Britain asked to apologise for creating northern Nigeria's woes during colonial era

NEW York civil society organisation the Gatestone Institute has called on Britain to apologise to Nigeria because the problems and tensions across the north of the country today  are direct results of the British colonial government's hangover.   Britain created Nigeria by conquering the various nationalities that made up the country and on January 1 1914, it amalgamated the northern and southern protectorates to form one nation. However, under Britain's indirect rule policy, northern Nigeria was denied the same access to education that prevailed in the south, creating a developmental gulf.   Because Britain devolved administration to feudal oligarchs across northern Nigeria, there was limited missionary activity there, resulting in less education and opportunity. This gulf remains just as wide as it was then and the troubles have spilled into the open, resulting in the Boko Haram insurgency whereby deprived and helpless northern youths have embraced Islamic terrorism.   At a workshop for leaders of ethnic minorities in the north held in Abuja, Alan Craig, the Gatestone Institute's representative said Britain should accept responsibility for the crisis. He added that Britain had no choice than to apologise to Nigerians following the sad fallouts of colonialism.   Mr Craig said: "This type of grassroots work is significant for the people in the villages and we hope to help the local people to have a voice. We want to support ordinary people to have a voice and we are always on the side of the minorities.   “The problems of northern Nigeria are direct results of left-over's by the British government and therefore the tension and difficulties in northern Nigeria are a direct result of the British colonialism. My argument now is that the British government should be rectifying the situation by contributing instead of telling the Nigerian government about the gay rights laws, for instance."   Organised by the Minority Interests Rights Project (Mirp) and the Stefanos Foundation of Nigeria, the workshop sought to discuss solutions to the Islamic insurgency across  northern Nigeria. At the event, Mirp coordinator Mark Lipdo, revealed that 75% of the indigenes of southern Borno State had fled to Cameroon following the recent attack on them by Boko Haram.   Mr Craig added: “Britain should be saying we are sorry for the legacy we left and other things we did, although there are other good things the then British colonial government did too. So, don’t condemn it all but that particular aspect was wrong and was a mistake, so the British government should be rectifying it.”   At the event, Mr Lipdo also expressed reservations over the 20 slots given to Nigeria's ethnic minorities in the forthcoming National Dialogue. He added that in his opinion, the number was too low, given that there will be a total of 492 delegates at the summit.   Mr Lipdo said that ethnic minority groups across northern Nigeria believed that the insurgency and attacks by herdsmen on their communities were deliberate plans to expel them from their homes and take over their lands. He expressed fears that the forthcoming conference might not give the minority groups the needed opportunity to speak out. 

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