The Old Residency Museum, the First Aso Rock in Nigeria that housed the offices of Lord Lugard and other early administrators and colonial officials of Nigeria are still intact in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.



You can still see the massive offices that served as Nigeria’s first ‘Aso Rock’, where both the Northern and Southern Protectorate of Nigeria were administered from before it was amalgamated by the same Lord Lugard in 1914.

Materials used in erecting the structure, were all brought in from Britain by the Royal Niger Company, with the experts to build it. The one-storey edifice was built in 1884 in Old Calabar. Now called Old Residency, it was originally known as the Government House, and it accommodated the early British administrators of the Niger coast territories.



The Old Residency is situated between the residence of the State Chief Judge and the official residence of the deputy governor, and with presidential lodge in front. The building, in 1950, also served as ministerial guest house. After the Nigerian Civil War, the Old Residency accommodated offices of the then new South Eastern States of Nigeria.



The building was declared a national monument in 1959 and has been renovated over time by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments in 1986.

Credit is given to Dr. Ekpo O. Eyo, the first Nigerian who became Director of Antiquities of the commission and later Director General in 1968 till 1986 by which time the place was open to the public. He influenced the retention and upgrade of the Old Residency to present national status.

The pioneer surveyor of antiquities at the commission, a Briton, was Mr Kenneth C. Murray from 1943 to 1968.



Curator of the museum, Mrs Evelyn Osuagwu said the first man that occupied it was one Consul Hewett, who now has a street named after him in Calabar. She said the Old Residency is now used as a national museum, adding that after Hewett, many other colonial administrators and key government functionaries had offices and lived there with their families.



The Curator said that the museum was the first tourism site in Calabar, which attracted thousands of visitors therein. She explained that the museum also showcases the culture of Nigeria and historical artefacts.



“We keep antiquities and ancient things that have values. We collect things that have values and that include educational, scientific and ancient values.

“We also have a research department whereby we research into people’s culture and showcase to our visitors.

“Today, the museum is a tourists site, attracting thousands of visitors who wants to sight the the items and machineries used in the colonial era,” she said.
History lives in Nigeria’s first Aso Rock, the old Residency Calabar.

If you are thinking of tourism, think Cross River.

Article, Photos are that of George Odok Jnr, NAN Correspondent.

More pictures HERE:

https://ebeanonews..com/2019/12/nigerias-first-aso-rock-still-intact-in.html?m=1

This building was more of an Aso-Rock for Southern Protectorate not Nigeria.

Wow!! This is awesome.

Those pix in there shows that Calabar is ever beautiful

chibaby1985:
The Old Residency Museum, the First Aso Rock in Nigeria that housed the offices of Lord Lugard and other early administrators and colonial officials of Nigeria are still intact in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.



You can still see the massive offices that served as Nigeria’s first ‘Aso Rock’, where both the Northern and Southern Protectorate of Nigeria were administered from before it was amalgamated by the same Lord Lugard in 1914.

Materials used in erecting the structure, were all brought in from Britain by the Royal Niger Company, with the experts to build it. The one-storey edifice was built in 1884 in Old Calabar. Now called Old Residency, it was originally known as the Government House, and it accommodated the early British administrators of the Niger coast territories.



The Old Residency is situated between the residence of the State Chief Judge and the official residence of the deputy governor, and with presidential lodge in front. The building, in 1950, also served as ministerial guest house. After the Nigerian Civil War, the Old Residency accommodated offices of the then new South Eastern States of Nigeria.



The building was declared a national monument in 1959 and has been renovated over time by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments in 1986.

Credit is given to Dr. Ekpo O. Eyo, the first Nigerian who became Director of Antiquities of the commission and later Director General in 1968 till 1986 by which time the place was open to the public. He influenced the retention and upgrade of the Old Residency to present national status.

The pioneer surveyor of antiquities at the commission, a Briton, was Mr Kenneth C. Murray from 1943 to 1968.



