TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
Background
to the study
Statement
of the Problem
Significance
of the Study
Scope
of the Study
Objective
of the Research
Structure
of the Study
Research
Methodology
Literature
Review
Definition
of Terms
End
Notes
CHAPTER TWO
Early
African Nationalist Movements
Latter
African Nationalists Movements
Nigerian
Nationalist Movements
End
Notes
CHAPTER
THREE
Nationalist
Activities between 1921 and 1960
Role
of Herbert Macaulay in Nationalist Struggles
The
Rise of Nnamdi Azikwe and Militant Nationalism
The
Zikist Movement 1946 - 1950
National
Church of Nigeria
The
Nigerian Labour Congress
Effect
of the World War One on Nationalist Struggle
Effect
of the Second World War on the Nationalist Struggles
End
Notes
CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSIS OF DATA
The
Nationalists and the Formation of political parties
The
Regionalization of Nationalism
Endnotes
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Conclusion
Recommendations
Suggestion
End
Notes
Bibliography
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND
TO THE STUDY
After
several years of domination by foreign powers both economically and politically
for centuries, Africans eventually decided to throw off the yoke of the imperialistic
relationship with their European counterparts that reached its height with the effective
occupation of African territories just after the Berlin Conference of 1884/85.
This resistance was the revolution popularly called the Nationalist Movement.
The origin of West African nationalist movements is also traceable to this
period.
Although
according to John D. Hargreaves, different African states utilized different
methods to 'get the job done', ranging from violent (resistance) to non-violent
(collaborative), The contributions of
Africans all over the world to the struggles for the liberation of the
continent cannot be understated and are indeed worthy of note. The likes of
Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya, Kwame Nkruma of Ghana,
Felix Houphovet Boigny of Ivory Coast, Haile Selassia of Ethiopia etc. were
known as the most vibrant Africans in the struggle. In Nigeria, there were' the
likes of Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello, Amiun kano, Anthony
Enahoro, Ladoke Akintola etc.
The
concept of nationalism itself can generally be defined as the patriotic
sentiments of a group of people towards their own way of life and culture in
opposition to alien domination. Bringing it a lot closer to home, according to
Adu Boahem (Ph.D.), nationalism is "the consciousness on the part of an individual
or group of Africans of membership of a nation-state, either existing or which
they aspire to, and of a desire to achieve political and economic freedom, over
all social and economic development as well as the cultural revival of a nation
state."
Nationalism
may also be defined as the activities on the part of a group of Africans held
by the bonds of common language and common historic experience to assert their
right to live under one government of their own making for the preservation of
their political, economic and social interests. Since the first encounter
between Europeans and the peoples inhabiting what is now Nigeria, there has
been a variety of manifestations of what might be broadly called nationalism,
if going by our definition, which means sentiment or activities opposed to
alien rule.
STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEM
Between
1921 and 1960, dynamic methods were employed by nationalists all over Africa
during the struggle for independence. As earlier noted, each of these methods
was employed based on the nature of the opposition faced in the bid to make
their respective states free. It is therefore necessary to take a closer look
at what methods were employed by nationalists in Nigeria after the ilk of those
mentioned earlier, and how the methods employed from time to time contributed
automatically to the eventual independence of Nigeria on October 1, 1960.
The,
nationalist struggles for independence country from the colonial government of
the British was a joint effort between famous nationalists like Dr. Nnamdi
Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Anthony Enahoro, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, Amiun
kano etc. These men agitated for self-government because they saw that the
British system of government in Nigeria was in favour of their selfish agenda
to exploit and control Nigeria's resources without respect for the country's
own socio-cultural life.
And
for the first time during, period understudy (1921-1960), the nationalists
movements were able to mount pressures on the British government and truly seek
for independence, a cause for which all regional parts of Nigeria were in
support. These men were at forefront of the fight against the colonial presence
in Nigeria.
While
a lot has been written about their work, it is necessary to take a look at how
they actually carried out their activities and how these activities; both
directly and indirectly, solved the independence problem for Nigeria.
SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
The
aim of this research work to pinpoint the various watersheds that characterized
the nationalist movements in Nigeria. It will also attempt to chronicle and analyzed
the contributions of eminent nationalists. To this end, it will be of immense
benefits to many students, scholars and the general public that want to dig
deeper into nationalist activities of individuals during this period.
It
will also serve as a great guide for the general public on the nature of the
activities of the nationalists and how (if) the
country was able to benefit from the activities of these individuals during the
pre-independence years.
SCOPE
AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
In
order to make this study easily understood and to save time, this research was
limited to the period of modern nationalism between 1921 and 1960, an era in
which various nationalist movements arose to fight for the common causes, which
was to decolonized Nigeria and achieve self-rule for the country. The study therefore
includes in-depth look at modern nationalism which was used against the foreign
domination to achieve the desired result.
Limitations
of the study include financial constraints that made it difficult to carry out
the research as extensively as possible.
OBJECTIVE
OF THE RESEARCH
The
major objectives of the study include:
i.
Providing an outline of the nationalist
activities that took place in Nigeria in the pre-independence years.
ii.
Laying emphasis on the various activities
of eminent nationalists against the imperialistic domination of the British in
Nigeria
iii.
Assessing the reactions of Nigerian
nationalists to the achievement of independence in 1960.
STRUCTURE
OF THE STUDY
As
earlier noted, the major purpose of this study is to highlight the activities
of the nationalist movements that arose in the early 1900s and fought the
British for the creation of an independent Nigerian state. The period
understudy as also earlier noted would be between 1921 and 1960. This will be
done in five (5) chapters.
Chapter
One principally
will be an introduction of the study; it will give a background of the study,
which will show the general description of the study to be carried out:
Chapter
Two will
be on the evolution and the activities of early and later nationalist movement.
