Summary GST 103

GENERAL STUDIES
GST 103

Title: The History

of Nigeria, People
and Culture.
Topic: The Birth of Nigeria as a Nation 1922-2010

North North North South South South

East West Central East West South
1 Adamaw Jigawa Benue Abia Ekiti Akwa-
a Yola Dutse Makurdi Umuah Ado- Ibom
ia Ekiti Uyo
2 Bauchi Kaduna Niger Anamb Lagos Bayels
Bauchi Kaduna Minna ra Ikeja a
Awka Yenag
oa
3 Gombe Kano Kogi Ebonyi Ogun Cross-
Gombe Kano Lokoja Abakili Abeoku River
ki ta Calaba
r
4 Taraba Kebi Kwara Enugu Ondo Delta
Jalingo Birin- Ilorin Enugu Akure Asaba
kebi
5 Yobe Sokoto Nassara Imo Osun Edo
Damantu Sokoto wa Lafia Owerri Oshogb Benin
ru o City
6 Borono Zamfara Plateau Nil Oyo Rivers
Maidugu Gusau Jos Ibadan Phort-
ri Hacour
t
7 Nil Kastina Nil Nil Nil Nil
Kastina
Nigeria has:
 1. 36 States
2. 774 Local Government Areas
3. 6 Geo – Political Zones
4. Over 250 Ethnic Groups

Constitutional Development in Pre and Post

Independent Nigeria 1992 – 1999

1. Clifford Constitution 1922

2. Richard Constitution 1946
3. Mac Pherson Constitution 1951
4. Littleton Constitution 1954
5. The Independence Constitution 1960
6. The Republican Constitution 1963
7. The Presidential Constitution 1979
8. The Presidential Constitution 1989
9. The Presidential Constitution 1999

Pre–Colonial Socio–Political Organization

The Structure of Organization

What we desarse today as Nigeria did not exist as one entity

during the pre-colonial period. In deed what existed then were
various types of state organisations at various stages of
development. These included empires, kingdoms, clans/village
organizations, the house system in the riverine areas of the
territory. An out-line of socio-political organisations is given below:

Empire: The major empires were:

  The Sokoto Caliphate
 The Kanem-Borono Empire
 The Oyo Empire

Kingdoms: The well-known kingdoms are:

 The Benin Kingdom

 The Nupe Kingdom
 The Igala Kingdom
 The Jukun Kingdom

Clan/village Organisations:

Clan/village organisation was the dominant socio-political set

up in the middle-belt and the South-eastern parts of Nigeria.

The Birth of Nigeria as a Nation

Nigeria People and Culture The land and the

People

For us to have a proper grasp of our study area, the need to

know its location and the environment became very important.
This became necessary as the interaction among the people and
between the people and the environment produces the subject of
discussion.

Land: Nigeria is described as the giant of Africa. It is located

in West-Africa sub-region and lies between Latitude 40N and 140N
and Longitude 20E and 150E. It has the distance of about 1100km
from the extreme coast of southern Nigeria to the northern edges
and 1200km from the east to the west. It is bounded in the north
by the Niger Republic, in the east by the Cameroon Republic while
in the North east lies the Chad. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the
Atlantic Ocean sealed the country to the south as Benin Republic
to the west. It has a total land mass 1,923,768 square meter and
910,768 kilometers the rest are water bodies.

Climate: Climate is simply defined as the atmospheric condition of

an area over a period of time ranging from 25 to 30 years. It is a
summation of geographical elements of an area of which rain fall
and temperature play a dominant role.

The country has two distinct seasons of rainfall and dry

period rainfall, generally decrease in Nigeria from coastal areas as
you move inward. It falls from February/March to
October/November in the south. In the north, it is from April/May
to September/October Slight variations may occur in some areas
or regions.

Temperature is generally high in the country, with the

average mean being 270C as with rainfall variations existing from
one ecological zone to the other for instance Sokoto in the
extreme north may experience daily temperature as high as 400C
as against Calabar 280C in the same period of the year.

