“British policies were responsible for the creation of regional rivalries in Nigeria up to 1960.” Discuss.

The question requires that candidates offer a considered and balanced review of the role that British policies played in the creation of regional rivalries in Nigeria up to 1960. Candidates may refer to the administrative divisions and the different modalities of rule that British colonial power established in Nigeria; or they may prioritize their discussion of the opposition that these divisions implied among Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba and Igbo, the main ethnic groups in the country. Candidates may refer to the characteristics of the indirect rule in the Northern region and the direct rule in the Southern region and examine ways in which the application of these differing administrative models entrenched divisions in Nigeria. Other relevant factors may be addressed, for example, the economic resources of Nigeria and the struggle among regional elites for the access to the benefits derived from their exploitation, but with a focus on the issue in the question. Candidate may argue that regional rivalries were always likely to have occurred in Nigeria, with fundamental cultural and religious differences between the Muslim north and Christian south. They may also examine the impact of different economic policies introduced by the colonial power in the various regions of the country. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.