Chapter
Three will entail a historical analysis of the data source
from secondary and primary sources.
Chapter Four will further reinforce
the analysis of the data collected made from Chapter Three. It will
analytically present the facts source from the data on the subject matter in
line with the objectives of the study.
Chapter Five will include the summary,
conclusion and recommendations.
RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY
In
order to achieve the goal of this research work, the data gathering method that
were employed were not empirical, but historical. The reason for this is that
the aim of the study is to chronicle the nationalistic activities of the
country's elite towards the goal of achieving the ultimate aim of the Nigerian
peoples - independence. The methodology employed also includes study of
Research
work on some of these nationalists as well as what have been written about them
in the text book.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Ozkirimli
Umut, said nationalism is the application of the belief that a group of people
bound by a professed sense of collective identity will be made better off by joining
together in some entity to seek self-determination'. This definition is based
upon several characteristic of social groups. Example, people tend to unity
with those they see as similar to themselves. Additionally, it is easier to join
collection action if there is a sense of unity among those group.
Philips
Gorski also talked about Nationalism usually connotes a social or political
movement that seeks to build or capture a state. Oxford dictionary explain
nationalism devotion and loyalty to one’s own nation patriotism.
Awodiya
muyiwa, the challenges of ethic nationalism Duruji Mose M, the colonialist had
little interest in the social economic development of the country. The administration
style adopted by the British, created destruction, suspicion and cleavages
which result in rivalry among the major ethic for the control of the soul of
Nigeria state as manifested in several violent confrontation prior and post the
country independent.
To
Barth, Nationalism on another hand is an ideology that creates and sustains a
nation as a concept of common identity for groups of humans.
The
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines nationalism as loyalty and devotion to a
nation; especially: a sense of national consciousness’s exalting one nation
above all others and placing primary emphasis on promotion of its culture and
interests as opposed to those of other nations or supranational groups.
But
the scholars at Stanford University, United States of America say the term
"Nationalism" may generally refer to two phenomena: first is the
attitude that the members of a nation have when they care about their national
identity, and second, the actions that the members of a nation 'take when
seeking to achieve (or sustain) self-determination, so says the scholars Stanford
University.
Wikipedia
says it is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group
of individuals with a nation. Nationalism has also been defined as the feeling
of a people for their home land, the state of their existence, the land of
their birth or the ground of their common belonging. Thus, it is usually a
movement occasioned by subjugation that elicits a reaction for emancipation. It
is a ferment of protest against perceived denials of rights and therefore a
fight for freedom.
But all these are definitions of the term
in a general sense. Africans and the continent's apologists define nationalism
a little differently, and with certain specific details that are missing from
the above definitions already considered. One of such 'Afro-centric definition
defines nationalism as the process of uniting and regaining freedom from
European rule. But also it has been defined by pioneer African leaders to also
mean the creation of new nations as well as their economic and political transformation.
Another definition along this line says the terms refers to the desire for
Africans to end all forms of foreign control and influence so as to be able to
take charge of their political, social and economic affairs.
From all the above, it is clear that there
are at least two different perceptions of what nationalism really means. To an
African, it simply means the battle for freedom from colonial rule, but to
other scholars and people not of the continent, it refers to the maintaining of
national identity by a nation or a group of people. One fact about African
nationalism is that the people of the continent had always been in favour of
self determination. They had always preferred to be ruled by themselves and
nobody else.
This
is perhaps why from the moment the colonial masters stepped onto the shores of
Africa, they had to face one form of rejection or the other until the last colonial
regime was eventually intentions, which Eurocentric historians like J.S Coleman
claimed were not as dark and evil as portrayed by their African counterparts,
were doubted from the outset. The setting up of the Aborigines Rights
Protection Society in 1897, just over a decade after the famous Berlin
Conference of 1884/5 shared up the continent
among rival European powers, is a clear indication of fact. The Aborigines
Rights Protection Society (ARPS) was to protect Africans from being cheated by
the' Europeans.
Although
Africans were not as educated in the 19th century as they were in the 20th
century, they were suspicious of the Europeans, who actually came first as
traders in legitimate goods after the abolishment of slave trade earlier in the
same century.
The
loss of independence to foreigners and the introduction of foreign systems of
government caused feelings of resistance among rulers and peoples of Africa.
Therefore, foreign control caused feelings of nationalism. There .were also
unfair colonial policies. Colonial economic policies such as taxation, forced
labour and compulsory growing of crops caused discontent among Africans. The
suffering of Africans that was also expressed in form of armed resistance in
many countries marked the growth of African Nationalism.
DEFINATION OF TERMS
Below
is a list of some words and phrases as they were used in this work.
Elites These are the learned
Nigerian nationalists whose activities ensured that the resistance against the
British colonialists succeeded.
Independence This refers to the
official hand over of political power to Nigeria by the colonial
administration.
Interwar years This refers to the period
between the end of the First World War and the start of the Second World War.
Nationalism This refers to the spirit
of sentiments in a people about what is their own, particularly cultural
freedom and self-determination.
Nationalist movements This refers to
concerted efforts by learned Nigerian men to set the country free.
Nationalist
struggles This
refers to the resistant movements of Nigerians in the bid to achieve
independence
Pre-independence
years This refers to the years before Nigeria was granted
independence. It particularly refers to the years between the 1920s and late
1950s.was granted independence. It particularly refers to the years between the
1920s and late 1950s.
Resistance
This
refers to the nationalist struggles, the activities of Nigerian nationalists to
ensure freedom.
Zikism
This
refers to the popular term used to identify the philosophies of Nnamdi Azikiwe
during the pre-independence years.
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