Achieving independence in 1960, Nigeria has proven to be a multifaceted nation with an extensive and complex history. One of the most significant and vital forces for the growth of the region has been the introduction of Christianity in the second millennia. With this element, the region has developed into a culturally diverse country severely impacted by Western ideals - a nation on the brink of complete global integration.
HISTORY OF NIGERIA
Nestled in the Gulf of Guinea region in mid-Western Africa, the location of Nigeria reveals much about its history. With extensive Muslim influence from the North, Christianity naturally found its niche in the Southern part of the African continent, leaving an undefined central region wherein lies present-day Nigeria. Because of the central coordinates of the country, this area has become affected by believers of both religions.
It wasn’t until the fifteenth-century when Spanish explorers, in a quest to find a trade route to Western Asia, stumbled upon this area rich with natural resources and native inhabitants. The Spanish, being dominated by Judea–Christian beliefs, were the first of the colonizers to feel a minor obligation to spread their faith. However, their desire for material wealth and their interest in the slave trade made this “mission” unsuccessful. The natives who had come in contact with this Western ideology were soon shipped off as cargo in the global slave trade. As well, local kings seemed to be more impressed with the Europeans’ weaponry than their religious beliefs. Thus, the little influence Christianity had obtained during this period had quickly dwindled and, by the early sixteenth-century, there was little to no representation of the faith in the region. Christianity would have to wait several centuries before a significant presence could be realized in the region.
Contributing to the difficult establishment of Christianity during this time, and the lack of any significant cultural penetration, lies in the fact that this region has been home to many different kingdoms and communities throughout the past several centuries. These communities, with their own unique cultures and languages, limited the ability of outside forces making their way in and establishing a base. The Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa-Fulani were, and continue to be, the largest ethnic communities in the region. The Igbo, lying in the Eastern region - the Yoruba, from the West and South- and the Hausa-Fulani, from the North are a symbol to the cultural commitment by the natives to their ethnic roots. Naturally, any Western presence wouldn’t normally be well-received in an area with such strong cultural boundaries. Moreover, these large communities working together under a common law seems hard to digest given the vast differences among them in terms of geography, heritage, and culture. Thus, any imposing colonial force that dared to unite these entities in any way would have been, as Great Britain was, met with opposition.1
PRE-COLONIALISM
Following the Spanish intervention in the region, the area surrounding present-day Nigeria grew into a scattering of tribes and communities. Each mini-society developed its own culture and possessed individuality in a way that allowed each territory to become its own unique entity. The groups formed local governments and participated in the trans-Saharan trade. The exchange between the Africans and the merchant travelers resulted in the spreading of goods and ideas. From this relationship, West Africans found themselves becoming increasingly influenced by Islamic ideas. In the years to follow, two states, the Hausa and the Fulani, grew to become rich with Muslim traditions. The culture had penetrated the region so forcefully that, by the nineteenth-century, the northern states became dominated by the established belief system. In an attempt to unify their religious forces, in 1804 the Fulani waged a jihad on their neighboring state, the Hausa, in an attempt to rid the area of non-Muslim practices. As a result, Islam achieved a much tighter grip on the region and the permeation of religion into the political sphere flourished.
In the interim period, Europe began to see significant changes relating to their practice of slavery. Word had gotten back to England concerning the harsh treatment of slaves abroad and the practice of slavery became increasingly unpopular amongst the English; change was beginning to be demanded. In an almost unanimous opinion, the British insisted on the end of the slave trade as they had come to know it. In Great Britain, slavery successfully became abolished in 1807 and, in an effort to “moralize” the region that they had been slave trading with, sought to end slavery in the West African region.
