How Nigeria Became an Independent Country 65 Years Ago

On October 1, 1960, Nigeria became officially free from British rule. Nigeria itself was created in 1914, fourteen years after its former colonial masters paid the sum of £856,000 to the company that took on exploratory duties and forcibly subjugated the people in the lands that would eventually make up the eventual country.

The creation of Nigeria through the amalgamation of two protectorates — northern and southern — was not to build unity, but to make administration and economic exploitation easier for the British. The local population, which comprised over 250 tribes and 400-plus languages, was not consulted in the country’s formation.

Nigeria’s eventual independence was won by strong nationalist sentiments, pioneered by seminal figures like Herbert Macaulay, Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Olufunmilayo Ransome-Kuti, and many more. However, Nigeria’s independence was based on a fragile unity, which led to a civil war within a few years and is still a major divisive part of local politics.

Here’s more on how Nigeria became an independent country.