Nigeria

Is a really fun country.

Event 1: Nok People

The Nok people, who lived North of the Niger Benue river from the years 900BC to 200AD, are known for their terra-cotta sculpture and art forms. They focused on dramatized versions of the mouth and eyes, as well as adornment of the hair, naturalism, and the treatment of animal forms. It is unknown what name they called themselves by, so historians have named them the “Nok” after the town in which the first object was discovered in the 1930’s. The Nok culture survived to make the transition from the Neolithic Age to the Iron Age by raising both crops and cattle. The Nok people left traces of their influence in other parts of Nigeria and in later periods of its history.

900BC-200AD

Event 2: The Bornu EmpireThe Bornu Empire developed out of the Kanem Empire, which covered areas of Chad and Libya, and expanded to cover much of western Africa. Years later, the Kanembu people intermarried with the Bornu people to create a new language and culture, the Kanuri. The Sayfawa Dynasty, which lost all its power after the fall of the Kanem Empire, gained back influence in the early 16th century when they took control of both capital cities, Njimi and Ngazargamu. Their leader, Aluma, brought military victory, wealth and cleanliness to the empire through his reforms, which were based on Islamic law.

100AD-1600AD

Event 3: The Fulani Empire

• The Fulani people were traditional an Islamic nomadic people who hearded sheep, cattle and goats. Some Fulani people began to settle down in villages. They held uprisings in the 17th and 18th centuries against governments who were oppressing them. The empire really started becoming influential in the early 19th century, when danFodio passed his power to his son Muhammed Bello. The empire was known for its military greatness and for its success in scholarship.

1600AD-1900AD

Event 4: The Europeans

• In 1851, Britain annexed Lagos. This annexation increased trade on the in the interior, as well as the production of palm oil and cotton. The deteriorating political situation caused some concern, however the population grew. Britain accumulated control of the remainder of the region by 1886. The area gained the official name of “Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria” in the year 1914.

1851AD-1914AD

Event 5: Nigeria gains Independence

• On October 1, 1960, Nigeria gained independence and became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, and of the United Nations. It was admitted as a “loose federation of self-governing states.” Nigeria needed to unify the country because it was made up of 250 ethnic and linguistic groups. Azikiwi was served as governor general for the newly formed country, and Balewa as the head of the parliamentary government. The House of Representatives contained 312 members, and the Senate had 44.

1960

Event 6: The Ibos• In the 1960’s when rioting broke out in Nigeria, the

Ibo military leaders attempted to take control of the country. However, they were disappointed when Col. Gowon took power in Nigeria; the Ibo people were also angered by the Muslim Hausas who massacred Christian Ibos and drove them from the north. When thousands of Ibos took refuge in the east they created the republic of Biafra which declared its independence on May 30, 1967 and fought in 31 months of war against the mainland before surrendering to the federal government (January 1970). Gowon served for nine years before a bloodless rebellion overturned his power to Army Brig. MuritalaRufai Mohammed in 1975, which was followed by the return of civilian leadership with President AlhajiShehuShagari in 1979. The 1970’s hosted a Nigerian oil boom which buoyed the economy, and by the 1980s Nigeria was seen as a good example of African democracy and economic health.

1960AD-1980AD

Event 7: Military Regimes

• In 1984 the military gained again, but was followed by another military coup the next year. After announcing that the country would return to civilian rule, Major General Ibrahim Babangida voided the results. Yet he still resigned as president in August and in November the military, headed by defense minister SaniAbacha, seized power again. By November 1993, Abacha'sreign had led the country to corruption, a harsh military regime and governmental inefficiency, as well as human rights problems. What was in the 1970s the 33rd highest per-capita income, had become the 13th poorest by 1997.

1984AD-1997AD

Event 8: African Superpower• By the mid 1990’s, Nigeria had

become west Africa's superpower. As the leader of multination peacekeeping force ECOMOG, the Nigerian military interceded in the civil wars in both Liberia and Sierra Leone. However, when Nigeria spent a great amount of money on a costly war effort, the interference and the government become unpopular with the Nigerian people. Many felt that Nigeria's limited economic resources were being used superfluously.

