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Brief History of Northern Nigeria

Northern Nigeria was an autonomous division within Nigeria, distinctly different from the southern part of the country, with independent customs, foreign relations and security structures. In 1962 it acquired the territory of the British Northern Cameroon, which voted to become a province within Northern Nigeria.

In 1967, Northern Nigeria was divided into the North-Eastern State, North-Western State, Kano State, Kaduna State, Kwara State, and the Benue-Plateau State, each with its own Governor.

 

The ancient culture of Nok dominated most of what is now Northern Nigeria in prehistoric times, its legacy in the form of terracotta statues and megaliths have been discovered in Sokoto, Kano, Birinin Kudu, Nok and Zaria. The Kwatarkwashi culture, a variant of the Nok culture centred mostly around Zamfara and Sokoto States; and is thought by some to be the same or an offshoot of the Nok. Fourteen Kingdoms unified the diverse lore and heritage of Northern Nigeria into a cohesive ethno-historical system. Seven of these Kingdoms developed from the Kabara legacy of the Hausa people. In the 9th century as vibrant trading centers competing with Kanem-Bornu and Mali slowly developed in the Central Sudan, a collection of Kingdoms merged, dominating the great savannah plains of the Hausa land, their primary exports were leather, gold, cloth, salt, kola nuts, animal hides, and henna.

 

The Seven Hausa states included:

  1. Daura, ? - 1806

  2. Kano, 998 - 1807

  3. Katsina, c. 1400 - 1805

  4. Zazzau (Zaria), c. 1200 - 1808

  5. Gobir, ? - 1808

  6. Rano

  7. Biram, c. 1100 - 1805

The growth and conquest of the "Hausa Bakwai" resulted in the founding of additional states with rulers tracing their lineage to a concubine of the Hausa founding father, Bayajidda. Thus they are called the "Banza Bakwai", meaning Bastard Seven. The Banza Bakwai adopted many of the customs and institutions of the Hausa Bakwai but were considered unsanctioned or copy-cat kingdoms by non-Hausa people. These states include:

  1. Zamfara

  2. Kebbi

  3. Yauri (also called Yawuri)

  4. Gbagyi (also called Gwari land)

  5. Kwararafa (a Jukun state)

  6. Nupe (of the Nupe people)

  7. Ilorin (a Yoruba city)

The Fulani and the Bornu Empire

Fulani Empire and Bornu Empire - Usuman dan Fodio, the 18th century revolutionary and a social, religious and political reformer finally united the 7 Hausa States with newly created provinces into the Sokoto Caliphate. The Sokoto Caliphate was under the overall authority of the Commander of the Faithful. Under Dan Fodio, the Empire was bicephalous and divided into two territories each controlled by an appointed vizier. Each of the territories was further divided into autonomous Emirates under mainly hereditary local Emirs. The Bornu Empire was initially absorbed into the Sokoto Caliphate of Usman dan Fodio, but broke away a few years later.

Colonisation - Initially, the British involvement in Northern Nigeria was predominantly trade-related, and revolved around the expansion of the Royal Niger Company, whose interior territories spread north from about where the Niger River and Benue River joined at Lokoja, the Mount Patti hill. The Royal Niger Company's territory did not represent a direct threat to much the Sokoto Caliphate or the numerous states of Northern Nigeria. This changed, when Frederick Lugard and Taubman Goldie laid down an ambitious plan to pacify the Niger interior and unite it with the rest of the British Empire.

Independence - Northern Nigeria gained self-government on 15 March 1957 with Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto as its first premier. The Northern Peoples’ Congress under Bello dominated parliament while the Northern Elements Progressive Union becaming the main opposition party. In 1967, Northern Nigeria was disestablished by subdivision.

Government and politics - The government of Northern Nigeria was modelled after the Westminster system. A premier acted as head of government and presided over the day-to-day affairs of government, while a Governor of Northern Nigeria acted as viceroy and as commander-in-chief of the constabulary. The lower house of parliament, called the House of Assembly was composed of elected representatives from the various provinces of the country. The Upper House of parliament, called the House of Chefs, was similar to the British House of Lords, composed of unelected emirs of the various Native Authority Councils of the nation's provinces.

 

In 1967, the Federal Military Government of General Yakubu Gowon broke up the four regions that until then had constituted the Federation of Nigeria, creating twelve new states. Northern Nigeria was divided into the North-Eastern State, North-Western State, Kano State, Kaduna State, Kwara State, and the Benue-Plateau State, each with its own Governor and government.


Click for an in-depth information on Nigeria ....

   

  AREWA DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILES

Building trusting relationships among key players that spur the movement of ideas into action in an agile manner for the Arewa region...

 

Nigeria's population is more than 200 million people and is projected to be 392 million in 2050, becoming the world’s fourth most populous country, with northern Nigeria popularly called "Arewa" having the highest youth population. Nigeria’s sustained high population growth rate will continue for the foreseeable future because of population momentum and its high birth rate. Nigeria needs to harness the potential of its burgeoning youth population in order to boost economic development, reduce widespread poverty, and religious and ethnic violence. 

