When Nigeria transformed from a business into a country --- BrandCrunch

It all began with what many would describe as the first oil war, which was fought in the 19th century in the area that would later become Nigeria.

Nigeria was then known as the slave coast but by the 1870s, this changed as Britain were no more willing to acquire slaves and rather opted for palm oil.

This product attained high demand by the British through the 19th century, as it was needed as an industrial lubricant for machinery.

The increased need for the tropical plant by the British, which is native to the Niger Delta, was also to maintain the feat that the British had achieved: being the world’s first industrialised nation.

Initially, most of the trade in the palm oil was not coordinated as natives were able to sell the product to the highest bidder. Native chiefs became wealthy because of palm oil.

Europeans, on the other hand, were competing over who would acquire preferential access to the palm oil trade.


Sir George Dashwood Taubman Goldie

Sir George Dashwood Taubman Goldie (1846–1925), an aristocrat of the Isle of Man, would be an important figure in Nigeria’s palm oil business.

In 1879, Goldie formed the United African Company while he took control of the Lower Niger River.

“By 1884, his company had 30 trading posts along the Lower Niger. This monopoly gave the British a strong hand against the French and Germans in the 1884 Berlin Conference. The British got the area that the UAC operated in, included in their sphere of influence after the Berlin Conference,” according to accounts by africasacountry.com.

The Berlin Conference of 1884–85 was a meeting between European nations to create rules on how to peacefully divide Africa among them for colonization.

The conference, basically, gave the British access to the Lower Niger and did not leave much for the Germans and French.

After the British got the terms they wanted from other Europeans, they directed their attention to the African chiefs.

By 1886, Goldie had started moving inwards into River Niger and Benue, which was against the verbal agreement he had made with the chiefs.

The initial agreement was that the United African Company would not go past the coastal areas.

In that same year, the company’s name changed to “The National Africa Company” and was granted a royal charter, giving it the right to administer the Niger Delta and all lands around the banks of the Benue and Niger Rivers.

The company was subsequently renamed to “Royal Niger Company”, which survives, as Unilever, till date.

The Royal Niger Company went ahead with its unfair trade with the local chiefs.

Historical accounts state that the British tricked the native chiefs into signing agreements that gave them the exclusive rights to export palm oil after originally agreeing that there will be free trade in the region.

The chiefs believed this and signed deceitful contracts that were written in English.


King Jaja — Ajambele

The British enforced those contracts and hence when Jaja, a chief from Opobo wanted to export palm oil on his own, he was accused of obstructing commerce and was forced into exile.

He was, however, in 1891, allowed to return home but he died on his way back after being allegedly poisoned with a cup of tea.

Jaja’s incident got many of the native rulers to start taking a second look at the deals they were getting from the Royal Niger Company.

Frederick William Koko Mingi VIII of Nembe kingdom, popularly known as King Koko was one of such rulers.

Having been faced with encroachment from the Royal Niger Company, he also had qualms with the monopoly enjoyed by the company and tried to seek out favourable trading terms, with particularly the Germans.


Koko Mingi VIII — Pinterest

The Royal Nigeria Company, was by 1894, denying natives direct access to their former markets and essentially dictated whom they could trade with.

Following this and further restrictions, King Koko, in that same year, denounced Christianity and formed an alliance with the kingdoms of Bonny and Okpoma to take down the company.

The Bonny refused the alliance but this did not stop the move.

According to historical accounts, on January 29, 1895, King Koko led an attack on the Royal Niger Company’s headquarters, which was in Akassa in current day Bayelsa state.

King Koko succeeded in capturing 60 white men as hostages, as well as, several goods and ammunition, though he lost 40 of his men.

King Koko agreed to release his white hostages in exchange for being allowed to choose his trading partners but the British refused to negotiate with Koko, who subsequently killed 40 of the hostages.

As retaliation, Britain’s Royal Navy attacked the area of Brass (Nembe) and burned it to the ground on February 20, 1895, killing many people in the town.

The British, by April 1895, had resumed their normal operations while King Koko was on the run. The people of Brass were fined £500 (today’s $35) by the British while the looted weapons and the surviving prisoners were returned.

King Koko was also reportedly offered terms of settlement by the British, but he rejected it and disappeared.

He was declared an outlaw by the British. He, however, committed suicide in exile in 1898.

The Brass war, however, negatively affected public opinion in Britain against the Royal Niger Company, hence the company’s charter was revoked in 1899.

Following this, the Royal Niger Company sold its holdings to the British government for £865,000 (1.1 million dollars).

That was the amount Britain paid to acquire the area that would later be known as Nigeria.

Source
https://face2faceafrica.com/article/how-nigeria-was-sold-to-the-british-for-1-1-million-dollars-in-1899

Pictures
1. King Jaja — Ajambele
2. .Koko Mingi VIII — Pinterest
3. .Sir George Dashwood Taubman Goldie

And it baffles me that this same people believe Lionel Messi is better than Christiano Ronaldo.