1990AD-2000AD

Event 9: Changes in Leadership

• When Abachadied of a heart attack in 1998, another military leader, General AbdulsalamAbubakar, came to power. He promised to step down when the country elected a leader in 1999. The winner of the 1993 elections, MashoodAbiola, died suspiciously after spending 6 years in prison. For democratic proponents, his death was a crushing blow. Instead General OlusegunObasanjo won the 1999 election. He was a former military leader who spent 3 years in prison for denouncing military rule.

1998AD-1999AD

Event 10: Obasanjo• Obsanjo started off his

leadership trying to reform the country. He saw the importance in returning money to people and working to undo corruption. However, thanks to economic mismanagement, unrestrained corruption continued. He planned the building of a $330 million national soccer stadium, which surpassed the combined budget for both health and education. Even with his unsuccessful term, Obsanjo was reelected in April 2003.

1999AD-2007AD

Event 11: Religious Problems

• Starting in 1999, religious problems have ensued between fundamentalist Muslims and Christians. The fighting was heightened by the spread of Islamic law, Sharia, in the Northern portion of Nigeri and now, 12 out of the 36 states are ruled bySharialaw. More than 10,000 people have died in religious clashes; churches and community centers are burned by both groups, and police often become involved in the action.

1999AD-2009AD

Event 12: Polio Vaccination Ban

• In the year 2003, both religious and political leaders put a ban on the polio immunization in Nigeria. Their reasoning was that it sterilized girls and encouraged the spread of the HIV virus. In response to the ban, Polio spread through Nigeria and into the surrounding countries. Finally in July 2004, the Kano region reversed its its ten-month ban against vaccination. A poll taken on August 24 confirmed that there were currently 602 polio cases worldwide, 79% of which were in Nigeria. The poll acted as a red flag to the outside world that perhaps the country was not being ruled by people that had a great enough understanding of modern medicine and technology.

2003AD-2004AD

Event 13: Rebellion in the oil producing region

• The Niger delta, Nigeria’s premiere oil producing region, is one that is filled with vast poverty. The news is scattered with fights between rebel groups and gangs who desire more autonomy and equal distribution of wealth. Because Nigeria is one of the world’s largest oil producing nations, it is important to not that the violence has reduced output of oil by about 20%. Nigeria still supplies the U.S. with 1/5 of its oil. DokubuAsari, a military leader, is the commandar of one of the prominent rebel groups fighting in the delta, and has negotiated with president Obsanjo over an agreement to protect the political and economic rights of the people, without using the usually military force.

2000AD-2009AD

Event 14: Loosing Bakassi

• In order to comply with a 2002 World Court ruling, Nigeria was forced to hand over the oil-rich Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon. The two countries had had a long debate over the rightful owner of this region, almost resulting in a war in 1981 and continuing on through the early 1990’s. The people living in the Nigerian region when it was handed over to Cameroon were allowed to keep their Nigerian citizenship, and their rights were protected. For this reason, the Nigerian government did not openly criticize the court’s decision.

2002AD

Event 15: National Elections• Nigerian National elections were held for the first time in

2007. President Obasanjo could not govern for another term so a new president needed to be sworn in. Sadly the elections were plagued with frau, ballot stuffing, violence and chaos. There is hope for the future that the democratic principles will continue.

2007AD

Works Cited"Nigeria." InfoPlease. 3 Feb. 2009 <http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107847.html>.

Slattery, Katherine. "The Igbo People- History and Origins." The Igbo People. 8 Nov. 1999. Queen's University of Belfast. 3 Feb. 2009 <http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofEnglish/imperial/ nigeria/origins.htm>.

"Nigeria." Encyclopedia Britannica . 3 Feb. 2009 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/ 414840/Nigeria>.

"KANEM-BORNU EMPIRE," The History Channel website, 2009, http://www.history.com/encyclopedia.do?articleId=213550 [accessed Feb 3, 2009]

Quist-Arcton, Ofeibea. "Nigerian Election Results Hotly Disputed." BBC News. 23 Apr. 2007. History. 3 Feb. 2009 <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9766502>.

"Niger Delta's Force." The Economist. 14 July 2008. 3 Feb. 2009 <http://www.economist.com/ displaystory.cfm?story_id=11735267>.