Curator of the museum, Mrs Evelyn Osuagwu said the first man that occupied it was one Consul Hewett, who now has a street named after him in Calabar. She said the Old Residency is now used as a national museum, adding that after Hewett, many other colonial administrators and key government functionaries had offices and lived there with their families.



The Curator said that the museum was the first tourism site in Calabar, which attracted thousands of visitors therein. She explained that the museum also showcases the culture of Nigeria and historical artefacts.



“We keep antiquities and ancient things that have values. We collect things that have values and that include educational, scientific and ancient values.

“We also have a research department whereby we research into people’s culture and showcase to our visitors.

“Today, the museum is a tourists site, attracting thousands of visitors who wants to sight the the items and machineries used in the colonial era,” she said.
History lives in Nigeria’s first Aso Rock, the old Residency Calabar.

If you are thinking of tourism, think Cross River.

Article, Photos are that of George Odok Jnr, NAN Correspondent.

More pictures HERE:

https://ebeanonews..com/2019/12/nigerias-first-aso-rock-still-intact-in.html?m=1

bakynes3:
This building was more of an Aso-Rock for Southern Protectorate not Nigeria.

Must you bring tribe to it...? Just view the pictures SIMPLE

Calabar, Lokoja, Marina.

There are 3 buildings that people often tout as the first state house in Nigeria. These are the Residency in Calabar, Lugard's House in Lokoja and State House Marina.


1) In actual fact, Calabar was the capital of the Oil Rivers Protectorate/Niger Coast Protectorate from 1884-1900 and then the capital of the Southern Nigeria Protectorate from 1900-1906, when Lagos became the capital of the Southern Nigeria Protectorate. Therefore, Calabar was never the capital of Nigeria, rather it was the capital of the Southern Nigeria Protectorate.

www.nairaland.com/attachments/10719077_1200977616515748917664782643539968453474822n_jpg3078757771c2e706fb9da4478356abb1
The Residence in Calabar.


2) Lord Lugard was the governor of Nothern Nigeria Protectorate from 1900-1906. His capital was initially at Lokoja, but he later moved to Zungeru in 1904.. He left Nigeria, but returned in 1912, to act as governor of both Northern and Southern Nigeria. His mission was to amalgamate the country. Lord Lugard wanted the capital of Nigeria to be at either Lokoja or Zungeru. He did not like Lagos, because the people in Lagos were educated enough to criticise him (Lugard was a military dictator), but the Colonial Office in London insisted that Lagos was to be the capital of Nigeria. Lugard signed the instrument of amalgamation in Lokoja, but the amalgamation celebration was actually held in Lagos.

(There is a battle between Lokoja in Kogi State and Zungeru in Niger State because the Niger State Government claim that the amalgamation instrument was actually signed in Zungeru).

www.nairaland.com/attachments/10719078_2174415915426877696991615121831099832186n_jpeg65b6c62428470dd8aa0aa49bff4c4071
Lord Lugard's residence in Lokoja


www.nairaland.com/attachments/10719079_1111653915915426144363736163844656520395449n_jpeg18c44d6ca7568e25ee53bcb0f134eb20

www.nairaland.com/attachments/10719080_1114931115915423644363982949416992344209227n_jpega750083a94fbd15ebec28351ed74e614

www.nairaland.com/attachments/10719085_1115618315915453077694376702532120048806416n_jpega633fe85fa2a644c47568e67be7d6b23

3) State House Marina was the first residence of the head of state of Nigeria.

www.nairaland.com/attachments/10719086_214329821960081434249154631712936538573585n_jpege304b04f99a08f579fce2fce140a309a
State House Marina, Lagos



State House, Marina, Lagos was built by the Colonial Government in 1882. It served as the primary residence of the Head of State of Nigeria (Governors, Governors-General, President and Military Head of State) between 1914-1967.