River System
Nigeria is blessed with quite a number of rivers. River Niger and
Benue dominate the land, dividing it into three after meeting
(confluence) at Lokoja before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. It
was these two rivers that Nigeria got her name after the
Amalgamation of the north and the south in the year 1914, by the
then wife of Lord Lugard Mrs Flora Show.

The basin of these rivers became a pulling factor to human

existence. Apart from being communication routes, fishing and
cultivation of crops along the banks became major economic
activities. Thus, the economic potentials of the river system
attracted population and eventually political life picked up.

The People

Studies have shown that parts of Nigeria have been populated

since the stone age period (500000BC). According to 2006 census
Nigeria has about 250 ethnic groups with over 160 million people.
This results into having many customs, traditions and languages
that differentiate them. Among these, three are in majority and
they are also politically dominant. They are the Hausa, Yoruba and
Igbo. Apart from the three recognised as such, about 16 and their
close associates also run into millions and multi-millions. These
include Nupe, Igala, Tiv, Igbira, Gbages, Ibibio, Efik, Idoma, Urhobo,
Fulani, Kanuri, Jukun, Edo, Kamberi, Ijaw, Itsekiri, similarly other
ethnic groups with population ranging from tens of thousands to
less than a million lived as neighbours to these dominant groups.

The broad classification of Nigeria’s people into three main

language families indicates that people were close associates time
immemorial in addition most political organisations that emerged
in the pre-colonial period i.e. Northern people’s congress (NPC)
was for the North/Hausa, Action group (AG) was for the Yoruba’s
while Nigeria, Cameroon National congress (NCNC) was for the
Igbos. At their peak in-cooperated more than one ethnic group
also existed among them, this was a considerable of social
interaction among the people of the same geographical zone in
one hand and across the zone in the other. This was to increase
with colonial conquest and evolution of Nigeria as apolitical entity
by the amalgamation of the North and South protectorate in the
year 1914 by the then British Governor General Sir Fredrick Lugard.

The People of the Forest

Study have revealed that the forest belt of Southern Nigeria which
has provided protection for refuge is the home of the oldest
surviving Negro group in the country. The largest and politically
dominant groups are the Yoruba’s, Edo, Igbo, Ibibio, Ijaw, Itsekiri,
Urhobo, Efik.

The Yoruba’s

The Yoruba speaking people of Nigeria are found in the states of

Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Lagos, and parts of Kwara, Edo and
southern part of Benin Republic. Apart from linguistic hologenetic
they share the same common traditions and trace descendance
from a common ancestor, Oduduwa, who is believed to have
migrated from Egypt or (descended from heaven) and established
Ile-Ife dynasty. Despite common trace of origin (variations exist)
they are divided into dialects such as Egba, Ijebu, Ikiti etc.
Considering the nature of environment, they inhabit and
technological developments, they are predominantly agriculturists.
They tender forest crops such as cocoa, oil palm, kola nut, fruits,
tubers and grains. They also keep live stocks. They live in large
towns which facilitated the growth of trade among them on one
hand and with other Nigerian people such as Nupe, Hausa and Edo
on the other hand. Their major towns include Ibadan, (one of the
largest cities in Africa), Oshogbo, Abeokuta, Ilorin, Ilesha, and Edo.

As part of their social organisation, extended family is the basis of

social unit in Yoruba land. There men keep to farming while
women took to trading. Both men and women are involved in
other occupations like wood carving and cloth weaving.

The Yoruba’s are religious, give respect to their spiritual chiefs e.g.
Alafin, Ooni of Ife and other superior leaders. They love
ceremonies and share each others joy and sorrows.

The Edo People

The Edo or the Benin as they are called occupied the territory east
of Yoruba land. Though their origin is not yet certain, a tradition
says that they came from Egypt. However, the Edo and the Yoruba
have several traditional links including sharing political systems.

