COLONIALISM AND INTER-ETHNIC RELATIONS IN NIGERIA: A CASE STUDY OF KANO

Abstract

This paper looks at the impact of colonialism on inter-ethnic relations in
Nigeria, using the Kano experience. Before the conquest of Kano in
1903, Kano had already developed into a cosmopolitan city and
attracted migrants from other parts of what is presently known as
Nigeria, West Africa, North Africa and some part of the Arab world
across the Mediterranean Sea. Economic factor was a prime motivation
for most migrants who took advantage of the economic fortunes
provided by Kano at the time. In other words, there existed interactions
among the peoples of the area known as Nigeria today before
colonialism. However, decades after independence in 1960, Nigeria still
grapples with inter-ethnic conflicts and the task of nation-building.
Some scholars have attributed the ethnic divisions, distrust and
challenge of attaining nationhood to colonialism. It is against this
background that this paper employs primary and secondary sources of
historical inquiry in appraising the impact of colonialism on inter-ethnic
relations in Nigeria using Kano as a case study. The study concludes that
colonialism had negative and positive impacts on inter-ethnic relations
in Kano. For example, while the policies of divide and rule and
residential segregation stirred ethnic tensions, the development of
transportation system linked the south to the north and facilitated interethnic relations among the peoples.