Opinion

Voice of Emancipation: How Britain Bought Nigeria For Free

Published

4 years ago

April 9, 2022

Eric

By Kayode Emola

Whether Nigeria remains a united country or divides in the future, our colonial history with Britain will never be erased. Several commentators previously have alluded to the nature of British administration in Nigeria during this period, and indeed how Britain bought Nigeria from the Royal Niger Company (RNC), so it is time this topic was expounded further.

Before we get into the fine detail of how the purchase was arranged, I believe it is prudent to explain some important business concepts. For a few years now, I have been creating what is termed a “No Money Down” portfolio. This approach enables you to acquire a business without incurring any costs initially. The payment the seller receives is taken from the returns of running the business. While it sounds easy, it is a very complicated business model, yet one that is used frequently by many big corporations.

In the case of Nigeria, we know the British ran it as an outpost for their business empire, granting access right and charters to numerous merchants. It was on this basis that the Royal Niger Company was given the licence to trade in the region now known as Southern Nigeria and the Cameroon. But due to multiple conflicts occurring between Britain and France, a deal needed to be struck to decide permanently who would have control. This resulted in the Berlin conference of 1884/85, to decide how the lands would be divided and allocated between the European nations.

George Goldie, founder of the United African Company (UAC), a consolidation of all Britain’s commercial interests along the river Niger, was present at the Berlin conference in the capacity of an advisory expert in matters of the river. Goldie had previously attempted to procure a government charter for his United African Company in 1881, for the administration of Southern Nigeria. However, this was rejected by William Gladstone, then Prime Minister of Britain, on the grounds that Britain did not have paramount influence of the region, and the resulting rivalry with France might cause unnecessary conflict.

He also argued that the UAC was inadequately resourced for a genuine colonial administration. Goldie, in response, embarked on capitalisation of the company for £100,000, additionally raising a further £1,000,000 in investment. This new influx of cash enabled Goldie to buy out his French competitors, giving the UAC alone maintenance of 30 trading posts along the southern part of Nigeria, and thus a monopoly. This monopoly, meaning that commercial predominance in the area belonged to a British company, gave Britain the upper hand in negotiations at the Berlin conference. Thus, they were able to rebuff the call from France and Germany to internationalise trade in Nigeria. The United African Company received its Royal charter in 1886, and became the Royal Niger Company.

By 1899, it had become apparent that a chartered company was ill-equipped to hold out against the state-supported protectorates of France and Germany, and so the RNC’s licence to trade was revoked. The territories held by the RNC were transferred to the British Government for the sum of £865,000. Royal Niger Company then went on to change its name to The Niger Company Ltd, and after several further name changes, it became what we now know as Unilever.

The newly acquired protectorates of Southern and Northern Nigeria required new administration to be appointed by the British government from 1 January 1900. Whilst Southern Nigeria at this time was materially prosperous through its trade with Britain, the North was overrun by banditry, kidnapping and all manner of malignance, impeding their development. Britain had to employ the services of the West Africa Frontier Force, headed by Lord Lugard, to bring about law and order in the area. This venture proved very costly for Britain: no revenue was being generated, but £611,000, funded by British taxpayers, had to be paid out to the WAFF between 1897 – 1901, to maintain law and order in Northern Nigeria.

The British taxpayers continued to subsidise Northern Nigeria between 1900 and 1914. Approximately £314,000 was paid towards its administration per annum, with the exception of in 1912, when it reduced, requiring only around £100,000. As a business model, this was unsustainable. In all, by the time Southern and Northern Nigeria were amalgamated in 1914, British tax payers had already paid approximately £5,8000,000 (equivalent to ~£700,000,000 in today’s money) to acquire this vast country, an area of around 332,000 square miles.

This huge sum spent in acquiring Nigeria needed to be recouped somehow, otherwise the entire enterprise would have spelt doom for Britain’s political classes. Whilst some politicians contemplated ditching the unproductive North and focusing solely on the wealthy South, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Lewis Harcourt, devised an alternative solution. He called Lord Lugard, whose earlier Political Memorandum on the subject has caught his interest, to help amalgamate the North and South Nigeria into one entity in 1912. He believed that by transferring the material wealth from the South to the North, the subsidy of Northern Nigeria would no longer be necessary. The Amalgamation succeeded in this, and the grant was terminated in 1914, following the coalescence of the two protectorates.

Having been engaged in the First World War, Britain was heavily indebted and needed to start recouping the funds it had spent acquiring its various Colonies. After the Amalgamation, with no further funding provided by the British government, it became time for Nigeria to pay back Britain’s acquisition costs. In 1916, the Nigerian Council (Legislative body) unanimously passed a resolution pledging that the country would pay £6,000,000 of Britain’s war debt. Nigeria also declared her readiness to pay the interest accrued on that figure over 36 years, amounting to an additional £13,250,000. Payment commenced in 1919, six months after the war ended.

