Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. The vast country Kanem-Bornu reaching from Libya to Nigeria was created by the people of Zaghawa in nomadic Nilodic in the North-East of Nigeria by 700. Head of State Babangida promised to return the country to civilian rule by 1990 which was later extended until January 1993. The government alleged in early 1995 that military officers and civilians were engaged in a coup plot. The 1965 national election produced a major realignment of politics and a disputed result that set the country on the path to civil war. During his first days in office, President Babangida moved to restore freedom of the press and to release political detainees being held without charge. Social, economic, and cultural history also began to grow in prominence. It should not be confused with the modern-day country called Benin, formerly called Dahomey.[31]. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_Nigeria&oldid=1149132929, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the Royal Naval Biography (1823), Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the RNB (1823) with Wikisource reference, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference, Articles with dead external links from October 2022, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2022, Articles with dead external links from July 2022, Articles incorporating a citation from the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia with Wikisource reference, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Odeyemi, Jacob Oluwole. Nigeria - the Origin, Meaning and Principality. In May 1999 violence erupted in Kaduna State over the succession of an Emir resulting in more than 100 deaths. Nigeria is a patchwork of distinctive regions, including deserts, plains, swamps, mountains, and steamy jungles. Foreign scholars often associated with the school include Michael Crowder, Abdullahi Amith, J. The Igala Kingdom expanded beyond the present-day boundary. On December 31, 1983, the military overthrew the Second Republic. History of Nigeria The Name: NIGERIA The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. [49] According to the Yoruba, Oduduwa is regarded as the ancestor of the Yoruba kings. The famous Kano Chronicle records the conversion of Kano's ruling dynasty by clerics from Mali, demonstrating that the imperial influence of Mali extended far to the east. [56] At least one historian puts fikunim's reign much later, around 1225.[57]. Despite Borno's hegemony the Hausa states continued to wrestle for ascendancy. [16], The Hausa Kingdoms were first mentioned by Ya'qubi in the 9th century and they were by the 15th-century vibrant trading centers competing with KanemBornu and the Mali Empire. ", "Nigeria's economy came through the war in better shape than expected." 150200 deaths (current estimate). In a move towards greater autonomy to minority ethnic groups, the military divided the four regions into 12 states. They arrived at Lagos and Benin in 1485 and the Merchants were welcomed. This name was coined on 8 January 1897, by the British journalist Flora Shaw, who later married Frederick Lugard, a British colonial administrator. The NEC successfully held elections on 5 December 1998, 9 January 1999, 20 February, and 27 February 1999, respectively. federal republic with two legislative houses (Senate [109]; House of Representatives [360]), Kingdoms and empires of precolonial Nigeria, Controversies surrounding the 2007 presidential election, Nigeria under Umaru Musa YarAdua and Goodluck Jonathan, The 2015 elections and electorate concerns, Recession, fight against corruption, and insecurity, Which Country Is Larger By Population? The neat protrusion from the chin represents a beard. Gobir, located in the west, was the "Chief of War" and was mainly responsible for protecting the empire from the invasive Kingdoms of Ghana and Songhai. It has been in an acute stage since last January when a military coup d'tat destroyed the constitutional regime bequeathed by the British and upset the underlying tribal and regional power relationships. The first post-independence national government was formed by a conservative alliance of the NCNC and the NPC. Aviation workers in Nigeria have embarked on a two-day strike, leaving thousands of travelers stranded as airlines canceled or rescheduled flights in the country's major cities, A local official in Nigeria says that at least 33 people have been killed by gunmen in the country's northwest, From dressing as Roman soldiers in Antigua, Guatemala, to carrying palm fronds on the streets of Lagos, Nigeria, Christians around the world are celebrating Holy Week, State authorities said Tuesday at least 10 students were abducted by gunmen in northwest Nigeria, In a story published April 2, 2023, about police reforms in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a year after a Black man was shot and killed during a traffic stop, The Associated Press erroneously reported where the victim, Patrick Lyoya, was born. The Niger River, for which the country is named, and the Benue, its largest tributary, are the principal rivers. Loose sandy soils consisting of wind-borne deposits and riverine sands are found in the northern regions, although, in areas where there is a marked dry season, a dense surface layer of laterite develops, making these soils difficult to cultivate. 