The civil war that disrupted Kanem in the second half of the 14th century resulted in the independence of Borno. Despite Borno's hegemony the Hausa states continued to wrestle for ascendancy. ", "Nigeria's economy came through the war in better shape than expected." [61] The rules regarding these taboos were used to educate and govern Nri's subjects. Other eroded surfaces, such as the Udi-Nsukka escarpment (see Udi-Nsukka Plateau), rise abruptly above the plains at elevations of at least 1,000 feet (300 metres). History. History & Background. Archaeological research, pioneered by Charles Thurstan Shaw, has shown a long history of human settlement in Nigeria. In the historic 12 June 1993 presidential elections, which most observers deemed to be Nigeria's fairest, early returns indicated that wealthy Yoruba businessman M. K. O. Abiola won a decisive victory. On 17 August 1994, the government dismissed the leadership of the NLC and the petroleum unions, placed the unions under appointed administrators, and arrested Frank Kokori and other labor leaders. Nok seated figure; 5th century BC 5th century AD; terracotta; 38cm (1ft. 3 in. federal republic with two legislative houses (Senate [109]; House of Representatives [360]), Kingdoms and empires of precolonial Nigeria, Controversies surrounding the 2007 presidential election, Nigeria under Umaru Musa YarAdua and Goodluck Jonathan, The 2015 elections and electorate concerns, Recession, fight against corruption, and insecurity, Which Country Is Larger By Population? Jack McCaslin is a . The period of British rule lasted until 1960 when an independence movement led to the country being granted independence. The eyes and the eyebrows suggest an inner calm or an inner serenity. The Lake Chad basin and the coastal areas, including the Niger River delta and the western parts of the Sokoto region in the far northwest, are underlain by soft, geologically young sedimentary rocks. The Niger has many rapids and waterfalls, but the Benue is not interrupted by either and is navigable throughout its length, except during the dry season. Evidence of iron smelting has also been excavated at sites in the Nsukka region of southeast Nigeria in what is now Igboland: dating to 2,000 BC at the site of Lejja[28][29] and to 750 BC at the site of Opi. Nri and Aguleri and part of the Umueri clan, a cluster of Igbo village groups which traces its origins to a sky being called Eri and significantly, includes (from the viewpoint of its Igbo members) the neighbouring kingdom of Igala. [12] Nigeria became a British protectorate in 1901. Kano and Rano were known as the "Chiefs of Indigo." [42] [52][53] He has been characterized as having first given societal order to the people of Anambra. General Muhammadu Buhari was declared the winner of the 2015 presidential elections. Iboland is an overpopulated, economically depressed area where massive unemployment is likely to continue for many years. The Igala Kingdom expanded beyond the present-day boundary. [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. The Lagos invasion by the British annexing Lagos into a colony; Lagos was a seat of power serving as both political and economic capital. The Soviet Union benefits from Nigerian appreciation of its help during the war, but is not trying for control. The name, "Nigeria", given us by Flora Shaw, wife of former colonial master, Frederick Lugard, bears a negative vibration. During his first days in office, President Babangida moved to restore freedom of the press and to release political detainees being held without charge. Nigeria has a diverse geography, with climates ranging from arid to humid equatorial. The Benin Empire (14401897; called Bini by locals) was a pre-colonial African state in what is now modern Nigeria. Each king is a ritual reproduction of Eri. 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. By Hameed Ajibola Jimoh Esq", "Nigerian Diaspora and Remittances: Transparency and market development", https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/igbo/hd_igbo.htm, "Nigeria EARLY HISTORY Sourced from The Library of Congress Country Studies", "The architecture and chemistry of a dug-out: the Dufuna Canoe in ethno-archaeological perspective", "Nigeria: Dufuna Canoe: a Bridge Across 8,000 Years", "The Nok of Nigeria - Archaeology Magazine Archive", "Iron and its influence on the prehistoric site of Lejja", "Early West African Metallurgies: New Data and Old Orthodoxy", "Kanem-Bornu | historical empire, Africa | Britannica", "Islamic Schools, the Ulama, and the State in the Educational Development of Northern Nigeria", "Bayajidda HAUSA Historical Legend Myth or Reality", "The Evolution of the Aro Confederacy in Southeastern Nigeria, 1690-1720. [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. Obasanjo, a former general, was admired for his stand against the Abacha dictatorship, his record of returning the federal government to civilian rule in 1979, and his claim to represent all Nigerians regardless of religion. Prehistoric inhabitants adjusting to the encroaching desert were widely scattered by the third millennium BC, when the desiccation of the Sahara began. This meant that, while certain Igbo