Europeans began exploration, trade, and missionary endeavors along the West Coast of Africa in the 15th century. The Portuguese were the first to do so, establishing trade with the Benin Kingdom, Lagos, and other regions along the coast. Portuguese dominance of these trade routes was overpowered in the 16th century by the British, French and Dutch, as the slave trade became very important. Slaves were taken from Nigeria to work on plantations in the Americas. During this period, the territorial landscape known today as Nigeria lost great numbers of people to the slave trade. Some estimate that more than 3.5 million slaves were shipped from Nigeria lands to the Americas.

The British dominated the slave trade off the Nigerian coast in the 18th century. But with the rise of the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain in the 19th century, the emphasis in trade shifted from 'slaves' to 'raw materials' for factories. Most of these raw materials needed in the new industries were of large quantity in African soils, this fueled the european desire to invade African soils. In the 19th century, Great Britain began to push into the hinterlands of Nigeria , meeting plenty of resistance from the indigenous people along the way. The indigenous people were of no match to the superior fire arms of Great Britain.

It is of note that many other European countries contended for control of the territorial lands of Nigeria before Britain gained control of it. Lagos was the first part of Nigeria to be conquered and declare a British colony in 1861. From there, the strategy to conquer the additional portions of what would be Nigeria was planned and executed until nearly all of what is today Nigeria was under British control in 1905. The entire southern portion of Nigeria was conquered from approximately 1850 to 1897, and the northern part of the country from about 1900 to 1914.

As the British moved into the hinterland of Nigeria, they met a lot of resistance from the indigenous people living there. For example, Oyo and the Itsekiri kingdom in the south put up quite a fight
before submitting to Britain’s military forces. In the north, the British High Commissioner for Northern Nigeria, Captain Lugard was appointed and began conquering northern territories . His military forces met with great resistance in Sokoto, Kano, and many other cities. In these places, many people rallied around Islam as a way of resisting the British. Most of Northern Nigeria at this time was part of the Sokoto Caliphate, which was formed through a series of jihads in the 19th century. The British were often seen as infidels, and their conquest as possible signs of the end times. Ironically, many British colonizers thought that Africans were the infidels, who needed to be converted to Christianity. In the end, the military resources and divide and conquer tactics of the British made them out to be the conquerors.

After the entire Northern and Southern Nigeria had been conquered into submission. Lord Lugard joined for the first time the north and south of Nigeria into a single colony in 1914. Lord Lugard set in place a system of indirect rule in Nigeria, which allowed for the British to rule through customary authorities and structures. This system tended to
work best in the north, but ran into some problems in the south. Part of the problem was that the British actually invented customary “chiefs” in the south, who the general population did not necessarily acknowledge or respect.

It's of note that european invasion of African soil was solely born out of selfish reasons, and never for the well being of the indigenous people. This fueled the indigenous people's agitation for independence.



https://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/teachers/curriculum/m25/activity3.php

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonial_Nigeria

educative...

Biggest mistake ever made, there was no need for it, with hindsight it was a bad idea.

Lord lugard na mugu

No thanks to the colonialists, the idea of Nairaland would have manifested as one big cocoa farm or worst then I and you might have had this interaction through wrestling at the village square. Buhahahahaha

and what happen to the easten region

nigerianium:
Nothing is wrong with Nigeria - it's just a geopolitical location- but everything is wrong with Nigerians and their crazy leaders.

That fact alone makes those who seek session possess a valid reason to.

The corruption among our politician is fueled by tribalism. Every tribe protects their politicians in the federal level no matter what. And any attempt to probe them is seen as witch hunting