The history of Nigeria up until 1999

This assignment explores the history of Nigeria up until 1999, discussing the country's formation, its British colonial period, and its independence.

Nigeria is a country located in West Africa. The country is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the south, Benin to the west, Cameroon to the east, and Niger to the north. Nigeria has a land area of 923,768 square kilometers and a population of over 191 million people, making it the most populous country in Africa. The official language of Nigeria is English, although there are over 500 other languages spoken throughout the country.

The first humans arrived in what is now Nigeria around 10,000 BC. These early settlers were nomadic hunter-gatherers who slowly began to establish permanent settlements. By 500 BC, a number of kingdoms had emerged in what is now Nigeria. The most powerful of these kingdoms was the Kingdom of Nri, which controlled much of the area until the 15th century.

In the late 15th century, Portuguese explorers arrived in Nigeria and began to establish trading posts along the coast. However, they were not able to establish any lasting control over the country. In the early 19th century, British traders began to arrive in Nigeria, and by 1861 Britain had established control over Lagos, a major trading city located in what is now Nigeria.

Over the next few decades, Britain slowly expanded its control over Nigeria, making it a colony in 1900. Britain ruled Nigeria through a system of indirect rule, which relied on local rulers to maintain order and administer justice. however, the British also had a direct role in governing the country, particularly in matters relating to defense and foreign policy.

During World War II, Nigeria was a major supplier of oil to the Allies, and Nigerian troops also fought in the war. In 1960, Nigeria gained independence from Britain, and became a republic in 1963.

However, military coups began to occur with increasing frequency in the 1970s, and by 1983 Nigeria was under the dictatorship of General Muhammadu Buhari. In 1985, another military dictator, General Ibrahim Babangida, took power. He promised to return Nigeria to civilian rule, but instead he delayed elections and governed through a series of military decrees.

In 1993, Babangida finally allowed elections to take place, but annulled the results when it became clear that the winner, Moshood Abiola, was from a different ethnic group than Babangida. This led to widespread protests and unrest, which were violently suppressed by the military. In 1995, Babangida finally stepped down and handed power over to an interim civilian government.

However, this government was unable to bring stability to Nigeria, and in 1999 another military coup occurred. The new military dictator, General Olusegun Obasanjo, promised to return Nigeria to civilian rule within three years. He kept his promise, and in 2002 Nigeria held its first free and fair elections in over a decade.

Since then, Nigeria has continued to experience political turmoil and violence, although the country has made some progress in recent years. In 2015, Nigeria's President, Goodluck Jonathan, was voted out of office after a closely contested election. This peaceful transition of power was seen as a major step forward for Nigeria.

However, the country continues to face many challenges, such as corruption, poverty, and violence. These problems have hindered Nigeria's development and prevented it from becoming the prosperous and stable country it has the potential to be.