OgunLaakaye:
And it baffles me that this same people believe Lionel Messi is better than Christiano Ronaldo.

I'm sure you did not read this post at all.. I'll advice you too. It explains why Nigeria is in its current state.

NIGERIA IS STILL ESSENTIALLY BRITISH BY ROYAL CHARTER. UNTIL OUR 36 CONSTITUTIONAL STATES ASSUME FULL AUTONOMY OF POLICING RESOURCING AND ELECTIONEERING CONTROL. NOW NIGERIA IS ONLY WASTING TIME.

legendarystar:
When Nigeria transformed from a business into a country --- BrandCrunch

It all began with what many would describe as the first oil war, which was fought in the 19th century in the area that would later become Nigeria.

Nigeria was then known as the slave coast but by the 1870s, this changed as Britain were no more willing to acquire slaves and rather opted for palm oil.

This product attained high demand by the British through the 19th century, as it was needed as an industrial lubricant for machinery.

The increased need for the tropical plant by the British, which is native to the Niger Delta, was also to maintain the feat that the British had achieved: being the world’s first industrialised nation.

Initially, most of the trade in the palm oil was not coordinated as natives were able to sell the product to the highest bidder. Native chiefs became wealthy because of palm oil.

Europeans, on the other hand, were competing over who would acquire preferential access to the palm oil trade.


Sir George Dashwood Taubman Goldie

Sir George Dashwood Taubman Goldie (1846–1925), an aristocrat of the Isle of Man, would be an important figure in Nigeria’s palm oil business.

In 1879, Goldie formed the United African Company while he took control of the Lower Niger River.

“By 1884, his company had 30 trading posts along the Lower Niger. This monopoly gave the British a strong hand against the French and Germans in the 1884 Berlin Conference. The British got the area that the UAC operated in, included in their sphere of influence after the Berlin Conference,” according to accounts by africasacountry.com.

The Berlin Conference of 1884–85 was a meeting between European nations to create rules on how to peacefully divide Africa among them for colonization.

The conference, basically, gave the British access to the Lower Niger and did not leave much for the Germans and French.

After the British got the terms they wanted from other Europeans, they directed their attention to the African chiefs.

By 1886, Goldie had started moving inwards into River Niger and Benue, which was against the verbal agreement he had made with the chiefs.

The initial agreement was that the United African Company would not go past the coastal areas.

In that same year, the company’s name changed to “The National Africa Company” and was granted a royal charter, giving it the right to administer the Niger Delta and all lands around the banks of the Benue and Niger Rivers.

The company was subsequently renamed to “Royal Niger Company”, which survives, as Unilever, till date.

The Royal Niger Company went ahead with its unfair trade with the local chiefs.

Historical accounts state that the British tricked the native chiefs into signing agreements that gave them the exclusive rights to export palm oil after originally agreeing that there will be free trade in the region.

The chiefs believed this and signed deceitful contracts that were written in English.


King Jaja — Ajambele

The British enforced those contracts and hence when Jaja, a chief from Opobo wanted to export palm oil on his own, he was accused of obstructing commerce and was forced into exile.

He was, however, in 1891, allowed to return home but he died on his way back after being allegedly poisoned with a cup of tea.

Jaja’s incident got many of the native rulers to start taking a second look at the deals they were getting from the Royal Niger Company.

Frederick William Koko Mingi VIII of Nembe kingdom, popularly known as King Koko was one of such rulers.

Having been faced with encroachment from the Royal Niger Company, he also had qualms with the monopoly enjoyed by the company and tried to seek out favourable trading terms, with particularly the Germans.


Koko Mingi VIII — Pinterest

The Royal Nigeria Company, was by 1894, denying natives direct access to their former markets and essentially dictated whom they could trade with.

Following this and further restrictions, King Koko, in that same year, denounced Christianity and formed an alliance with the kingdoms of Bonny and Okpoma to take down the company.

The Bonny refused the alliance but this did not stop the move.

According to historical accounts, on January 29, 1895, King Koko led an attack on the Royal Niger Company’s headquarters, which was in Akassa in current day Bayelsa state.

Change topic...

How SE/SS was sold to the British for 1.1 million pounds in 1899

Wow I love this

MetaPhysical:


Change topic...

How SE/SS was sold to the British for 1.1 million pounds in 1899

Lmfao
How is your region in Nigeria then

Hmm but many people would not like this history

Zaheertyler:
Wow I love this

Glad u read it... Now u can see why the country is the way it is..

CapitalHYC:
Hmm but many people would not like this history

Its nothing but the bitter truth...
Our leaders know this, which is why they only after enriching their selves, family and friends while the masses continue wailing helplessly and continuously

orisa37:
NIGERIA IS STILL ESSENTIALLY BRITISH BY ROYAL CHARTER. UNTIL OUR 36 CONSTITUTIONAL STATES ASSUME FULL AUTONOMY OF POLICING RESOURCING AND ELECTIONEERING CONTROL. NOW NIGERIA IS ONLY WASTING TIME.

