Understanding Nigeria’s evolution from colonial era

A review of Oladipo Jimilehin’s book, Nigeria: The Journey to Democracy.

THAT Nigeria has been enjoying uninterrupted democracy since 1999 is a testament that the people have come to realise that this is the best form of government where the Nigerian people can express their opinions on issues, and thus, have decided to make it work.

However, it has not always been like this, as the country had experienced the colonial period, especially the amalgamation of the northern and southern protectorates, which formed Nigeria, independence from the United Kingdom, several military interventions in governance through coups de etat, violence, among others.

This dark period in the history of the country is, therefore, what Chief Oladipo Jimilehin, a lawyer, politician and elder statesman, has researched on in his book, Nigeria: The Journey to Democracy.

The book’s Foreword is written by Professor Oladipo Afolabi, a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, where he describes the book as a comprehensive chronicle of the political governance history of Nigeria since the middle of the 19th century to the present.

Professor Afolabi says, “the author, Chief Oladipo Jimilehin, has taken us through the journey of British colonial administration, whose main interest was mostly transactional, in which the geographical location, now known as Nigeria, was essentially a business enterprise, and that enterprise was administered by the Royal Niger Company, chartered by the British government.”

Through the book, the author has also skillfully taken us through the political and governance history of Nigeria since 1960, the year of independence from British colonial rule.

The author admits that the era of the British colonial administration was undemocratic; decisions were made from Britain through a domicile British Administrator or Governor-General.

In 1861, Lagos was annexed and made into a British Colony and the remaining parts of the present-day Nigeria were referred to as Southern Protectorate, and Northern Protectorate.

“Then in 1900, the charter of the Royal Niger Company was terminated by the British government, and the Lagos Colony and the two protectorates were now placed under the direct control of the British Colonial Office. Needless to sat that the undemocratic governance continued.

“In 1906, the Lagos Colony was merged with the Southern Protectorate, and in 1914, under Fredrik Lugard (who was the Governor-General at that time), the Southern and Northern protectorates were merged into the country known as Nigeria today.

“This was a monumental decision, and indeed, this was a seminal moment in the history of Nigeria, and more details are given in the book as to why.”

Professor Afolabi also highlights the first military incursion into Nigeria politics and governance on January 15, 1966, as well as the subsequent coups and civil war of 1967 to 1970.

The former Head of Service described the work as a must-read for students of political science, and indeed for al Nigerians who are interested in keeping Nigeria one, peaceful and economically buoyant.

Also, a former president of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Dr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), says the book perfectly captures landmines in the various colonial constitutions, struggles of the anti-colonial leaders, landmines in the drafting of the last colonial constitutions, which heralded the first republic and the activities of the leading dramatic personae led by Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.

The book is divided into four parts – the period of colonial rule in Nigeria and the various constitutions, the aftermath of British rule, the evolution of political parties before the four republics, period of military rule, which terminated both the first and second republics and especially the General Ibrahim Babangida era, which annulled the election it organised and which led to the emergence of the first civilian resistance to military rule, National Democratic Coalition (NADECO).

The book also documents the historical evolution of Nigeria from amalgamation in 1914 till date.

The book is, therefore, recommended for those who wish to know more about how the Nigerian state came to be and the roles of all political players, both in the past and present.