may have lived under different formal administrations, all followers of the Igbo religion had to abide by the rules of the faith and obey its representative on earth, the Eze Nri. The federal military government that assumed power under General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi was unable to quiet ethnic tensions on the issue or other issues. km. The NCNC represented the interests of the Igbo- and Christian-dominated people of the Eastern Region of Nigeria. The initiation rite of a new king shows that the ritual process of becoming Ezenri (Nri priest-king) follows closely the path traced by the hero in establishing the Nri kingdom. Author of. [52] Eri's origins are unclear, though he has been described as a "sky being" sent by Chukwu (God). According to the Bayajidda legend, the Banza Bakwai states were founded by the seven sons of Karbagari ("Town-seizer"), the unique son of Bayajidda and the slave-maid, Bagwariya. The young Audu, who was an aspirant in last Friday's APC primary in Kogi State, described the primary as a highly compromised and fraudulent process characterized by unprecedented irregularities. This was especially true after the founding of the Institute for African Studies that brought together experts from many disciplines. The military rulers looked upon the universities with deep suspicion and they were poorly funded. The party leadership under Awolowo disagreed and replaced Akintola as premier of the West with one of their own supporters. Although he had led Babangida's Transitional Council since 1993, Shonekan was unable to reverse Nigeria's economic problems or to defuse lingering political tension. However, the Igbo rejected attempts at constitutional revisions and insisted on full autonomy for the east. 34 which sought to unify the nation. Neither Abacha nor Abubakar lifted the decree suspending the 1979 constitution, and the 1989 constitution was not implemented. Lagos, the former capital, retains its standing as the countrys leading commercial and industrial city. This name was coined on 8 January 1897, by the British journalist Flora Shaw, who later married Frederick Lugard, a British colonial administrator. Much of Nigeria is covered with plains and savannas. After a secret tribunal, most of the accused were convicted and several death sentences were handed down. The history of Nigeria can be traced back to as early as 11,000 BC when a number of ancient African communities inhabited the area that now makes Nigeria. [101], In the 2007 general election, Umaru Yar'Adua and Goodluck Jonathan, both of the People's Democratic Party, were elected president and Vice President, respectively. Benin exercised considerable influence on the western Igbo, who adopted many of the political structures familiar to the Yoruba-Benin region, but Asaba and its immediate neighbours, such as Ibusa, Ogwashi-Ukwu, Okpanam, Issele-Azagba and Issele-Ukwu, were much closer to the Kingdom of Nri. The source of the Aro Confederacy's economic dominance was based on the judicial oracle of Ibini Ukpabi ("Long Juju") and their military forces which included powerful allies such as Ohafia, Abam, Ezza, and other related neighboring states. In the 1959 elections held in preparation for independence, the NPC captured 134 seats in the 312-seat parliament. Gradually they moved eastward, first into the centers of the Mali and Songhai empires and eventually into Hausaland and Borno. The Igl are one of the ethnic groups found in Nigeria. 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. [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]. The major cause of Borno's decline was a severe drought that struck the Sahel and savanna from in the middle of the 18th century. President Babangida demonstrated his intent to encourage public participation in decision making by opening a national debate on proposed economic reform and recovery measures. 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. Nigeria is bordered to the north by Niger, to the east by Chad and Cameroon, to the south by the Gulf of Guinea of the Atlantic Ocean, and to the west by Benin. The most mountainous area is along the southeastern border with Cameroon, where the Cameroon Highlands rise to the highest points in the country, Chappal Waddi (7,936 feet [2,419 metres]) in the Gotel Mountains and Mount Dimlang (6,699 feet [2,042 metres]) in the Shebshi Mountains. These included Islamic empires in northern Nigeria and smaller organized political groupings in southern Nigeria. There they constituted a devoutly religious, educated elite who made themselves indispensable to the Hausa kings as government advisers, Islamic judges, and teachers. Obasanjo had recently stated on national radio that he would "deal firmly" with election fraud and violence advocated by "highly placed individuals." 