Nigeria

Capital : Lagos/Abuja

Yobe, Taraba, Plateau, Akwa-Ibom, Arrambra, Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Edo, Kaduna, Kogi, Abia, Delta, Enugu, Imo, Jigawa, Kano, Sokoto, Kebbje, Kwara, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo

Size: 357 000 sq m Popn: 88 515 000

History

About 7000 years ago, Nigeria was already a settled farming community and fine iron-making and terracotta sculpture skills developed over 2000 years ago. By the C11th, the north was dominated by two well-established state systems, Kanem-Bornu and Hausa-Bokwoi, which benefited from the rich trans-Saharan trade in leather, salt, slaves and gold. In the early C19th the Fulani leader, Shehu Usman dan Fodio, decreed a Jihad which installed Fulani Emirs in most Hausa states and set up Islamic administration beyond. The Ibo of the South-East did not develop states until the Europeans came but the Yoruba in the South-West established an empire at Ife by the C10th and later at Oyo and Benin.

In the C15th, the Portuguese arrived on the coast and began the transatlantic slave trade which was led by Britain by the C18th and abolished early in the C19th having transported over 30 million people and shattered the southern Nigerian systems. Lagos, said to have been bought from a tribal chief, became a British colony and protectorate in 1886. The Niger River valley was developed by the National African Company, later the Royal Niger Company up to 1899. Britain had conquered the whole country by 1906 and the Northern and Southern Nigerian Protectorates were united to form Nigeria, her largest African colony, in 1914.

It became a federation in 1954 and despite internal conflicts of interest, Nigeria became independent as a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth in 1960 and a Republic in 1963. Government was based on a federal structure which tried to include the many ethnic groups. The first President was an Ibo, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and his main rival was Abubakar Tafawa Balewa who became prime minister in 1957. He was killed when law and order broke down and Ibo military seized power in 1966 under Gen. Aguiyi-Ironsi. A Northern Christian counter-coup in 1966 brought Lt-Col. Yakubu Gowon to power and led to the killing of many Ibo in the north.

In 1967, fighting began in the eastern region over distribution of oil revenue. The military governor, Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, declared an independent Ibo state of Biafra. Civil war lasted until Biafra surrendered in 1970, greatly weakening the economy and killing about a million people.

Gowon announced that civilian government would return but postponed it indefinitely and was overthrown in 1975 by the northerner General Murtala Muhammed who promised civilian rule by 1979. He was killed in a coup attempt in 1976 but his deputy Lt.-Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo continued his plans and Alhaji Shehu Shagari, the leader of the National Party of Nigeria, was elected President in 1979. Despite disillusionment with fiscal, economic and political malpractice the government retained power in the 1983 elections but was followed by coups by Maj.-Gen. Buhari, hailed as a saviour in 1983, and Gen. Babangida, the army chief of staff, in 1985.

He forbade anyone who had held elective office from standing for the new civilian government and lifted the ban on political activity in 1989 but rejected applications for the recognition of new political parties. In August 1991, nine new states were created, making 30 in all and the number of local government councils was increased to 500. The ban on previously elected officials standing for government was removed and it was announced that US style primary elections were to be held but civilian rule, promised for 1992, was delayed.

After the civil rights abuses including the execution of the human rights activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, in 1995, Nigeria was expelled from the Commonwealth. In February 1999, the President, Abdulsalam Abubakar, promised civilian government by May.

The main ethnic groups are the Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo and Fulani but there are over 250 others. English is the official language, Hausa, Yoruba and Ibo are spoken and Islam, Christianity and traditional beliefs are followed. Half the population is under 15 years old and in 1988 a policy encouraging mothers to limit their families to four children or less was introduced.

Nigerian Names

Male

Female

Surnames

Hausa (Nigeria, Niger, Ghana)

Male

Female

Surnames

Efik

Male

Yoruba

Yoruba names often reflect the child's position in the family or circumstances of birth and many can be given to boys or girls. Three names are usually given - the oruko abiso or given names which reflect the family background, the oriki which are nicknames or pet names that relate to situations before or after a child is born and the orile or kinship name which can often be traced back for many generations. A male child is named on the ninth day after birth, a female on the seventh and twins and Christian or Muslim children on the eighth.

Male

Female

Unisex

Igbo/Ibo

Babies are usually named in an important ceremony eight days after birth. A spiritual diviner finds out which spirit reincarnated the child and the baby is usually named after it. Names describing appearance, the day of birth, gratitude for the birth or family circumstances are also given.

Male

Female

Surnames

Gods

Ibibio

Male

Female

Tiv

Male

Female

Ogoni

Male

Surnames

This collection of names was compiled by Kate Monk and is ©1997, Kate Monk.

Copies may be made for personal use only.