"The motor at last turned in through the big gates and confronted the solid, square, white, two storied house which was to be Lugard's headquarters for nearly six years. It was already some thirty years old and has changed little in the succeeding years. Lugard's office was in front, over the porch, looking over the harbour."

from "LUGARD The Years of Authority" by Margery Perham.
October 3rd, 1912



Amalgamation morning at Marina, Lagos at 9:15am on January 1st, 1914.
www.nairaland.com/attachments/10719251_2429733017232809243707192162485343750162150o_jpeg4512152170cd0c2b5adaff5b5e5e2bc2


Amalgamation Day, January 1st, 1914 at Lagos Island.
www.nairaland.com/attachments/10719252_2062224916050612861926846687419016516606225n_jpeg163e28de2158c47b654364ee0470c4b3

Military parade at Tinubu Street, Lagos on January 1st, 1914.
www.nairaland.com/attachments/10719253_483920692255539057811567948479583848497152n_jpga808f256ed3929e4e8a253949d3d1654

This is nice

waoh,this is nice

Beautiful edifice!

chibaby1985:
Must you bring tribe to it...? Just view the pictures SIMPLE

Where did i mention any tribe here or do you need glasses? If you dont know let me explain to you. Calabar was the capital of the Southern Protectorate not the capital of Nigeria.

bakynes3:

Where did i mention any tribe here or do you need glasses? If you dont know let me explain to you. Calabar was the capital of the Southern Protectorate not the capital of Nigeria.

No need for that big bro

Seen but I didnt mean to insult you

bakynes3:

Where did i mention any tribe here or do you need glasses? If you dont know let me explain to you. Calabar was the capital of the Southern Protectorate not the capital of Nigeria.

Very nice. I'm glad to see the structure is well maintain cos I know we Nigerians have this lackadaisical attitude when it comes to maintenance, especially for the property isn't ours.

CALABAR WAS NEVER CAPITAL OF NIGERIA.


NEVER LET AFONJA MISEDUCATE U ON HISTORY.


NIGERIA HAS EVER HAD TWO CAPITALS, ABUJA AND LAGOS.


CALABAR WAS MORE OF A CAPITAL OF SS-SE(SOUTHERN NIGERIA PROTECTORATE) BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF LAGOS COLONY.


IN THE NORTH, IT WAS ZUNGERU IN NIGER STATE(CAPITAL OF NORTHERN PROTECTORATE NIGERIA)

All na same... Show us pictures of the NORTHERN CAPITAL

hammerU:
CALABAR WAS NEVER CAPITAL OF NIGERIA.


NEVER LET AFONJA MISEDUCATE U ON HISTORY.


NIGERIA HAS EVER HAD TWO CAPITALS, ABUJA AND LAGOS.


CALABAR WAS MORE OF A CAPITAL OF SS-SE(SOUTHERN NIGERIA PROTECTORATE) BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF LAGOS COLONY.


IN THE NORTH, IT WAS ZUNGERU IN NIGER STATE(CAPITAL OF NORTHERN PROTECTORATE NIGERIA)

chibaby1985:
All na same... Show us pictures of the NORTHERN CAPITAL

IT IS NOT THE SAME.

FEAST YOUR EYES BELOW TO ZUNGERU, THE CITY OF LUGARD'S

And you called this CAPITAL

hammerU:


IT IS NOT THE SAME.

FEAST YOUR EYES BELOW TO ZUNGERU, THE CITY OF LUGARD

chibaby1985:
And you called this CAPITAL

STILL BETTER THAN U, DAT CALLED CALABAR CAPITAL OF NIGERIA.

chibaby1985:
All na same... Show us pictures of the NORTHERN CAPITAL

The house, Frederick Lugard supposedly signed the Amalgamation of Northern and Southern Nigeria on 1 January 1914.(THEN RULED BOTH FROM LOKOJA, KOGI)

chibaby1985:
Must you bring tribe to it...? Just view the pictures SIMPLE

Something that has mastered a person. How do you want him to stop?... He can't help t

This building is one of the cursed monuments depicting the sources of Nigeria's forced union by Lord Lugard and the British Western imperialists.They yoked us with brutes not fit for civilization.