 

Demographic shifts will fuel the growth of new sectors, markets, and service lines: The ability of our diversity to build strength and unity is the power that will propel the organization and consequently, Arewa and the Nigerian industry, into new dimensions of performance. Read On>>


Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the most populous and politically influential are:

  1. Hausa \ Fulani 29%;

  2. The Yorubas 21%;

  3. Igbos (Ibos) 18%;

  4. The Ijaws 10%;

  5. The Kanuris 4%;

  6. Nupe 3.0%;

  7. The Ibibios 3.5%;

  8. Tivs 2.5%

With Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10% having Age Structure as follows:

  • 0-14 years old: -42.79% (male 40,744,956/female 38,870,303)

  • 15-24 years old: - 19.48% (male 18,514,466/female 17,729,351)

  • 25-54 years old: - 30.65% (male 29,259,621/female 27,768,368)

  • 55-64 years old: - 3.96% (male 3,595,293/female 3,769,986)

  • 65 years and over: - 3.12% (male 2,754,040/female 3,047,002) (2016 est.)

Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

Variable TFR (2003) TFR (2008) TFR (2013)

Nigeria

5.7

5.7

5.5

Urban

4.9

4.7

4.7

Rural

6.1

6.3

6.2

Region - North Central

5.7

5.4

5.3

Region - North East

7.0

7.2

6.3

Region - North West

6.7

7.3

6.7

Region - South East

4.1

4.8

4.7

Region - South South

4.6

4.7

4.3

Region - South West

4.1

4.5

4.6


History of the Protectorate of Northern Nigeria - The protectorate of Northern Nigeria was proclaimed at Ida by Frederick Lugard on January 1, 1897. The basis of the protectorate was the 1885 Treaty of Berlin which broadly granted Northern Nigeria to the British sphere of influence, on the basis of their existing protectorates in Southern Nigeria. Hostilities with the powerful Sokoto Caliphate soon followed. The Emirates of Kontogora and Ilorin were the first to be conquered by the British. In February 1903, the great fort of Kano, seat of the Kano Emirate was captured; Sokoto and much of the rest of its Caliphate soon capitulated. On March 13, 1903, the Grand Shura of Caliphate finally conceded to Lugard's demands and proclaimed Queen Victoria as suzerain of the Caliphate and all its lands. Governor Lugard, with limited resources, controlled the region with the consent of local rulers through a policy of indirect rule, which he developed into a sophisticated political theory. The geographical area included in the Northern Nigeria Protectorate included the Okun-Yoruba land of Kabba, Ogidi, Ijumu, Gbede, Yagba, as well as, Ebira land, Igala land fashioned collectively under Kabba Province. The Ifelodun, Offa, Omuaran, Ifelodun and Irepodun areas, also Yorubas, were fashioned into Ilorin province. Lugard left the protectorate after some years, serving in Hong Kong, but was eventually returned to work in Nigeria, where in 1914 he sought the merger of the Northern Nigeria Protectorate with Southern Nigeria, creating the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria. Agitation for independence from the radically different Southern Protectorate, however, led to a formidable split in the 1940s. The Richards constitution proclaimed in 1945, gave overwhelming autonomy to the North, including eventually in the areas of foreign relations and customs policy.


ICT is the convergence of communications, computing and information technologies and has become the catalyst that enhances development process of a nation...Read On>>

 

       

 Restructuring may not be a bad idea for the North because the North has so many Potentials of Solid Mineral Exploration, so great that by the time the northern  Governors realize it they will almost forget about allocation funds coming from Federal Government and too much Taxes on its citizens to generate more internally generated revenue (IGR). The potential is great and better than crude oil of the south. Gold, Uranium, Iron Ore, Gemstones, Columbite, Tantalite, Kaolin, Goshenite and other precious minerals are everywhere across the north, but also High-Grade Lithium ore in Brine Rocks, lithium-bearing pegmatite and spodumene, a critical component for making electric car batteries. By 2030, oil will no longer be that important as electric cars will take over, lithium batteries will also be used for powerhouses and so much more. The potentials for export of these natural minerals and local use in manufacturing from the north are unparalleled.

 

The northern demographic shifts will fuel the growth of new sectors, markets and service lines. They will begin to innovate and with creativity build viable businesses in areas of the business supply chain, and in agriculture, livestock mainstreaming, no more transporting live animals to the south but slaughtered and freight in refrigerated trucks, renewable energy like solar farming, ICT, Business Processing Outsourcing and in healthcare, manufacturing and revitalizing Kannywood entertainment industry in partnership with Indian Bollywood.  The unity of northern diversity is the power that will propel the business communities and consequently, the northern upcoming industries into new dimensions of performance. Soon there will be on the horizon, more northern banks, northern media and corporations; and northern intelligentsia that will meet every contemporary challenge; build capacity and human capital knowledge-pool; and the end of youths banditry, kidnappings, communal crises, terrorism and religious violence because everyone will have work and meaningful things to do under strong, compassionate leadership, propelling the country to a Greater Height as a whole. ICT-enabled solutions in healthcare, agriculture, education, financial services and States-public services will drive socio-economic inclusion of everyone in the region and the country faster, cheaper and more efficient than traditional methods. Indeed, the North; and Nigeria will be Great Again.


"Let us begin by embracing a new way of thinking and action by cultivating a new philosophy that expresses the best of us, that brings forth our better selves and not our worst demons. Unending political recriminations and deliberate economic sabotage must give way to compassionate leadership, accommodation and the pursuit of better ideals".

 

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