NIGERIA 



English Mile* 



Nigeria. Map of the British W 



was supposed to run W. instead of 

 E., and is so marked on many of 

 the old maps. In 1795 Mungo 

 Park, under the auspices of the 

 African Association, was sent to 

 explore its sources, and travelled 

 along the river from the Gambia 

 estuary to Segu. In 1805 he again 

 reached the Niger, but was killed 

 near Bussa, when crossing the 

 rapids beyond that place. 



In 1822 Hugh Clapperton and 

 Major Dixon Denham started 

 from Tripoli and reached Bornu 

 and the country N. of the Niger. 

 During another expedition in 1825 

 Clapperton died at Sokoto, but his 

 companion, Richard Lander, again 

 explored the lower Niger and de- 

 termined its exact course. Other 

 expeditions followed, notably th< Bl- 

 under Macgregor Laird in 18:12, 

 Lander in 1834, Richardson and 

 Barth, who crossed from Tripoli, 

 Zweifel and Moustier, in 1879, and 

 Brouet, who in 1885 discovered 

 the Timbi source. See Africa. 



Bibliography. Travels in the 

 Interior Districts of Africa, Munp> 

 Park, 1799 ; Travels in N. and 

 C. Africa, vola. iv, v, H. Barth, 



rican protectorate traversed by the rivers Niger and Benue, and one of the 

 densely populated parts of Africa 



1857-58 ; Mission d'exploration du 

 Hunt Niger, J. S. Galli6ni, 1885; The 

 Niger Sources, J. K. Trotter, 1898. 



Nigeria. British protectorate 

 in W. Africa. British influence 

 began around Lagos, which was 

 bought from a native chief in 1861, 

 and achieved a separate existence 

 in 1886 as the colony and protec- 

 torate of Lagos. In the same year 

 the National African Co., which 

 had commenced operations in the 

 Niger valley, became the Royal 

 Niger Co. ; its activities continued 

 for 13 years, as it surrendered its 

 charter in 1899. 



Two protectorates of N. and S. 

 Nigeria were formed in 1900. In 

 1885 the protectorate of the Oil, 

 i.e. Palm oil, rivers was estab- 

 lished ; this became the Niger 

 Coast Protectorate in 1893, and in 

 1900 was absorbed by S. Nigeria. 

 In 1900 H. Nigeria and I^agos were 

 joined, and in 1914 the colony and 

 protectorate of S. Nigeria was 

 amalgamated with N. Nigeria to 

 form the existing colony. A strip 

 of German Kamerun was added 

 in 1919. Lagos is the capital. 



The colony and protectorate are 

 vnder a governor, to whom the 

 lieu t. -governors of the northern and 

 southern provinces are subordinate. 

 The governor presides over an exe- 

 cutive council for the whole area, 

 and over the legislative council for 

 Lagos. The administration ia as- 

 sisted by the Nigerian council, an 

 advisory body without executive or 

 legislative authority ; this includes 

 the governor, the members of the 

 executive council, direct representa- 

 tives of the chambers of commerce 

 and mines, three other Europeans, 

 and six natives nominated by the 

 governor. The judicial system is 

 everywhere adapted to the standard 

 of intelligence of the natives. 



The lower Niger and its great 

 tributary, the Benue, divide the 

 country into three parts : the 

 wide land N. of both rivsre on the 

 low plateau of N. Africa with tin- 

 central heights attaining 3,000 ft. 

 over a wide area ; the S.W. corner 

 bounded by the Niger, the sea, and 

 Dahome, where are the Yoruba 

 Highlands; and the S.E. corner, 

 much lower in height except in the 



