1. Nigeria

2. Stages in Nigerian History
Pre-Colonial Period ( )
Colonial Period ( )
British
1st Republic ( )
2nd and 3rd Republics and Predatory Military Rule ( )

3. Pre-Colonial Geography encouraged growth of centralized states
Early states and kingdoms
Kanem-Bornu – northeast region
Hausa states – northwest region
Junkun kingdom
Tributary of the Bornu Empire by the end of the 1600’s

4. Trade Routes Lead to Islam
Trade routes across the Sahara with northern Africa
Arabic education
Islam
Wealth
Replace traditional political and social practice
Tribal groups to the south (Tiv) maintain tribal culture

5. Islamic Empire Sokoto Caliphate (Islamic Empire established 1808)
The Fulani brought jihad from land to the west of Nigeria (led by Uthman dan Fodio)
Brought groups together with Islam
Language (Hausa)
Islamic (Qur’anic) Law
Governed the northern regions until British Colonial authority in 1900

6. Colonial Era British Control – (1860-1960) Indirect governance
Installed tribal chiefs and natives at heads of governments and strengthened their power
System of government designed to support British economic interests
In the north the British left the Islamic governmental structure in place but strengthened the positions of the elite

7. Impact of British Colonialism
Created Nigeria in 1860
Installment of governmental system
Democratic institutions but an authoritarian political culture
Strengthening Division
Fostered political competition among ethnic groups
British played off ethnic and social division
Division of Nigeria into three regions
Becomes basis for ethnoregional conflict

8. Impact of British Colonialism
Western Education
Christian Missionaries funded by the British Gov’t set up schools for elementary education higher education established in the 1930’s and 40’s
Created a literate population
Created more separation between the elites and the people
Division between north and south – most British Christian schools were located in the south – the north had primarily Islamic education

9. Adapting to Independence
– Republic – elected parliamentary government (Westminster model)
Tafawa Balewa – Prime Minister
Assassinated – government overthrown by a military coup
Political parties
Northern Peoples Congress (NPC)
Hausa-Fulani elites
Dominated the federal government soon after independence
Policy of northernization puts them in conflict with the southern groups the Yoruba and Igbo

10. Adapting to Independence
The Yoruba dominated Action Group (AG) had an internal conflict
NCP seizes the opportunity to subdivide the Western Region
Weakens Yoruba political power
NCP – engages in widespread political corruption
Causes unrest and violence

11. Military Rule and Civil War
January 1966 – group of Igbo officers seize power
Highest ranking officer Aguiyi Ironsi became head of state
Ironsi killed in July 1966 in a second coup
Yakuba Gowon – middle belt Christian head of state put in power by the non-Igbo coup plotters
Igbo Persecution persists
Eastern Igbo areas attempt to secede in 1967 to form their own country

12. Military Rule Civil War
Military led government in the northern and western region focusing on unity
War in eastern region lasts 3 years
Takes over 1 million lives
After war Gowon breaks the four region federation into 12 states
Later becomes 19 states
Increase in military
Gowon overthrown in 1975 by Murtala Muhammad
Gowon refused to relinquish military control

13. Emergence of the 2nd Republic
Muhammad committed to restoring democratic rule
Assassinated in 1976
Emergence of General Olusegun Obasanjo
Obsanjo cedes power to a civilian government in 1979 beginning the 2nd Republic

14. Short lived 2nd Republic
Widespread corruption causes the government to loose legitimacy
National Party of Nigeria (NPN) a spin off of the first Republic’s NPC gained outright majorities in 1983 state and national elections through fraud
Within months the military seized power under General Muhammadu Buhari
Buhari refused to restore democratic rule and failed to restore the economy

15. Military Rule By 1985 General Ibrahim Babangida had seized power
Announced a program for restoring democratic gov’t but stalled heavily
In 1993 he annulled the presidential election
Babangida resigns in 1993 and appoints his successor Ernest Shonekan
General Sani Abacha (minister of defense) seizes power from Shonekan in Nov. 1993

16. Rule under Abacha
Abacha promised to restore democracy but often delayed
Very oppressive
Corrupt
Dies June 1998
Death is celebrated in the streets
Successor quickly handed over power to civilian gov’t headed by Olusegun Obasanjo and the (PDP) in 1999

17. The Fourth Republic
Obasanjo was a Yoruba candidate that people in the north could trust
WHY?
Retires all military officers that held a political position under any military government
Initiates reform of the oil industry
Cracked down on corruption
Forced resignation of a Speaker of the House and two Senate Presidents

18. Obasanjo Is Not Perfect
Still surrounded by the corrupt
Wanted reelection and nomination from party
Didn’t get along with the National Assembly
Two unsuccessful motions to impeach him
Wins reelection in 2003
Through widespread voter malpractice and rigged election
Public confidence falls
National Political Reform Conference 2005
Review the constitution and structure of the government and boost political legitimacy