{"id":8236,"date":"2022-09-09T16:10:07","date_gmt":"2022-09-09T16:10:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naijabiography.com\/?post_type=history-culture&p=8236"},"modified":"2022-09-09T16:14:35","modified_gmt":"2022-09-09T16:14:35","slug":"queen-elizabeth-how-nigeria-was-sold-for-865k","status":"publish","type":"history-culture","link":"https:\/\/naijabiography.com\/history-culture\/queen-elizabeth-how-nigeria-was-sold-for-865k\/","title":{"rendered":"Queen Elizabeth; How Nigeria was sold for \u00a3865k"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
The question of how Nigeria became an independent country, which in recent times has been regarded as the \u201cGiant of Africa<\/em>,\u201d is a long walk, as it has transformed from being a centre for slave trade to becoming a conglomerate of many ethnic groups, which birthed 36 states from six geo-political regions<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many Nigerians are only exposed to the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates<\/a> but are unaware of how the country evolved into a British Colony, as well as how it became an asset for colonialists, sold at a discounted amount of \u00a3865K<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this piece, Naijabiography not only narrates the untold story behind the independence of Nigeria but also examines how Nigeria was auctioned for sale in the early 19th century by traditional rulers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The traditional slave trade in Southern Nigeria<\/a> preceded the arrival of European influence. European slave trading began in west Africa before 1650, with people taken at the rate of 3,000 per year<\/strong> by the Europeans. At first, the trade centered around West Central Africa, now the Congo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the Slave Coast, also known as the Bight of Benin<\/strong>, rose to become the second-most significant hub in the 1700s. The two main ports on the oast were Ouidah <\/strong>(which is now a part of Benin) and Lagos<\/a><\/strong>. Between 1783 – 1792, about 76,000 people are taken from Africa each year. From 1790 to 1807, primarily British slave traders purchased 1,000\u20132,000 slaves each year in Lagos alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With the arrival of the transatlantic slave trade<\/strong> (The Atlantic slave trade, transatlantic slave trade, or Euro-American slave trade is the transporting of enslaved African peoples to the Americas by slave traders), traditional slave traders in southeastern Nigeria became suppliers of slaves to European slave traders. In 1807 the Parliament of the United Kingdom<\/strong> passed the Slave Trade Act, forbidding British subjects from participating in the Atlantic slave trade. Britain gradually lobbied other European authorities to stop the slave trade too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It signed anti-slavery treaties with West African nations, which it then militarily enforced through an African blockade. Some of the treaties stipulated restrictions on diplomacy carried out without British permission or other commitments to uphold British rule. This situation allowed for naval expeditions and reconnaissance operations throughout the region. Although many smuggling of slaves to the Americas continued for years afterward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lagos statue<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n British Prime Minister Lord Palmerston<\/strong> abhorred slavery, in 1851 he took advantage of divisions in native politics, the presence of Christian missionaries, and the maneuvers of British consul John Beecroft<\/strong> to encourage the overthrow of the regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before the intervention of the British, Oba Oluwole<\/strong> (King of Lagos) was killed in 1841 and Prince Kosoko<\/strong> was to become the new Oba but they couldn’t find him. His uncle, prince Akitoye<\/strong> was installed as the new oba of Lagos <\/a>which was supported by The influential dealer and slave trader Madam Tinubu<\/strong>, who had previously been married to Adele. Kosoko Returned to Lagos and a war of words occurred between Oba Akitoye<\/strong> and Prince Kosoko<\/strong>. Kosoko sent his crier around Lagos singing “Tell that little child at court yonder to be careful; for if he is not careful he will be punished<\/em>“. Akitoye, in turn, deployed his crier singing “I am like a pin firmly driven into the ground, which is always hard to root out but ever remains firm”. Kosoko retorted “I am the digger who always roots out a pin<\/em>“.