Political administration under the Crown Colonial Nigeria

1 political administration under crown

1.1 transition crown rule
1.2 colonial administration
1.3 frederick lugard
1.4 amalgamation
1.5 indirect rule
1.6 developments in colonial policy under clifford

political administration under crown










transition crown rule

concrete plans transition crown rule—direct control british government—apparently began in 1897. in may of year, herbert j. read published memorandum on british possessions in west africa, remarked upon inconvenient , unscientific boundaries between lagos colony, niger coast protectorate, , royal niger company. read suggested merged, , more use made of nigeria s natural resources in same year, british created royal west african frontier force (rwaff or waff), under leadership of colonel frederick lugard. in 1 year, lugard recruited 2600 troops, evenly split between hausa , yoruba. officers of rwaff british. operations of force still not known due policy of strict secrecy mandated british government.

guidelines running nigerian colony established in 1898 niger committee, chaired earl of selborne, in 1898. british finalised border between nigeria , french west africa anglo-french convention of 1898.

the territory of royal niger company became northern nigeria protectorate, , company became private corporation continued business in nigeria. company received £865,000 compensation loss of charter. continued enjoy special privileges , maintained de facto monopoly on commerce. under lugard 1900 1906, protectorate consolidated political control on area through military conquest , initiated use of british currency in substitute barter.

colonial administration

in 1900, british government assumed control of southern , northern protectorates, both of governed colonial office @ whitehall. staff of office came british upper middle class—i.e., university-educated men, not nobility, fathers in well-respected professions. first 5 heads of nigeria department (1898–1914) reginald antrobus, william mercer, william baillie hamilton, sydney olivier, , charles strachey. olivier member of fabian society , friend of george bernard shaw.

under colonial office governor, managed administration of colony , held powers of emergency rule. colonial office veto or revise policies. 7 men governed northern nigeria, southern nigeria, , lagos through 1914 henry mccallum, william macgregor, walter egerton, ralph moor, percy girouard, hesketh bell, , frederick lugard. of these came military backgrounds. knighted.

undated british archival photo of locomotive in nigeria

walter egerton s sixfold agenda 1908, detailed on 29 november 1907, in telegram colonial office, representative of british priorities.

egerton supervised improvements lagos harbour , extension of local telegraph network.

from 1895 1900, railway constructed running lagos ibadan; opened in march 1901. line extended oshogbo, 100 kilometres (62 mi) away, in 1905–1907, , zungeru , minna in 1908–1911. final leg enabled meet line, constructed 1907–1911, running baro, through minnia, kano.

some of these public work projects accomplished of forced labour, referred political labour . village heads paid 10 shillings conscripts, , fined £50 if failed supply. individuals fined or jailed refusing comply.

frederick lugard

frederick lugard, appointed high commissioner of northern nigeria protectorate in 1900 , served until 1906 in first term, has been regarded british model colonial administrator. trained army officer, had served in india, egypt, , east africa, expelled arab slave traders nyasaland , established british presence in uganda. joining royal niger company in 1894, lugard sent borgu counter inroads made french, , in 1897 made responsible raising royal west african frontier force (rwaff) local levies serve under british officers.

during six-year tenure high commissioner, sir frederick lugard (as became in 1901) occupied transforming commercial sphere of influence inherited royal niger company viable territorial unit under effective british political control. objective conquer entire region , obtain recognition of british protectorate indigenous rulers, fulani emirs of sokoto caliphate. lugard s campaign systematically subdued local resistance, using armed force when diplomatic measures failed. borno capitulated without fight, in 1903 lugard s rwaff mounted assaults on kano , sokoto. lugard s point of view, clear-cut military victories necessary because surrenders of defeated peoples weakened resistance elsewhere.

lugard s success in northern nigeria has been attributed policy of indirect rule; is, governed protectorate through rulers defeated british. if emirs accepted british authority, abandoned slave trade, , cooperated british officials in modernising administrations, colonial power willing confirm them in office. emirs retained caliphate titles responsible british district officers, had final authority. british high commissioners depose emirs , other officials if necessary.

