The present crisis started" with Nigerian independence in 1960, but the federated parliament hid "serious internal strains. At various moments in their history, the Hausa managed to establish central control over their states, but such unity has always proven short. The oldest fossil remains found by archaeologists in the southwestern area of Iwo Eleru, near Akure, have been dated to about 9000 bce. Efforts to eliminate or control these religious leaders only heightened the tensions, setting the stage for jihad. Trans-Saharan trade routes linked the western Sudan with the Mediterranean since the time of Carthage and with the Upper Nile from a much earlier date, establishing avenues of communication and cultural influence that remained open until the end of the 19th century. From the outset, Nigeria's ethnic and religious tensions were magnified by the disparities in economic and educational development between the south and the north. The Nigerian Army, vastly expanded during the war, is both the main support to the FMG and the chief threat to it. In 1979, five political parties competed in a series of elections in which Alhaji Shehu Shagari of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) was elected president. [citation needed] The Songhai Empire also occupied part of the region. [14] Nigeria became a republic again after a new constitution was written in 1979. Largely because of Songhai's influence, there was a blossoming of Islamic learning and culture. Each king traces his origin back to the founding ancestor, Eri. [68], With the suppression of the slave trade,[69] palm oil and palm kernels became the main exports. Daily . Almost immediately, the revenues from oil began to make Nigeria a wealthy nation. Chairs were thrown and one member grabbed the parliamentary Mace and wielded it like a weapon to attack the Speaker and other members. Islam was used to reinforce the political and social structures of the state although many established customs were maintained. In its prime, they also dominated the Kingdom of Dahomey (now located in the modern day Republic of Benin). 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. [20], The Nok culture thrived from approximately 1,500 BC to about 200 AD on the Jos Plateau in north and central Nigeria and produced life-sized terracotta figures that include human heads, human figures, and animals. Aviation workers in Nigeria have embarked on a two-day strike, leaving thousands of travelers stranded as airlines canceled or rescheduled flights in the country's major cities, A local official in Nigeria says that at least 33 people have been killed by gunmen in the country's northwest, From dressing as Roman soldiers in Antigua, Guatemala, to carrying palm fronds on the streets of Lagos, Nigeria, Christians around the world are celebrating Holy Week, State authorities said Tuesday at least 10 students were abducted by gunmen in northwest Nigeria, In a story published April 2, 2023, about police reforms in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a year after a Black man was shot and killed during a traffic stop, The Associated Press erroneously reported where the victim, Patrick Lyoya, was born. 1.5: Nigerian Culture and History is shared under a not declared license . The NEC successfully held elections on 5 December 1998, 9 January 1999, 20 February, and 27 February 1999, respectively. ), height: 54cm (21.2in. This led to an increase in trans-Saharan Trade. Nigeria is not only large in arealarger than the U.S. state of Texasbut also Africas most populous country. Archaeological findings in Ile-Ife prove to feature a high level of artistic skills in the 12th-14th century era. According to the Bayajidda legend, the Hausa states were founded by the sons of Bayajidda, a prince whose origin differs by tradition, but official canon records him as the person who married the last Kabara of Daura and heralded the end of the matriarchal monarchs that had erstwhile ruled the Hausa people. Lord Lugard Created Nigeria 104 Years Ago. Problems exist with inflation, internal debt, and a huge military budget, competing with popular demands for government services. Pending the promulgation of the constitution written in 1995, the government observed some provisions of the 1979 and 1989 constitutions. In February 2010, Goodluck Jonathan began serving as acting president in the absence of Yaradua. [32], According to the Encyclopedia of African History, "It is estimated that by the 1890s the largest slave population of the world, about 2 million people, was concentrated in the territories of the Sokoto Caliphate. The Iron Age Nok civilization of northern Nigeria dates back to about 1,500 BC, with evidence of settled life in the environs of Kaduna. Additionally, the Ironsi government was unable to produce a constitution acceptable to all sections of the country. Author of, Professor of Geography, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Nigeria is a West African country occupying an area of 923,769 sq. Finidi George was the first Nigerian to play and score in the UCL semi-final as Ajax defeated Bayern Munich 5-2 at the Amsterdam Arena in the second leg to win 5-2 on aggregate in 1995. 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. British cultural influence is strong but its political influence is declining. There are 400 deities called Orisha who perform various tasks. 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. trace the origin of News Agency of Nigeria discuss the functions of NAN and the services rendered by the agency. In December 1990 the first stage of partisan elections was held at the local government level. [95], The new president took over a country that faced many problems, including a dysfunctional bureaucracy, collapsed infrastructure, and a military that wanted a reward for returning quietly to the barracks. [104] In May 2010, the Nigerian government learned of Yar'Adua's death after a long battle with existing health problems and an undisclosed illness. Throughout the 16th-century much of northern Nigeria paid homage to Songhai in the west or to Borno, a rival empire in the east. Kingdoms west of the River Niger like Aboh (Abo), which was significantly populated by Igbos among other tribes, dominated trade along the lower River Niger area from the 17th century until European explorations into the Niger delta. A sign of federalism has been the growing visibility of state governors and the inherent friction between Abuja and the state capitals over resource allocation.[97]. However, over the centuries Nigerians have utilized agricultural techniques such as slash and burn, intercropping, and the use of shallow planting implements to cope with the shortcomings of the soil. Nonetheless, Kano and Katsina, with their famous mosques and schools, came to participate fully in the cultural and intellectual life of the Islamic world. ), width: 50cm (19.6in. However, in 1962, a faction arose within the AG under the leadership of Ladoke Akintola who had been selected as premier of the West. The early independent kingdoms and states that make up present-day state of Nigeria are (in alphabetical order): Benin Kingdom, Borgu Kingdom, Fulani Empire, Hausa Kingdoms, Kanem Bornu Empire, Kwararafa Kingdom, Ibibio Kingdom, Nri Kingdom, Nupe Kingdom, Oyo Empire, Songhai Empire, Warri Kingdom, Ile Ife Kingdom, and Yagba East Kingdom. Nok artwork; 5th century BC 5th century AD; length: 50cm (19.6in. Corrections? 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. In a move towards greater autonomy to minority ethnic groups, the military divided the four regions into 12 states. The name Nigeria formulated by a British journalist Flora Shaw who later got married to Lord Frederick Lugard, the mastermind behind the creation of our beloved nation.