In the years to follow, Great Britain and their unified Christian base began to conduct expeditions to the African continent, specifically, the Gulf of Guinea. The imperial power initiated their law proclaiming the end to the slave trade in the African region of present-day Nigeria and policed the area with their naval forces. With the government’s commitment to the issue, Christian missionaries were safe to move in and work with the governmental agencies in establishing a strong allied force in the region. With both private and public organizations working together, the British presence in present-day Nigeria fortified while the bond between the Western world and the African region came into sharper focus.2
EARLY BRITISH INVOLVEMENT
By the mid-nineteenth-century, Great Britain had pioneered expeditions to the Gulf of Guinea region in an attempt to end the slave trade. In 1841, the British, funded by the Society for the Extinction of the Slave Trade, began this crusade. In particular, Christian missionaries were among the first Europeans to begin such work. Slavery soon began to deteriorate in the region. Freed slaves, who had been in closest contact with the missions, began to follow the Christian faith more seriously and soon achieved a considerable populace of believers. The freed slaves began to see the British and their Christian fundamental beliefs as the root behind their liberation. The Europeans, who had initially been the ones to enslave them, had now chartered the way for their emancipation. This time, European intervention came with a considerable and forceful Christian coalition who saw slavery as the evil it was. With their commitment to the region and to their core beliefs, the Christian missionaries made a huge impact on the natives. The Europeans successfully became a symbol of Christianity to the natives and credited their ability to free the Africans to their religious duties. Because the exporting of inhabitants fell so rapidly, the freed natives were able to more swiftly spread the Christian principles.
In the years to follow, Christianity became such a growing force that it began to challenge the pre-established religions in the area such as the African Traditional Religion and, of course, Islam. With the European presence in the region and Christianity taking hold of the people, schools were more easily founded and Christian principles were to be taught in them. Now, the faith had effectively reached the grassroots of the society and the presence of Christianity was undeniable. Hospitals were constructed and medicine was introduced to the severely needy area. Trade relations with the West became stronger and economy of the southern region began to sprout. The British also had the means to construct the first forms of infrastructure this area had ever seen. Roads and modernized travel routes were resisted up until this time because of the accessibility it gave to slave traders. Europeans participating in the slave trade abused the first forms of infrastructure in this region which led to the natives willingly restricting the construction of roads in an attempt to protect them from the possibility of slavery. However, as the ultimate symbol of trust, the newly freed slaves and the gratuitous people of the region openly accepted the British willingness to create a modernized infrastructure for the area. The British had earned the trust of the Africans and had demonstrated that they could be protectors of the natives; they also committed to the idea of westernizing the region.
While the British maintained that they followed an “indirect rule” style of management in the region, the impacts of their culture became increasingly more apparent. To their credit, the British had successfully ended the slave trade in the region and, to a large extent, earned the respect of the natives in the South. Without British involvement, it is hard to say whether or not slavery would have come to an end so quickly and with such finality.
The Gulf of Guinea region started to see the first glimpses of cultural clashing as Christianity took off in the South and Islam continued to conquer the North. Because the Europeans, who had spread the Christian faith in the first place, were only served by dealing with the commercial, Southern coastal area, there was little motivation to bring Western ideas up North where it would be met with resistance. As a result, Christianity became static in the South and unification began amongst the local communities who had subscribed to the religion. With this growing cultural commonality between the Europeans and the West Africans, further plans were able to come to fruition – British prospects of obtaining an African trading partner and establishing a commercial relationship with the area rich with natural resources. Colonialism became the natural next step.3
COLONIALSM
By the mid-nineteenth century, the British presence in present-day Nigeria had brought much reform to the region. With European involvement, slave trade in the Gulf of Guinea area had come to an end, prospects of an economy grew, and the introduction of Christianity had brought about the first cultural tie to the Western world. With a common faith, the British could more easily work with their converts and establish a colony in the region - Nigeria.
While the Europeans had seemingly good intentions, the arbitrary border divisions that were cut out neglected to realize any common thread amongst the natives and, in effect, brought the Southern Christian communities and Northern Islamic cities under one state. In 1901, Great Britain officially became the protectorate of Nigeria and gained a tighter grip on the region. As a result, trade relations were cemented and the African coast started to experience a more balanced exchange with Europeans. However, the dichotomy between the North and South of Nigeria still remained. The differences between the two areas of the colony were apparent and little was done on Great Britain’s part to successfully unify the tribes.
