In his book, Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe tells the story of a Nigerian man in the 1890’s, during the time of British imperialism in Nigeria. Imperialism in Africa was the source of much conflict and was responsible for significant damage to the cultures and economies there that are still seen today. Colonialism of Nigeria, specifically, began as a means to secure raw materials and goods needed by the British for industrialization (Ikponmwosa 20). British forces did not intend to stay in Nigeria and so did not establish any industry or means of production that would survive beyond their occupation. Instead, they took any materials they could acquire and immediately shipped them out of the country. This left heavy tolls on the economy of Nigeria, which had a wealth in handcrafting skills. These skills generated enormous potential for Nigeria’s own industrialization and growth, however when the British began stealing their resources, they lost the ability to produce their products and were left significantly disadvantaged (Ikponmwosa 21).
In addition to draining material resources, British imperialization also brought significant conflict, both with Nigerian communities and between them. An example of this can be seen in the story of the Aguleri and Umuleri communities. These two communities reside in the Anambra state of Nigeria, and had not been known to have any conflicts previous to colonial rule. However, when British soldiers imperialized a nearby city of Otu-Ocha, that city became an economic hub. It was a trade center for all nearby communities, including Aguleri and Umuleri. As the importance of Otu-Ocha grew, so too did the nearby land. With this came fierce competition, and so the two communities entered into conflict. After the British arrived in Otu-Ocha, Aguleri and Umuleri engaged in a number of strikes against one another, causing significant tension and open war. In 1993, one hundred years after the British arrived in Nigeria and over thirty years after they gained their independence in 1960, Aguleri and Umuleri had their first full-blown war on record (Ibenwa and Uroko, 3). This is just one example of many Nigerian and African conflicts that began through British influence and still remain today.
Although they have since gained their independence, the people of Nigeria are still living with devastating consequences initiated by colonial rule. Imperialism is a form of governance in which the colonized nations are given no choice or defense against the decisions made by the colonizing nation, and so suffer a range of injustices and violence. This type of governing without consent was woven into the fabric of some Nigerian communities. After independence was gained, new governments began popping up which operated under similar regimes (Yusuf 257). The people of Nigeria currently still live under a number of certain conflicts and difficulties, both in their economies and their government. The source of many of these conflicts can be traced directly back to the consequences and influence of British colonialism.

Works Cited

Ibenwa, Christopher N., and Favour Chukwuemeka Uroko. “Discourse Analysis of Religion and Inter-Communal Conflicts and Its Causes in Nigeria.” Hervormde Teologiese Studies, vol. 76, no. 4, 2020, pp. 1–7. EBSCOhost, doi:10.4102/hts.v76i4.5617.

Ikponmwosa, Frank. “Colonialism and Industrial Development in Benin Province, Nigeria.” Romanian Journal of Historical Studies, vol. 3, no. 1, Sept. 2020, pp. 20–29. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsdoj&AN=edsdoj.4cc7ebabf3e477e908bc62995da3e1a&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Yusuf, Hakeem O. “Colonialism and the Dilemmas of Transitional Justice in Nigeria.” International Journal of Transitional Justice, vol. 12, no. 2, July 2018, pp. 257–276. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1093/ijtj/ijy006.