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. The NEC successfully held elections on 5 December 1998, 9 January 1999, 20 February, and 27 February 1999, respectively. A Theoretical Synthesis of State Formation Process in Africa", "The Growth of Trade among the Igbo before 1800", "Lord Lugard Created Nigeria 104 Years Ago", "Nigerian Independence: History & Details", "Nigerian Military Leader Ousts Interim President", "Nigeria government recovers looted $700m from foreign countries in four years Malami - Premium Times Nigeria", "Conflict Management in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria", "CNN.com - Gasoline pipeline blast kills up to 200 in Nigeria - 12 May 2006", "Nigerian petrol thieves suspected as blast kills 200", "Nigeria's President Buhari promises change at inauguration", "Nigeria's Muhammadu Buhari sworn in for second term as president", "Who is Bola Tinubu, Nigeria's president-elect?". The Niger River, for which the country is named, and the Benue, its largest tributary, are the principal rivers. 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. 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. 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. The history of Nigeria can be traced to the earliest inhabitants whose remains date from at least 13,000 BC through early civilizations such as the Nok culture which began around 1500 BC. Pending the promulgation of the constitution written in 1995, the government observed some provisions of the 1979 and 1989 constitutions. [77] Fighting between the members broke out. The area was formerly the Igala Division of Kabba province, and is now part of Kogi State. Olutayo C. Adesina, "Teaching History in Twentieth-Century Nigeria: the Challenges of Change,", Queen Elizabeth II was monarch of Nigeria and head of state, overthrew the NPC-NNDP government and assassinated the prime minister and the premiers of the northern and western regions, massacre of thousands of Ibo in the north, "The Nri Kingdom (900AD - Present): Rule by theocracy", "Historic regions from 5th century BC to 20th century", "Historical Legacies | Religious Literacy Project", "The Transatlantic Slave Trade | Religious Literacy Project", "When I Remember Nigeria, I Remember Democracy! Concurrently the Saifawa Dynasty of Borno conquered Kanem and extended control west to Hausa cities not under Songhai authority. [99] Particularly notable disasters in this area have been: 1) October 1998, Jesse, 1100 deaths, 2) July 2000, Jesse, 250 deaths, 3) September 2004, near Lagos, 60 deaths, 4) May 2006, Ilado, approx. Nok male head; 550-50 BC; terracotta; Brooklyn Museum (New York City, USA). In response, petroleum workers called a strike demanding that Abacha release Abiola and hand over power to him. Obasanjo was reelected in 2003. As a colony, it was initially divided into the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and Northern Nigeria Protectorate. Archaeological findings pieced together show that by the . 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. Islam arrived at Hausaland along the caravan routes. It might suggest speech and that the figure has something to tell us. The neighboring Awka city-state rose in power as a result of their powerful Agbala oracle and metalworking expertise. Communal violence has plagued the Obasanjo government since its inception. On December 31, 1983, the military overthrew the Second Republic. The Hausa Kingdoms began as seven states founded according to the Bayajidda legend by the six sons of Bawo, the unique son of the hero and the queen Magajiya Daurama in addition to the hero's son, Biram or Ibrahim, of an earlier marriage. On the 31st of December 1899 the charter for the Royal Niger Company was revoked by the British government, and the sum of 865,000 was paid to the company as compensation. This was to commemorate the June 12th election of 1993, and the events that surrounded it. Trade is the key to the emergence of organized communities in the sahelian portions of Nigeria. Many top minds were co-opted with plum jobs in the administration and left academia. 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. Although promising restoration of civilian rule he refused to announce a transitional timetable until 1995. In a move towards greater autonomy to minority ethnic groups, the military divided the four regions into 12 states. 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. The chiefs of Akwa Akpa placed themselves under British protection in 1884. [109], Nigeria's Democracy day was originally celebrated on May 29, every year since General Olusegun Obasanjo emerged President in 1999. Loose sandy soils consisting of wind-borne deposits and riverine sands are found in the northern regions, although, in areas where there is a marked dry season, a dense surface layer of laterite develops, making these soils difficult to cultivate. Additionally, the Obasanjo administration must defuse longstanding ethnic and religious tensions if it hopes to build a foundation for economic growth and political stabilityCurrently, there is conflict in the Niger Delta over the environmental destruction caused by oil drilling and the ongoing poverty in the oil-rich region[98].. A further major problem created by the oil industry is the drilling of pipelines by the local population in an attempt to drain off the petroleum for personal use or as a source of income. The central region has hills and plateaus. [48] The Olorun is now called God in the Yoruba language. 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