The Edo people are hardworking and achieved greatness through

their political organisation of which Benin city is the seat of power
with their traditional head called Oba of Benin. They are cultural
identification with Benin, Bronze head (arts) which brought fame to
them, they equally farm while some took to trading.
 The Igbo’s
The Igbo speaking people are one of the major ethnic groups in
the eastern part of Nigeria. They are found to be living in
sedimentary (scattered) settlement and clan with every community
having its own spiritual leader called Eze or Obi, Igwe. The land has
the following tribes as their immediate neighbours, Ibibio, Edo,
Igala, Ijaw and the Itsekiri people.

On their origin, internal and external explanation has been given,

though history revealed that they migrated from their kins,
Egyptians or the Hebrews. Yet another claimed migrating from the
Savannah region after contact with the iron technology. They are
agriculturists like their neighbours. Some of them are into trading,
crafts work and black smiting. An oracle play’s a significant role in
their religious life. The society is stratified based on age and
economic well-being.

Post-Independence Development 1906 –

2010
Independence was granted Nigeria on the 1st of October 1960,
nearly 50 to date. It was a federal system with self-governing
regions, with Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe as the Governor and General Sir
Tafawa Balewa as Prime Minister. The northern region had Sir
Kasim Ibrahim as the Governor while Sir Ahmadu Bello was the
Premier. Western region had Sir P. Fadahusi as the Governor and
Chief Samuel Akintoya as the premier. The eastern region had Sir
Francis Kanu Ibiam as the Governor with Dr Michael T. Okpara as
the premier. Mid-western region was created in 1963 out of
western region. It had Sir Michael Meriere as Governor and Chief
Dennis Osadele as the premier.

The main political parties were the National Council of Nigerian

Citizens (NCNC) Cameroon was dropped after independence. The
Northern people Congress (NPC); the Action Group (AG). Some
major political crisis which threatened Nigerian peace after
independence included the Action Group crisis of 1962, the
national census crisis of 1962, creation of Midwest region of 1963,
the Tiv riot of 1964, the federal election crisis of 1964, the 1965
western region election crisis and the 1966 assassination of
political figures such as Sir Tafawa Balewa, S. L Akintola, Sir
Ahmadu Bello and Chief Okotie Eboh.

As a result of all above developments, the army seized power on

January 15, 1966. Major General J. T Aguyi Ironsi became the first
military head of state with the following as regional military
governors, Lt Col Hausa Usman Kastina (North), Lt Col Adekunle
Fajuyi (West), Lt Col Emeka Odumegu Ojukwu (East), Lt Col David
Ejoor (Midwest).

On the 29th of July 1966 a second coup took place. It was clearly a
coup by northern officer directed towards Igbo military officers
and men in the army. The Head of state Major General Aguyi Ironsi
was then in Ibadan killed, his government was overthrown and Lt
Col Gowon became the new Head of state. The second coup de tat
of 1966 brought division into the army and more confusion. The
confusion eventually grew into a civil war. The civil war lasted 30
months. The war came to an end on 12th January 1970 with the
announcement of surrender by Lt Col Effiong.

Some developments during the period includes:

 Creation of 12 states structures out of the former 4 regions.

 The introduction of the NYSC scheme in 1973.
 The policy of 3R i.e. Reconstruction, Reconciliation, and
Rehabilitation aimed at healing the wounds of the civil war.
 The change to decimal currency of Naira and Kobo on 1st
January 1973.
 Granted un conditional pardon to all ex-rebels General
Yakubu Gowon and his government were overthrown on July
29, 1975 while at Kampala, Uganda attending O.A.U meeting.
General Murtala Ramat Muhammed became the next head of
state. General Murtala to his credit created seven (7) more
state in February 1976, there by bringing the total number of
states then to (19) nineteen.
 Approval of Abuja as the new federal capital of Nigeria.
 Hosting of (FESTAC) in January 1977.
 Launching operation feed the nation.
 Establishment of federal electoral commission (FEDECO).
 Establishment of (UPE) Universal Primary Education 1976.
 Formation and Inauguration of five political parties namely;
National Party of Nigeria (NPN), Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN),
 Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Great Nigerian Peoples
Party (GNPP).