amalgamation

a map displaying southern , northern nigeria, 1914

amalgamation of nigeria envisioned on in governance, made clear report of niger committee in 1898. combining 3 jurisdictions reduce administrative expenses , facilitate deployment of resources , money between areas. (specifically enable direct subsidy of less profitable northern jurisdiction.) antrobus, fiddes, , strachey in colonial office promoted amalgamation, along lugard.

following order recommended niger committee, colonial office merged lagos colony , southern nigeria protectorate on 1 may 1906, forming larger protectorate (still called southern nigeria protectorate) spanned coastline between dahomey , cameroon.

lugard advocated unification of whole territory, , in august 1911 colonial office asked lugard lead amalgamated colony.

in 1912, lugard returned nigeria six-year term governor of hong kong, oversee merger of northern , southern protectorates. on 9 may 1913, lugard submitted formal proposal colonial office in northern , southern provinces have separate administrations, under control of authoritarian governor-general. colonial office approved of lugard s plan, balked @ authorising him pass laws without approval. john anderson diplomatically suggested:

if necessity formally submitting drafts hurts sir f. lugard, should quite prepared omit provision provided period of publication of draft prior enactment extended 1 month two. if eye kept on gazettes come in enable warn him of objections may entertain legislative proposals, , give liverpool , manchester opportunity of voicing objections.

the task of unification achieved on eve of world war i. january 1914 onwards, newly united colony , protectorate presided on proconsul, entitled governor-general of nigeria. militias , rwaff battalions reorganised rwaff nigeria regiment.

lugard s governmental model nigeria unique , there apparently not planning future development. colonial official a. j. harding commented in 1913:

sir f. lugard s proposal contemplates state impossible classify. not unitary state local government areas 1 central executive , 1 legislature. not federal state federal executive, legislature , finances, leewards. not personal union of separate colonies under same governor windwards, not confederation of states. if adopted, proposals can hardly permanent solution , gather sir f. lugard regards them temporary—at rate in part. 1 man in practical control of executive , legislative organs of parts, machine may work passably sufficient time enable transition period left behind, time answer problem—unitary v. federal state—will have become clear.

the colonial office accepted lugard s proposal governor not required stay in-country full-time; consequently, governor, lugard spent 4 months out of year in london. scheme proved unpopular , confusing many involved parties , phased out.

indirect rule

yoruba sculpture colonial period depicting british technique of indirect rule



emir of kano, cavalry, photographed in 1911

the protectorate centrally administered colonial civil service, staffed britishers , africans called british native staff—many of whom originated outside territory. under political department of civil service residents , district officers, responsible overseeing operations in each region. resident oversaw provincial court @ region s capital.

each region had native administration, staffed locals, , possessing native treasury. native administration headed traditional rulers—emirs in north—and district heads, oversaw larger number of village heads. native administration responsible police, hospitals, public works, , local courts. colonial civil service used intermediaries, royal niger company had, in expanded role included diplomacy, propaganda, , espionage.

half of taxes went colonial government , half went native treasury. treasury used planned budget payment of staff , development of public works projects, , therefore not spent @ discretion of local emir. herbert richmond palmer developed details of model 1906 1911 governor of northern nigeria after lugard.

in 1916 lugard formed nigerian council, consultative body brought 6 traditional leaders—including sultan of sokoto, emir of kano, , king of benin—to represent parts of colony. council promoted device allowing expression of opinions instruct governor-general. in practice, lugard used annual sessions inform traditional leaders of british policy, leaving them no functions @ council s meetings except listen , assent.

unification meant loose affiliation of 3 distinct regional administrations nigeria subdivided—northern, western, , eastern regions (see fig. 6). each under lieutenant governor , provided independent government services. governor was, in effect, coordinator virtually autonomous entities had overlapping economic interests little in common politically or socially. in northern region, colonial government took careful account of islam , avoided appearance of challenge traditional values might incite resistance british rule.

this system, in structure of authority focused on emir whom obedience mark of religious devotion, did not welcome change. emirs settled more , more role reliable agents of indirect rule, colonial authorities content maintain status quo, particularly in religious matters. christian missionaries barred, , limited government efforts in education harmonised islamic institutions.

