Nigeria
Is a really fun country.
Event 1: Nok
People
900BC-200AD
The Nok people, who lived North of the Niger Benue river from the years
900BC to 200AD, are known for their terra-cotta sculpture and art forms.
They focused on dramatized versions of the mouth and eyes, as well as
adornment of the hair, naturalism, and the treatment of animal forms. It
is unknown what name they called themselves by, so historians have
named them the “Nok” after the town in which the first object was
discovered in the 1930’s. The Nok culture survived to make the transition
from the Neolithic Age to the Iron Age by raising both crops and cattle.
The Nok people left traces of their influence in other parts of Nigeria and
in later periods of its history.
Event 2: The Bornu Empire
100AD-1600AD
The Bornu Empire developed out of the
Kanem Empire, which covered areas of Chad
and Libya, and expanded to cover much of
western Africa. Years later, the Kanembu
people intermarried with the Bornu people
to create a new language and culture, the
Kanuri. The Sayfawa Dynasty, which lost all
its power after the fall of the Kanem Empire,
gained back influence in the early 16th
century when they took control of both
capital cities, Njimi and Ngazargamu. Their
leader, Aluma, brought military victory,
wealth and cleanliness to the empire
through his reforms, which were based on
Islamic law.
• The Fulani people were traditional an Islamic nomadic people who
hearded sheep, cattle and goats. Some Fulani people began to
settle down in villages. They held uprisings in the 17th and 18th
centuries against governments who were oppressing them. The
empire really started becoming influential in the early 19th century,
when danFodio passed his power to his son Muhammed Bello. The
empire was known for its military greatness and for its success in
scholarship.
1600AD-1900AD
Event 3: The Fulani Empire
Event 4: The
Europeans
1851AD-1914AD
• In 1851, Britain annexed Lagos. This annexation
increased trade on the in the interior, as well as the
production of palm oil and cotton. The deteriorating
political situation caused some concern, however the
population grew. Britain accumulated control of the
remainder of the region by 1886. The area gained the
official name of “Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria” in
the year 1914.
Event 5: Nigeria gains Independence
1960
• On October 1, 1960, Nigeria gained independence and became a member
of the Commonwealth of Nations, and of the United Nations. It was
admitted as a “loose federation of self-governing states.” Nigeria needed
to unify the country because it was made up of 250 ethnic and linguistic
groups. Azikiwi was served as governor general for the newly formed
country, and Balewa as the head of the parliamentary government. The
House of Representatives contained 312 members, and the Senate had 44.
Event 6: The Ibos
1960AD-1980AD
•
In the 1960’s when rioting broke out in Nigeria, the
Ibo military leaders attempted to take control of the
country. However, they were disappointed when
Col. Gowon took power in Nigeria; the Ibo people
were also angered by the Muslim Hausas who
massacred Christian Ibos and drove them from the
north. When thousands of Ibos took refuge in the
east they created the republic of Biafra which
declared its independence on May 30, 1967 and
fought in 31 months of war against the mainland
before surrendering to the federal government
(January 1970). Gowon served for nine years before
a bloodless rebellion overturned his power to Army
Brig. MuritalaRufai Mohammed in 1975, which was
followed by the return of civilian leadership with
President AlhajiShehuShagari in 1979. The 1970’s
hosted a Nigerian oil boom which buoyed the
economy, and by the 1980s Nigeria was seen as a
good example of African democracy and economic
health.
• In 1984 the military gained again, but was followed by another
military coup the next year. After announcing that the country
would return to civilian rule, Major General Ibrahim Babangida
voided the results. Yet he still resigned as president in August and in
November the military, headed by defense minister SaniAbacha,
seized power again. By November 1993, Abacha'sreign had led the
country to corruption, a harsh military regime and governmental
inefficiency, as well as human rights problems. What was in the
1970s the 33rd highest per-capita income, had become the 13th
poorest by 1997.
Event 7: Military
Regimes
1984AD-1997AD
Event 8: African Superpower
1990AD-2000AD
• By the mid 1990’s, Nigeria had
become west Africa's superpower. As
the leader of multination
peacekeeping force ECOMOG, the
Nigerian military interceded in the
civil wars in both Liberia and Sierra
Leone. However, when Nigeria
spent a great amount of money on a
costly war effort, the interference
and the government become
unpopular with the Nigerian people.
Many felt that Nigeria's limited
economic resources were being used
superfluously.