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Kosoko faction’s Ogun Olomiro<\/strong> (Salt Water War) insurrection occurred in July 1845 as a result of the tensions. Eventually, Akitoye conceded defeat, made his way northward through the lagoon, and was given safe passage across the Agboyi Creek<\/em> by Oshodi Tapa<\/strong>, the war captain of Kosoko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The deposed king, Oba Akitoye seek for the help of Britain in restoring to the throne as king of Lagos. In 1851, British consul John Beecroft decided to help him on condition that the slave trade will be abolished and British merchants have a monopoly in commodities which he agreed with. On November 1851, The Royal Navy bombarded Lagos<\/strong> (or Reduction of Lagos,) and deposed the pro-slavery Oba Kosoko, enthroned Oba Akitoye. He signed the Great Britain-Lagos treaty that made slavery illegal in Lagos on January 1, 1852. Lagos was annexed as a Crown Colony in August 1861 via the Lagos Treaty of Cession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By 1870, Oil had replaced slaves as the main export of the Niger Delta<\/a>, the area which was once known as the Slave Coast<\/strong>. In 1879, George Taubman Goldie<\/strong> established the United African Company (UAC)<\/em>, which was modeled on the former East India Company. He began amalgamating companies into the United African Company. 30 trading stations were operated by his company throughout Lower Niger. In the 1884 Berlin Conference<\/strong>, (also known as the Congo Conference or West Africa Conference, which was a conference to regulate European colonisation and trade in Africa), the monopoly gave the British a strong hand against the French and Germans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Britain was the first industrialized country in the world, they needed resources like oil to maintain that. In 1884, after the berlin conference, the British Consulate General was moved from Fernando Po to Calabar after Britain declared the creation of the Oil Rivers Protectorate, which included the Niger Delta. It was expanded to cover the region from Calabar to Lagos Colony and Protectorate, including the hinterland, and northward up the Niger River as far as Lokoja, the headquarters of the Royal Niger Company and it was changed from Oil Rivers Protectorate to Niger Coast Protectorate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The company name was changed from United African Company (UAC)<\/strong> to The National Africa Company<\/strong> and was granted a royal charter (incorporated) by 1886. The name was later renamed to Royal Niger company<\/strong> (known as Unilever <\/strong>today) with its headquarters far inland at Lokoja, It served as the company’s primary trading port and from where it started to take over administration of the regions along the Niger and Benue rivers where it had depots. It eventually achieved a virtual monopoly over trade along the River.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To local chiefs, the Royal Niger Company<\/strong> negotiators had pledged free trade in the region. On their conditions, they engaged in private agreements. The British government upheld the (deceitful) private contracts since they were usually written in English and were signed by the local leaders (they cannot read). Read the agreement<\/p>\n\n\n\n We, the undersigned King and Chiefs [\u2026] with the view to the bettering of the condition of our country and people, do this day cede to the National Africa Company (Limited), their heirs and assigns, forever, the whole of our territory [\u2026] We also give the said National African Company (Limited) full power to settle all native disputes arising from any cause whatever, and we pledge ourselves not to enter into any war with other tribes without the sanction of the said National Africa Company (Limited).<\/p> We also understand that the said National African Company (limited) has full power to mine, farm, and build in any portion of our territory. We bind ourselves not to have any intercourse with any strangers or foreigners except through the said national African Company (Limited), and we give the said National African Company (Limited) full power to exclude all other strangers and foreigners from their territory at their discretion.<\/p> In consideration of the foregoing, the said National African Company (Limited) bind themselves not to interfere with any of the native laws or customs of the country, consistently with the maintenance of order and good government \u2026 [and] agree to pay native owners of land a reasonable amount for any portion they may require.<\/p> The said National African Company (Limited) bind themselves to protect the said King and Chiefs from the attacks of any neighbouring tribes (Ibid.)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n With this unknowing agreement, the British have power over them. Jaja of Opobo<\/a><\/strong>, who is a chief unsuccessfully attempted to export oil on his own and was exiled for “obstructing commerce.” As a side note, Jaja was “forgiven” in 1891 and permitted to return home, but he passed away on the journey because of tea poisoning.<\/p>\n\n\nSlavery<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Oba Kosoko and Oba Akitoye<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Oil saga<\/h2>\n\n\n\n