An unsuccessful coup de tat led by Lt Col Bukan Suka Dinka cost

Murtala’s life on 13th February 1976. General Olusegun Obasanjo
succeeded him as the 4th military head of state. Obasanjo handed
over power to civilian elected president in person of Alhaji Aliyu
Usman Shehu Shagari in October, 1979. This marked as the second
civilian regime 1979 to 31st December 1983 when yet another
military seized power in person Major General Muhammadu Buhari.
His regime was associated with the following policies:

 Monthly sanitation and war against indiscipline (WAI).

 The public execution of drug traffickers, the fist in the history
of the nation.
 The regime was also noted for imprisonment of the largest
number of politicians in the history of the country.
 The regime came to an end on 27th August 1983.

General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida came to power as the fifth (5)

military president in 1985.

IBB policies and programmes:

 The creation of additional (11) eleven states added to the

earlier (19) nineteen.
 The movement of seat of government from Lagos to Abuja in
December 1991.
 The introduction of MAMSEN.
  The putting in place of rural development policy (Directorate
of food, road and Rural infrastructures) DIFRRI.
 The establishment of two political parties i.e. (NRC) National
Republican Party, (SDP) Social Democratic Party.
 The annulation of the election gave rise to unprecedented
political crisis and the putting in place of an Interim National
Government (ING) headed by Chief Ernest Shonekan 1993.

17th November 1993 – June 7th 1998

General Sani Abacha came to power in a bloodless coup 17th

November 1993.

The following are noticed among the polices of the regime:

 The introduction of P.T.F (petroleum special trust fund)

 The federal bank policy and anti – money laundering policy.
 Th e creation of additional 6 more states bring the total of
states in Nigeria today to 36
 The arrest of chief Miko Abiola Ovier his presidential
declaration
 The constitution conference in 1985
 7th June 1998-29th may 1999 with the death of general Sani
Abacha on 7th June 1998 General Abdusalami Abubakar
became the head of state

The major concern of this regime was the setting up an

independent electoral commission.
The registration of three (3) political parties the A.D (alliance for
democracy) ANPP (All Nigeria Peoples Parties) a PDP (People
Democratic Party)

On 29th may 1999 the second elected executive president in person

of chief Olusegun Obasanjo an Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was sworn in

29th May 1999-29th May 2007

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was sworn in as the second executive

president with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the vice president
prominent of the policies of the Obasanjo regime include:

 Increase in the number of parties from three to thirty.

 Launching and implementation of the UBE (Universal Basic
Education)
 Setting up of the Justice Oputa Panel, to revisit case of social
injustice and abuse of the rule of law.
 Political reform Conference chairman by Justice Nike Tobi.
 Privatization and deregulation policies.
 Debt cancellation and rescheduling.
 Aggressive foreign investment e.g. GSM Phones
 Setting up of (ICPC) Independence Corrupt Practice
Commission and (EFCC) Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission.
 Due process office.

29th May, 2007 (3RD) third presidential president sworn in, in person
of late Alhaji Umar Musa Yaradua / Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
2007.
Vision 20, 2020:

 Seven-point agenda
 Rehabilitation of Niger-Delta militants.
 Electoral reform.
 Creation of (6) six Geo-political zones in Nigeria.

Seven point Agenda of President Umar Musa Yaradua / Dr

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan 2007

1. Power and energy

2. Food Security and Agriculture
3. Wealth Creation and Employment
4. Mass Transportation
5. Land Reform
6. Security
7. Qualitative and Functional Education and Pursuance of the
Rule of law.

Signed :
Mc Eazy