Nigeria

Early History and Empires

The people of Nigeria share an extensive history that can be traced back to as early as 12,000 BC, as shown by relics of the Stone Age found by archaeologists. Settlement patterns among the early Nigerians were dependent on the surrounding landscape and vegetation. In territories of high forestation, such as those occupied by early Yoruba, Ibibio, Igbo, and Edo tribes, agriculture was the main source of sustenance. In coastal areas inhabited by tribes such as Ijo and the Kalabari, goods such as fish and salt were traded as commerce.

Ethnic relations in present-day Nigeria come from a host of historic influences. The Kanem-Borno was an empire that ruled from about the 8th century until the 19th century, when it was subdued by the British. This northern empire became wealthy and powerful due to their familiarity with the trans-Sahara trade routes. These routes secured contact and strong diplomacy with the Middle East and northern African city-states, and, as a result, Islam became heavily practiced within the kingdom. The empire made it possible for other kingdoms to flourish.

The Hausa tribes were an ethnic group found in the northern savannas of precolonial Nigeria, located south of the Kanem-Borno Empire. Agriculture and security from their northern neighbors allowed the Hausa kingdoms to prosper. To the south, the tribes of the Yoruba, Nupe, Tiv, and Igala traded and held diplomatic relations with each other. The Niger delta was rich with city-states, such as the Bonny and the Calabar, which established trade with Europeans and controlled the sea and waterways.

The Empire of Benin was created by the Edo tribe and was one of the traders that also benefited from the European presence. Coming to power in the 14th century, the Benin Empire borrowed ideas and political tactics from those of the Oyo Empire to further its military ambitions. Contact with the Portuguese in the 15th century provided the empire with guns that were inevitably used to gather land and slaves, which ultimately were sold off in the transatlantic slave trade through the Bight of Benin.

The Yoruba, the strongest of the southern tribes, came into power with the Oyo Empire in the early 16th century. Using cavalry and an effectively functioning monarchy, the Oyo Empire dominated its neighbors. The military prowess of the empire continually subdued and conquered, allowing for expansion by the 17th century into one of the most formidable empires in Nigeria. The Oyo Empire, with its seat of power in Lagos, became the way of incursion for British trade, missionaries, and the eventual colonial-ization of the entire country.

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