A History of Nigeria

by Toyin Falola , Matthew M. Heaton

• ISBN13: 9780521681575
• ISBN10: 052168157X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-06-02
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Nigeria is Africa's most populous country and the world's eighth largest oil producer, but its success has been undermined in recent decades by ethnic and religious conflict, political instability, rampant official corruption and an ailing economy. Toyin Falola, a leading historian intimately acquainted with the region, and Matthew Heaton, who has worked extensively on African science and culture, combine their expertise to explain the context to Nigeria's recent troubles through an exploration of its pre-colonial and colonial past, and its journey from independence to statehood. By examining key themes such as colonialism, religion, slavery, nationalism and the economy, the authors show how Nigeria's history has been swayed by the vicissitudes of the world around it, and how Nigerians have adapted to meet these challenges. This book offers a unique portrayal of a resilient people living in a country with immense, but unrealized, potential.

Author Biography

Toyin Falola is the Frances Higginbotham Nalle Centennial Professor in History at the University of Texas at Austin Matthew M. Heaton is a Patrice Lumumba Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin

Table of Contents

List of illustrations	p. ix
List of maps	p. xi
Acknowledgments	p. xii
Chronology	p. xiii
Notable people in Nigerian history	p. xix
List of abbreviations	p. xxxiii
Glossary	p. xxxvi
Introduction	p. 1
Early states and societies, 9000 BCE - 1500 CE	p. 16
Slavery, state, and society, c. 1500 - c 1800	p. 39
Political and economic transformations in the nineteenth century	p. 61
Transition to British colonial rule, 1850 - 1903	p. 85
Colonial society to 1929	p. 110
Nationalist movements and independence, 1929 - 1960	p. 136
Instability and civil war, 1960 - 1970	p. 158
Oil, state, and society, 1970 - 1983	p. 181
Civil society and democratic transition, 1984 - 2007	p. 209
Nigeria and Nigerians in world history	p. 243
Concluding remarks: corruption, anti-corruption, and the 2007 elections	p. 271
Notes	p. 280
Selected bibliography	p. 305
Index	p. 322
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