in south, contrast, traditional leaders employed vehicles of indirect rule in edoland & yorubaland, christianity , western education undermined sacerdotal functions. in instances, however, double allegiance—to idea of sacred monarchy symbolic value , modern concepts of law , administration—was maintained. out of reverence traditional kingship, instance, oba of benin, office closely identified edo religion, accepted sponsor of yoruba political movement. in eastern region, appointed officials given warrants , hence called warrant chiefs, resisted people because lacked traditional claims.

frederick lugard, shortly before becoming high commissioner of northern nigeria.

in practice, british administrative procedures under indirect rule entailed constant interaction between colonial authorities , local rulers—the system modified fit needs of each region. in north, instance, legislation took form of decree cosigned governor , emir, while in south, governor sought approval of legislative council. hausa recognised official language in north, , knowledge of expected of colonial officers serving there. in south, english had official status. regional administrations varied in quality of local personnel , in scope of operations willing undertake. british staffs in each region continued operate according procedures developed before unification. economic links among regions increased, indirect rule tended discourage political interchange. there virtually no pressure greater unity among regions until after end of world war ii.

public works, such harbour dredging , road , railway construction, opened nigeria economic development. british soap , cosmetics manufacturers tried obtain land concessions growing oil palms, these refused. instead, companies had content monopoly of export trade in these products. other commercial crops, such cocoa , rubber, encouraged, , tin mined on jos plateau.

the significant interruption in economic development arose natural disaster—the great drought of 1913–14. recovery came , improvements in port facilities , transportation infrastructure during world war furthered economic development. nigerian recruits participated in war effort labourers , soldiers. nigeria regiment of rwaff, integrating troops north , south, saw action against german colonial forces in cameroon , in german east africa.

during war, colonial government earmarked large portion of nigerian budget contribution imperial defence. raise additional revenues, lugard took steps institute uniform tax structure patterned on traditional system had adopted in north during tenure there. taxes became source of discontent in south, however, , contributed disturbances protesting british policy. in 1920 portions of former german cameroon mandated britain league of nations , administered part of nigeria.

until stepped down governor-general in 1918, lugard concerned consolidating british sovereignty , assuring local administration through traditional leaders. contemptuous of educated , westernised african elite found more in south, , recommended transferring capital lagos, cosmopolitan city influence of these people pronounced, kaduna in north. although capital not moved, lugard s bias in favour of muslim north clear @ time. lugard bequeathed successor prosperous colony when term governor-general expired.

the policy of indirect rule used in northern nigeria became model british colonies elsewhere in africa.

developments in colonial policy under clifford

flag of british colonial nigeria



sculptural representation of africa @ colonial office building on whitehall street; created henry hugh armstead

lugard s immediate successor, sir hugh clifford, aristocratic professional administrator liberal instincts had won recognition enlightened governorship of gold coast. approaches of 2 governors colonial development diametrically opposed. in contrast lugard, clifford argued colonial government had responsibility introduce practical benefits of western experience. aware muslim north present problems, had hopes progress along lines laid down in south, anticipated general emancipation leading more representative form of government. clifford emphasised economic development, encouraging enterprises immigrant southerners in north while restricting european participation capital intensive activity.

uneasy amount of latitude allowed traditional leaders under indirect rule, clifford opposed further extension of judicial authority held northern emirs. said did not consider past traditions , present backward cultural conditions afford such experiment reasonable chance of success. in south, saw possibility of building elite educated in schools modelled on european method (and numerous elite children attended high-ranking colleges in britain during colonial years). these schools teach basic principles , should regulate character , conduct. in line attitude, rejected lugard s proposal moving capital lagos, stronghold of elite in whom placed confidence future.

clifford believed indirect rule encouraged centripetal tendencies. argued division 2 separate colonies advisable unless stronger central government bind nigeria more administrative convenience 3 regions. whereas lugard had applied lessons learned in north administration of south, clifford prepared extend north practices had been successful in south. sir richmond palmer, acting lieutenant-governor in north, disagreed clifford , advocated principles of lugard , further decentralisation.

the colonial office, lugard still held in high regard, accepted changes might due in south, forbade fundamental alteration of procedures in north. a.j. harding, director of nigerian affairs @ colonial office, defined official position of british government in support of indirect rule when said direct government impartial , honest men of alien race . . . never yet satisfied nation long , . . . under such form of government, wealth , education increase, political discontent , sedition.