34 sought to do away with the whole federal structure under which the Nigerian government had been organised since independence. [79] The dominant northern NPC went into a conservative alliance with the new Yoruba NNDP, leaving the Igbo NCNC to coalesce with the remnants of the AG in a progressive alliance. Others left the country entirely for jobs at universities in the West. In the early 15th century, white men came to Nigeria to explore. The accused were tried before a Gen Victor Malu military tribunal in which Diya and five others- Late Gen AK Adisa, Gen Tajudeen Olanrewaju, Late Col OO Akiyode, Major Seun Fadipe and a civilian Engr Bola Adebanjo were sentenced to death to die by firing squad. Abacha died in 1998 and a fourth republic was later established the following year, which ended three decades of intermittent military rule. The leading scholars of the Ibadan School include Saburi Biobaku, Kenneth Dike, J. F. A. Ajayi, Adiele Afigbo, E. A. Ayandele, O. Ikime and Tekena Tamuno. This is a figure that seems to be in the midst of a conversation. Additionally, the Ironsi government was unable to produce a constitution acceptable to all sections of the country. [3] Islam reached Nigeria through the Bornu Empire between (1068 AD) and Hausa States around (1385 AD) during the 11th century,[4][5][6][7] while Christianity came to Nigeria in the 15th century through Augustinian and Capuchin monks from Portugal. All announced candidates were disqualified from standing for president once a new election format was selected. trace the origin of News Agency of Nigeria discuss the functions of NAN and the services rendered by the agency. [70] Prehistoric inhabitants adjusting to the encroaching desert were widely scattered by the third millennium BC, when the desiccation of the Sahara began. [90] All of this meant that by 1979, Nigeria was the sixth largest producer of oil in the world with revenues from oil of $24 billion per year. Key Facts. Olutayo C. Adesina, "Teaching History in Twentieth-Century Nigeria: the Challenges of Change,", Queen Elizabeth II was monarch of Nigeria and head of state, overthrew the NPC-NNDP government and assassinated the prime minister and the premiers of the northern and western regions, massacre of thousands of Ibo in the north, "The Nri Kingdom (900AD - Present): Rule by theocracy", "Historic regions from 5th century BC to 20th century", "Historical Legacies | Religious Literacy Project", "The Transatlantic Slave Trade | Religious Literacy Project", "When I Remember Nigeria, I Remember Democracy! His sudden removal would dim the prospects for Nigerian stability. On 1 October 1995 Abacha announced the timetable for a three-year transition to civilian rule. B. Webster, R. J. Gavin, Robert Smith, and John D. Omer-Cooper. Characteristic landforms in this region include oxbow lakes, river meander belts (see meander), and prominent levees. [73] Western education and the development of a modern economy proceeded more rapidly in the south than in the north, with consequences felt in Nigeria's political life ever since. The Abiriba and Aro are Brothers whose migration is traced to the Ekpa Kingdom, East of Cross River, their exact take of location was at Ekpa (Mkpa) east of the Cross River. In August 1998 Abubakar appointed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct elections for local government councils, state legislatures and governors, the national assembly, and president. In the precolonial period the country normally produced enough agricultural commodities to feed its population, and it even maintained a surplus for export. In this Nok work, the head is dramatically larger than the body supporting it, yet the figure possesses elegant details and a powerful focus. History of Nigeria Early Nigerian cultures The Nok culture Evidence of human occupation in Nigeria dates back thousands of years. Shonekan was to rule until elections scheduled for February 1994. [70] From 1884 until 1906 Old Calabar was the headquarters of the Niger Coast Protectorate, after which Lagos became the main center. [9][10] Local merchants provided them with slaves, escalating conflicts among the ethnic groups in the region and disrupting older trade patterns through the Trans-Saharan route.[11]. Now called Calabar, the city remained an important port shipping ivory, timber, beeswax, and palm produce until 1916, when the railway terminus was opened at Port Harcourt, 145km to the west.[71]. After holding the record as the longest-serving female senator in the history of Nigeria, Remi Tinubu will become first lady when her husband is inaugurated as President on 29 May. Nigeria first became a republic in 1963, but succumbed to military rule after a bloody coup d'tat in 1966. 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