By the end of WWII, the Nigerians had experienced the first glimpses of political global integration with their participation in the world war. Yet, they began to question the force behind their ascension and whether or not the British power had grown to be a direct ruler in the region. While the churches established by the Europeans were widely instrumental in freeing the people and modernizing the communities, they had become increasingly officious and had not entertained African participation on a managerial level. As an effect, Africans began to develop their own denominations of Christianity and formed churches that were solely run by natives. These early signals of independence started in the churches and eventually led to a nationalist movement across Nigeria. No longer would the natives be restricted to acting only in the interests of the British.4
END OF COLONIALISM
While the British had freed the African slaves, helped the Nigerians modernize, and introduced the region to a global economy, they had also imposed a Westminster style of government on the people. This blanket governing principle challenged the established local governments and demonstrated perhaps an imbalance in the relationship between the natives and the Europeans. By the end of WWII, independence became a serious consideration for the Nigerians. However, a large issue facing the region was how to organize such a large populace. The area the British had carved out included many different ethnic groups and two major religious groups acting under one state. As a result, the Western-educated elites were among the first to step up and claim authority for their respective political sects. The problem with this concept was that these Western-educated elites were still somewhat loyal to Western ideas and had a difficult time representing the region as a whole. In the years to follow, an effective constitution was set up which paved the way for complete independence. By 1960, the colony of Nigeria had successfully become its own sovereign country and had with it a promising economy.5
IMPACT
British involvement in the area of present-day Nigeria had lasting effects. Stemming from the ending of the slave trade and the introduction of Christianity in the mid-nineteenth century, Great Britain became a strong protector of the region and was able to, with the growth of cultural similarities, bring about modernization and change to the area. Among the benefits of being a protectorate of a global superpower, Nigeria was blessed with new schools, roads, hospitals, and found itself with an increase in employment. Connections to the Western world helped develop the colony in a way that wouldn’t have been possible given the many different local communities that existed, all acting independently.
However, the massive grouping of the North and South of Nigeria into one state didn’t come without challenge. As Samuel Huntington points out, clash of civilizations is a key political indicator and is at the root of all major conflict. Nigeria, in its own right, experienced this clash when the Muslim North unified with the Southern Christian communities. Great Britain neglected to consider this important and defining element and, for its own purposes, created the large colony anyway. This ultimately led to the struggle of two large communities and their attempt to work together.
Great Britain would not have had a chance at claiming Nigeria for its own unless it had developed some sort of cultural commonality with the people. The introduction of Christianity, and crediting the religion for the liberation of the slaves, allowed the Europeans to more easily find common ground with the natives. From this point, the British were able to continue their “indirect rule” in an easier fashion while being seen as allies with the African people. While these religious ideas helped bond the Europeans and Africans, it proved to be one of the greatest challenges to independence when, by the 1950s, the North and South of Nigeria desired to unify themselves.
The conflict that took place between the different religious sects that had now been formed, hindered the creation a new style of government to take place in Nigeria. By the mid-twentieth century, the demographics in Nigeria displayed the emergence of Christianity as an equal force to the established Muslim population. The two groups would now have to work together with this new element despite the vast differences in ideology. For instance, the desire to implement Sharia Law in the Muslim North seriously conflicted with Christian beliefs in the southern part of the colony. This fundamental disconnect divided the two areas of the colony and helped perpetuate social instability. Had the British not divided the region of Nigeria into the arbitrary territory that it became, this conflict would have been less likely given the ill-need of the Muslims and Christians to work together.
Today, clashes between the North and South continue in Nigeria. After decades of political turbulence, Nigeria has just recently found itself out of a military-style of government and into a more democratic form of organization. However, this new system hasn’t done much in terms of preventing cultural conflicts. In 2010, the Jos Riots, involving the Hausa-Fulani and Yoruba groups, was seen as a holy conflict amongst Muslims and Christians. The desire for Islamic extremists to rid the North and middle parts of the country of opposing religious beliefs is still in effect. Had the British never introduced Christianity in this region, there is a possibility that the expansion of Islam would have persisted in Nigeria and, if nothing else, unified the people easier.
CONCLUSION
It is right to think that Great Britain had good intentions moving into the Gulf of Guinea region. They helped end the slave trade, set up schools, opened hospitals, developed infrastructure, and helped create a modern economy. All this wouldn’t have been possible without the introduction of Christianity and its usefulness in bringing the people together. From a point of cultural identification, the Europeans and Africans could more easily work together and, thus, Western ideals could be spread.
While the colony remained under “indirect rule,” the spread of Christianity allowed less uncertainty on the Europeans’ part in terms of evaluating Africans’ willingness to work with them. The faith allowed a strong bond to be made between the people and permitted growth much faster.
Today, Nigeria is home to the largest population on the African continent, fifty-percent of whom are Christian. With a promising economy and a Westernized system of government, Nigeria has the potential to become a key player in the global political arena. Their Christian base is their key into the Western world and has certainly transformed the country into the nation it is today.