Simple but absolute truth..
Question now is who will lead this true strive for complete freedom. Remember no politician want to fall out of favor with the Britains...
While almost all Nigerian youths are now marlians lols

MetaPhysical:


Change topic...

How SE/SS was sold to the British for 1.1 million pounds in 1899

Must u be myiopic are you saying the middle belts and other minorities of northern extraction are lesser humans because u have oil.. Poor thinking

Zaheertyler:

Lmfao
How is your region in Nigeria then

Help me ask him lolsss

Nigerian Military is just profiting by the Nuisances we have as Civilian Politicians. If BUHARI understands what I'm saying, let him grab Lawan by the Throat and ask for full Autonomy of our 36 Constitutional States right now. And it's done.

orisa37:
Nigerian Military is just profiting by the Nuisances we have as Civilian Politicians. If BUHARI understands what I'm saying, let him grab Lawan by the Throat and ask for full Autonomy of our 36 Constitutional States right now. And it's done.

From the president downward are all puppets dancing very hard to please their masters..
They are just pawn in a pro game of chess.

OgunLaakaye:
And it baffles me that this same people believe Lionel Messi is better than Christiano Ronaldo.

Ahaaa! You must have visited one of the monkey tail joint, I will report you to your parents.

MetaPhysical:


Change topic...

How SE/SS was sold to the British for 1.1 million pounds in 1899

And Southwest, lol.
Weird assessment.

J

mytime24:
J

Lolss your are right its "J"

nice write-up... Kudos to the OP

Humphrizy:
nice write-up... Kudos to the OP

Glad u read it.

OruExpress:


And Southwest, lol.
Weird assessment.

Southwest fought a war against the colonial invaders. We lost and they turned our land to colony.

We were all ruled but we were not cartels like you, occupied and owned by trade merchants, who traded you for 1.1million to best offer.

So it is wrong to caption it as Nigeria....there were exceptions to the story.

MetaPhysical:


Southwest fought a war against the colonial invaders. We lost and they turned our land to colony.

We were all ruled but we were not cartels like you, occupied and owned by trade merchants, who traded you for 1.1million to best offer.

So it is wrong to caption it as Nigeria....there were exceptions to the story.

Looool

legendarystar:
King Koko succeeded in capturing 60 white men as hostages, as well as, several goods and ammunition, though he lost 40 of his men.

King Koko agreed to release his white hostages in exchange for being allowed to choose his trading partners but the British refused to negotiate with Koko, who subsequently killed 40 of the hostages.

As retaliation, Britain’s Royal Navy attacked the area of Brass (Nembe) and burned it to the ground on February 20, 1895, killing many people in the town.

The British, by April 1895, had resumed their normal operations while King Koko was on the run. The people of Brass were fined £500 (today’s $35) by the British while the looted weapons and the surviving prisoners were returned.

King Koko was also reportedly offered terms of settlement by the British, but he rejected it and disappeared.

He was declared an outlaw by the British. He, however, committed suicide in exile in 1898.

The Brass war, however, negatively affected public opinion in Britain against the Royal Niger Company, hence the company’s charter was revoked in 1899.

Following this, the Royal Niger Company sold its holdings to the British government for £865,000 (1.1 million dollars).

That was the amount Britain paid to acquire the area that would later be known as Nigeria.

Source
https://face2faceafrica.com/article/how-nigeria-was-sold-to-the-british-for-1-1-million-dollars-in-1899

beautiful peace of history of.. but I beg to disagree were you said"the royal Niger company is today known as unilever"..
The fact is that, Unilever was actually lever brothers a consortium owned by two brothers that started there business as import merchants in Britain long before time.along side, Tate and Lyle which operated in Nigeria in the 70s till in the late 80s were it went bankrupt in Nigeria.
But the royal Niger company was in fact the u. a. c you know of today.. you can research that... once again thanks for the post.

The British, by April 1895, had resumed their normal operations while King Koko was on the run. The people of Brass were fined £500 (today’s $35) by the British while the looted weapons and the surviving prisoners were returned.


OP pls check your stats

500£ then can never be $35 today

We achieved that with regional govt untill the bastard n cursed Aguiyi Irons I introduced unitary govt.

orisa37:
NIGERIA IS STILL ESSENTIALLY BRITISH BY ROYAL CHARTER. UNTIL OUR 36 CONSTITUTIONAL STATES ASSUME FULL AUTONOMY OF POLICING RESOURCING AND ELECTIONEERING CONTROL. NOW NIGERIA IS ONLY WASTING TIME.

MetaPhysical:


Southwest fought a war against the colonial invaders. We lost and they turned our land to colony.

We were all ruled but we were not cartels like you, occupied and owned by trade merchants, who traded you for 1.1million to best offer.

So it is wrong to caption it as Nigeria....there were exceptions to the story.

it's too early in the year to be typing like a daft

Blackking98:
it's too early in the year to be typing like a daft

You must have read the message like a daft to understand the code.

[quote author=MetaPhysical post=85503157]

You must have read the message like a daft to understand the code. [/quote ] lame