Colonial government in Nigeria from 1900 till 1925

الملخص EN

The establishment of colonial rule over a large territory is, generally, a lengthy process.

It goes without saying that certain areas are subjugated before others, obstructing, consequently, the creation of a centralized system of government.

The aim of the present paper is to examine this process in the particular case of Nigeria, given its wide area, with a view to assessing how the colonial power (Britain) managed to create a machinery of government with the ultimate aim of amalgamation.

The research work will hindsight the different lacunae encountered by the British in the implementation of this plan.

For this sake three periods have been delimited.

The first, expanding from 1900 till 1914, marked the setting up of a partial fusion.

The second, from 1914 till 1918, witnessed the amalgamation of the two colonial administrations (the North and the South) by Governor Lugard.

Finally, the third period, from 1918 till 1925, coincided with the endeavors of Governor Clifford for the creation of more centralized institutions than his predecessor.