On The 111th Birthday Of One Nigeria: The Theory Of The Expiry Of Amalgamation

Happy New Year everyone! Apart from the New Year celebrations, I hope you know that the 111th birthday bash of One Nigeria should also be going on as you read this. That is, if One Nigeria was worth celebrating.

Today is the 111th birthday of One Nigeria

Actually, everyone seems to be unanimous in thinking that the anniversaries of the Amalgamation Proclamation of January 1, 1914 is not worth celebrating. Coincidentally, today, I came in contact with a political scientist named Ndubuisi Onuoha who has a disturbing theory about the Amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates by Sir Lord Frederick Lugard.

According to Mr. Onuoha, One Nigeria officially expired on January 1, 2014 upon clocking a hundred years without bearing any meaningful fruit. Yes, he said it's no joke. This is what he means...

He said that the document through which the Amalgamation Policy was proclaimed stated that, if united Nigeria clocked 100 years, the constituting units were free to go their separate ways if they could no longer coexist.

The expiration of One Nigeria, according to Onuoha, was indirectly symbolised in the redesign of the Hundred Naira note in 1914.

Redesigned Hundred Naira bill. Image credit: Premium Times.

This point of view got me on a research mode as I went after the Amalgamation Proclamation document. I couldn't find it. So, who knows where I can find the document or a detailed and authoritative account of it? Please, you can share by commenting below or you contact me directly.

Yes, I didn't find the document. But I found another document dated August, 1966. It is a master's degree thesis submitted to a University of Western Michigan department by one John F. Riddick.

Entitled 'Sir Frederick Lugard, World War I And The Amalgamation of Nigeria 1914 - 1919', this document mainly explores a much overlooked connection between the first conflict of global proportions ever and the coming into existence of One Nigeria.

Going through the document, the impression I get is that Nigeria is a product of the pressures on Britain due to World War I. It's as if the Amalgamation was quickly put together to save administrative funds and personnel in view of World War I.

The point is that One Nigeria was an incidental fire-brigade provision that wasn't well-thought-out before it was implemented. What a poor foundation! I even learned that the First World War finally broke out only 7 months after the Northern and Southern Protectorates were united.

Other revelations to this effect are as follows:

The amalgamation was not a unanimous decision, as the British colonial powers imposed it on the various ethnic groups in Nigeria. Only 28 individuals were involved in the signing of the document, with just six of them being Nigerians. These six Nigerians were:

HRH Maiturare Sarkin Mussulumi, the then Sultan of Sokoto
Usuman Dan Maje, who later became Emir of Kano
Sir Kitoyi Ajasa, a lawyer
HRH Oladugbolu, the then Alaafin of Oyo
HRH R Henshaw, the then Obong of Calabar, and
Abubakar Shehu of Borno

Notably, no Igbo representatives were present during the signing, reportedly due to their strong resistance against British colonial rule. The British found it easier to work with the Fulani/Northerners, which influenced the composition of the signing delegation.

I want to know what people think about this. Not only that One Nigeria kicked off on such a poor footing, I think it's also a shame to keep answering a name given to us by a British girl as if we were her dog. It's even more of a shame to realize we still bear the name - and the structure - imposed on us by those colonial overlords even after 111 years. What do you think about this my people?

Sincerely,

Chinedu Desmond Nweke

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