History - The fault line between the tribes of North and South, and Islam and Christianity

The spread of Islam at the end of the first millennium A.D. can be taken as the starting point. Its expansion occurred through Portugal’s development of trade with India via the Middle East at the end of the 15th Century. Later on, the slave trade migrated further to the south and the Gulf of Guinea, which also became the gateway for Christian evangelisation, thus forming a fault line in Africa’s western region.

The region split into small territories. The unification of Nigeria occurred under a British National, Frederick Lugard, who was Governor-General from 1914 to 1919. It was in fact his wife who came up with a name for the country in 1898, formed from the words 'niger' (a Latin word meaning ‘black-skinned’) and 'area'. Shortly after, the three most important groups that make up the country, the Hausa in the north, the Ibo in the east, and the Yoruba in the west pressed for independence. The period leading up to an independent state was administered by the United Kingdom, but there were scant negotiations with the leaders of the state-to-be over about how to go about bringing together some 250 individual tribal and linguistic groups. Nigeria officially gained its independence on 1 October 1960.  

A series of coups d’état

The first government, headed by Prime Minister Sir Akubakar Tafawa Balewa and with Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe as first Governor-General was overthrown by a coup d’état in 1962 and another, instigated by an Ibo military officer occurred in 1966. In the same year, a third coup saw 31-year-old Hausa officer, Lieutenant Colonel Yakubu 'Jack' Gowon, become head of state. The terrible Biafran War broke out a year later, in the wake of the slaughter in the north of 20,000 Ibo by the Hausa, followed by reprisals against the latter in the south. In 1967, a declaration of Ibo sovereignty in their region was made by General Ojukwu. The Biafran War continued for another three years by the end of which some three million Biafrans were confined to a tiny area of a few square kilometres. A compilation of evocative poems, ‘A Shuttle in the Crypt’, was written about the tragedy by the Ibo poet and novelist, Wole Soyinka, during his two year imprisonment.

An enlightened dictator

Post-war, General Gowon had the foresight to issue a pardon for those behind the secession attempt, and decided to overlook the support of some countries for Biafra. He spawned major investment in the reconstruction of Ibo lands, an initiative that probably cemented the young nation. Soon after, oil was discovered. Gowon remained in power for nine years, during which he launched a major crackdown on corruption with his "X Squad", the bane of politicians and businessmen alike. He also set in motion the country’s industrialisation, restricting certain sectors of industry to only local companies. No sooner had he decided to reestablish civilian rule, however, than it was overturned by General Murtala Mohammed.  

Murtala was replaced by the Yoruba General, Olusegun Obasanjo, who took the decision to establish a democratic system of government. It lasted five years, until 1983. Sixteen years of military rule followed before Obasanjo was himself democratically elected as president in 1999 and was subsequently re-elected in 2003. In 2007, Obasanjo was succeeded by a Hausa, Umaru Yar'adua, who died during the final year of his mandate and was replaced for an interim period by the vice-president, Goodluck Jonathan, a native of the south. In just a few short months, Jonathan won over the Nigerian public and was comfortably elected in the presidential elections of 2011. A degree of optimism has since prevailed in Nigeria, despite being dampened by the recent attacks of the Islamist group, Boko Haram. Nigeria must continue to strive to seal the fault line.    

Hegel Goutier