80 likes | 432 Vues
Nigeria. Genesis. And the wife of the colonial governor said, “Let’s name it after the Niger River” and it was good. Most populous African nation; top ten in world; member OPEC (1971) 250-400 ethnic groups Main 3: Hausa (N), Yoruba (W), Igbo (E)
E N D
Genesis • And the wife of the colonial governor said, “Let’s name it after the Niger River” and it was good.
Most populous African nation; top ten in world; member OPEC (1971) • 250-400 ethnic groups • Main 3: Hausa (N), Yoruba (W), Igbo (E) • Religious cleavage: North=Islamist, South=Christian • Sokoto jihad (1804-1808)Caliphate • 1860: More slaves than any nation except US • Slavery widespread reinforced ethnic divisions + associated w/spread Islam + Christianity (think Things Fall Apart) • Short colonial period (about 60 years) • Unleashed profound social changes: abolition, urbanization reassessment ethnic identity; however economic changes (ag. export economy + infrastructure) collapsed (replaced by oil) • Study of Pacific Islands: longer colonized higher current standard of living, esp. if colonized by US, Dutch, Britain • Each additional century of European colonization40 percent boost in income today + reduce infant mortality of 2.6 deaths/1,000 births
Colonial Era • Royal Niger Company replaced in 1899 by direct control (protect missionaries, keep out other Europeans) • Gov. Frederick Lugard (former Gov. HK): Indirect rule (through tribal leaders) 3 distinct political areas (N, W, E) • N: local conditions largely left alone (Islam missionaries barred; Hausa official language) • S: Westernization and Christianity; English official language
1922 Clifford Constitution • Gov. Hugh Clifford (1919-25): White Man’s Burden + “general emancipation)—use Westernized South (ed. system) to undermine Islamic N (encourage immigration) • Colonial office: "direct government by impartial and honest men of alien race . . . never yet satisfied a nation long and . . . under such a form of government, as wealth and education increase, so do political discontent and sedition." • N untouched; S: new legislative council common to both E+W, direct elections (4 of 46) political parties + nationalism
Nationalism and Independence • Influenced by Americans (DuBois, Garvey); focused on ethnicity • Formed political parties (esp. National Council of Nigerian Citizens, NCNC; Northern People’s Congress; Action Group (Yoruba); labor unions) 1946: Richards Constitution expands elections of legis. 1950 Macpherson Const.: formalized regional autonomy and federal union regionalism + ethnic cleavages intensify • Oct 1, 1960: Independence granted • Increasing ethnic + regional tension crisis + election fraud military coup (1966) Civil War (Biafra 67-70) • Olusegun Obasanjo: return to civilian gov’t through US based 1979 Constitution • 1983: lack of confidence in gov’t and pretext of election fraud military coup • 1999: return of democracy w/election Olusegun Obasanjo
Major Parties • People's Democratic Party (PDP): dominant, neoliberal/centrist (:PAN) • All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP): conservative, North (:PRI) • Action Congress: 3rd, Lagos, progressive (:PRD)