British Colonize Nigeria

British Colonizing in Nigeria

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Europeans had raced to colonize the country Africa. Great Britain was the leaders at this time in colonizing the land filled with rich natural recourses. These recourses were considered a necessity to the industrialization of the world, specifically Nigeria. During this colonization that Great Britain was doing in their new land, you could imagine that the locals were not too happy about this. The British had no respect for the culture or Nigerian traditions. The longer they stayed the more that they adopted for each other's cultures. However even with the cultural exchanges between the two countries, there was much conflict for the people of a dark colored skin were not treated as equals; not as adults or even being apart of the human race. As a result of the past, Africa has long been in turmoil with war and fighting all over not to mention their economic handicap from the European colonization.

Colonization had become an epidemic in Africa. With the industrial revolution in Europe, natural recourses were a necessity to survive as a business in the modern world. Most of Europe was not abundant in recourses so they relied on countries like America, Asia, and Africa to supply these natural recourses that were very valuable at the time. European industrialists encouraged governments to colonize in Africa as a way of guaranteeing these sources of raw materials. Also by the late 19th century Europe was producing more industrial goods than they could consume. Therefore they sought more markets around the world to sell these extra goods. They colonized in Africa in order to protect the product markets for industrial goods. Colonies in Africa, specifically Nigeria, had become a part of the British expansion that focused on exploiting raw materials, minerals, and foodstuffs important to Western industrial growth. Britain tried to encourage tropical export crops in Nigeria and to create a demand there for manufactured goods from Britain. Britain maintained its economic control over the colonies through military power, alliances, and the cooperation of the local rulers.

The attitudes of both parties involved in the colonization were most defiantly not alike. The Nigerians had started as many separate tribes. The largest three tribes were the Hausas, Igbos, and the Yoruba people. They were all very different tribes and did not particularly care for one another. However with the imperialism in Nigeria imposed by the British they then started to see themselves as all Nigerians in a common struggle against their new colonial rulers. The invaders of Nigeria viewed the Africans as a lesser race, in a way, less human, maybe not even human at all. The British treated the Nigerian people as if they were children, like they didn't know what was best for their people or for their own country. The people of a lighter skin tone and more narrow features had a huge priority over the darker colored people. The evidence of racism is so strong it is where true differences between the battle between Caucasian and African people would start and last for hundreds of years. The people of Nigeria finally came together as one to stand up against the racist colonizers who overpowered them; disrespected their culture, their land, and most importantly their people.

When one country takes over and colonizes another, it is inevitable for cultural exchanges to occur.