Etude de cas sur le Nigeria

ORAL PRESENTATION ABOUT NIGERIA

GEOGRAPHIC SITUATION: Located in West Africa, sharing borders with Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin, it borders the Gulf of Guinea located in the Atlantic Ocean. Its main cities are Lagos (3rd largest city in the world and first in Africa), Abuja (its capital), Ibadan, Kano.

There is a humid tropical climate in the southern zone and in the north a dry desert climate with the Sahara Desert covering parts of the northern region of the country.

219 000 000 people living in nigeria

 COLONIAL HISTORY:

Nigeria's colonial history is marked by the arrival of Europeans during the 15th century, mainly the Portuguese, who were the first to explore the West African coast. However, it was not until the 19th century that the British began to exert significant influence over the region.

British interest in Nigeria intensified in the early 19th century due to the slave trade and with the discovery of palm oil, which was a valuable resource at the time. The British established trading posts and forts along the Nigerian coast to protect their economic interests.

The British colonization of Nigeria was marked by several phases:

  1. Colonization of the South (1851-1906): The British consolidated their hold on the southern region of Nigeria by establishing protectorates and absorbing local kingdoms. They encountered some resistance from local kings and chiefs, but were eventually able to establish their authority.

    2. Colonization of the North (1900-1914): The northern region of Nigeria was conquered by the British in the late 19th century. Unlike the south, the north was more politically fragmented, making conquest easier. The British used a combination of military and diplomatic tactics to establish control.

  3. Unification of Nigeria (1914): In 1914, the British merged the northern and southern protectorates to form Nigeria, a single administrative territory under British rule. This unification had mainly economic and administrative motivations.

During the colonial period, the British instituted a system of indirect rule, in which they governed through local traditional leaders. This allowed them to maintain control while using existing political and social structures.

However, colonization also led to tensions and conflicts, particularly between Nigeria's different ethnicities and religions. The British favored certain ethnic groups over others, which sowed the seeds of distrust and division.

The struggle for independence began after World War II, with nationalist movements such as the Nigeria-Cameroon National Congress (NCNC) and the Action Group (AG) demanding self-determination. Finally, Nigeria gained independence from Great Britain on October 1, 1960.