Event 9: Changes in Leadership
1998AD-1999AD
• When Abachadied of a heart attack in 1998, another military leader,
General AbdulsalamAbubakar, came to power. He promised to step
down when the country elected a leader in 1999. The winner of
the 1993 elections, MashoodAbiola, died suspiciously after
spending 6 years in prison. For democratic proponents, his death
was a crushing blow. Instead General OlusegunObasanjo won the
1999 election. He was a former military leader who spent 3 years in
prison for denouncing military rule.
Event 10: Obasanjo
1999AD-2007AD
• Obsanjo started off his
leadership trying to reform the
country. He saw the
importance in returning money
to people and working to undo
corruption. However, thanks to
economic mismanagement,
unrestrained corruption
continued. He planned the
building of a $330 million
national soccer stadium, which
surpassed the combined
budget for both health and
education. Even with his
unsuccessful term, Obsanjo
was reelected in April 2003.
Event 11: Religious Problems
1999AD-2009AD
• Starting in 1999, religious problems have ensued between fundamentalist
Muslims and Christians. The fighting was heightened by the spread of
Islamic law, Sharia, in the Northern portion of Nigeri and now, 12 out of
the 36 states are ruled bySharialaw. More than 10,000 people have died in
religious clashes; churches and community centers are burned by both
groups, and police often become involved in the action.
•
Event 12: Polio
Vaccination Ban
2003AD-2004AD
In the year 2003, both religious and political
leaders put a ban on the polio immunization in
Nigeria. Their reasoning was that it sterilized
girls and encouraged the spread of the HIV
virus. In response to the ban, Polio spread
through Nigeria and into the surrounding
countries. Finally in July 2004, the Kano region
reversed its its ten-month ban against
vaccination. A poll taken on August 24
confirmed that there were currently 602 polio
cases worldwide, 79% of which were in Nigeria.
The poll acted as a red flag to the outside world
that perhaps the country was not being ruled by
people that had a great enough understanding
of modern medicine and technology.
Event 13: Rebellion in the oil
producing region 2000AD-2009AD
• The Niger delta, Nigeria’s premiere oil producing region, is one that is
filled with vast poverty. The news is scattered with fights between rebel
groups and gangs who desire more autonomy and equal distribution of
wealth. Because Nigeria is one of the world’s largest oil producing
nations, it is important to not that the violence has reduced output of oil
by about 20%. Nigeria still supplies the U.S. with 1/5 of its oil.
DokubuAsari, a military leader, is the commandar of one of the prominent
rebel groups fighting in the delta, and has negotiated with president
Obsanjo over an agreement to protect the political and economic rights of
the people, without using the usually military force.
Event 14: Loosing Bakassi
2002AD
• In order to comply with a 2002 World Court ruling, Nigeria was
forced to hand over the oil-rich Bakassi peninsula to
Cameroon. The two countries had had a long debate over the
rightful owner of this region, almost resulting in a war in 1981 and
continuing on through the early 1990’s. The people living in the
Nigerian region when it was handed over to Cameroon were
allowed to keep their Nigerian citizenship, and their rights were
protected. For this reason, the Nigerian government did not openly
criticize the court’s decision.
Event 15: National Elections2007AD
• Nigerian National elections were held for the first time in
2007. President Obasanjo could not govern for another
term so a new president needed to be sworn in. Sadly the
elections were plagued with frau, ballot stuffing, violence
and chaos. There is hope for the future that the
democratic principles will continue.
Works Cited
"Nigeria." InfoPlease. 3 Feb. 2009 <http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107847.html>.
Slattery, Katherine. "The Igbo People- History and Origins." The Igbo People. 8 Nov. 1999. Queen's
University of Belfast. 3 Feb. 2009 <http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofEnglish/imperial/
nigeria/origins.htm>.
"Nigeria." Encyclopedia Britannica . 3 Feb. 2009 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/
414840/Nigeria>.
"KANEM-BORNU EMPIRE," The History Channel website, 2009,
http://www.history.com/encyclopedia.do?articleId=213550 [accessed Feb 3, 2009]
Quist-Arcton, Ofeibea. "Nigerian Election Results Hotly Disputed." BBC News. 23 Apr. 2007.
History. 3 Feb. 2009 <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9766502>.
"Niger Delta's Force." The Economist. 14 July 2008. 3 Feb. 2009 <http://www.economist.com/
displaystory.cfm?story_id=11735267>.