Seeing that Nigeria has agreed to pay this sum, surpassing the initial money that had been spent on acquiring Nigeria, an excited Lord Lugard declared that “it will be seen that this vast country, which affords an increasing market for British industry and commerce, has been acquired at no cost whatever to the British taxpayer” (page 48 of his 1919 Amalgamation report). Lugard then went on to explain how this money to pay for Britain’s war debt was raised: the funds were generated entirely from the duty on liquor imposed on the Yoruba people. Thus, the Yoruba would bear the burden for the entirety of Nigeria.

If Nigeria’s share of British Imperial war debt was paid solely by the Yoruba, then one could posit that the Yoruba people should become the owners of Nigeria when Britain finally left in 1963. However, the desperate plight of the Yoruba people today must lead one to ask, “How did the Yoruba get it wrong?” Where did we falter, who bewitched us? A people once able to pay huge sums of money on behalf of Nigeria, now unable to feed their teeming population, educate their young or, above all, provide decent jobs for their multitudinous youths. It is these things, and many more, that we Yoruba people should seek to address.

For far too long we have left the governance in the hands of a small minority, to the detriment of our vast population. These politicians, whether from the North or the South, feel no duty toward the ever-increasing population of Nigeria, and have instead embarked on reckless looting of the national treasury. Nigeria, with its plethora of human and material resources, should have a GDP averaging no less than £5 trillion; yet the reality is that we struggle to even achieve £300 billion, with millions of people in substandard conditions.

The Yoruba people should reflect on this, asking themselves if they still think present-day Nigeria can deliver the dreams and aspirations of a good quality life. If the answer is a resounding “NO”, then it is futile to hold onto the belief that further elections in Nigeria are capable of producing meaningful improvements for the downtrodden.

The time now is ripe for us to stand on our own, as a sovereign Yoruba nation. We must act now to turn the tide; for if we fail in this moment to fight for our independence, we may find it impossible to build anything for our future generations. I urge my fellow Yoruba people, do not waste your energy focusing on another round of elections that will continue to enslave us. Rather, come together to forge a pathway out of our present predicament, to create this land that should be our prized possession.

Opinion

How Dr. Fatima Ibrahim Hamza (PT, mNSP) Became Kano’s Healthcare Star and a Model for African Women in Leadership

Published

2 days ago

December 6, 2025

Eric

By Dr. Sani Sa’idu Baba

My dear country men and women, over the years, I have been opportune to watch numerous speeches delivered by outstanding women shaping the global health sector especially those within Africa. Back home, I have also listened to towering figures like Dr. Hadiza Galadanci, the renowned O&G consultant whose passion for healthcare reform continues to inspire many. Even more closer home, there is Dr. Fatima Ibrahim Hamza, my classmate and colleague. Anyone who knew her from the beginning would remember a hardworking young woman who left no stone unturned in her pursuit of excellence. Today, she stands tall as one of the most powerful illustrations of what African women in leadership can achieve when brilliance, discipline, and integrity are brought together.

Before I dwell into the main business for this week, let me make this serious confession. If you are a regular traveler within Nigeria like myself, especially in the last two years, you will agree that no state currently matches Kano in healthcare delivery and institutional sophistication. This transformation is not accidental. It is the result of a coordinated, disciplined, and visionary ecosystem of leadership enabled by Kano State Governor, Engr Abba Kabir Yusuf. From the strategic drive of the Hospitals Management Board under the meticulous leadership of Dr. Mansur Nagoda, to the policy direction and oversight provided by the Ministry of Health led by the ever committed Dr. Abubakar Labaran, and the groundbreaking reforms championed by the Kano State Primary Health Care Management Board under the highly cerebral Professor Salisu Ahmed Ibrahim, the former Private Health Institution Management Agency (PHIMA) boss, a man who embodies competence, hard work, honesty, and principle, the progress of Kano’s health sector becomes easy to understand. With such a strong leadership backbone, it is no surprise that individuals like Dr. Fatima Ibrahim Hamza is thriving and redefining what effective healthcare leadership looks like in Nigeria.

Across the world, from top medical institutions to global leadership arenas, one truth echoes unmistakably: when women lead with vision, systems transform. Their leadership is rarely about theatrics or force; it is about empathy, innovation, discipline, and a capacity to drive change from the inside out. Kano State has, in recent years, witnessed this truth firsthand through the extraordinary work of Dr. Fatima at Sheikh Muhammad Jidda General Hospital.

In less than 2 years, Dr. Fatima has emerged as a phenomenon within Kano’s healthcare landscape. As the youngest hospital director in the state, she has demonstrated a style of leadership that mirrors the excellence seen in celebrated female leaders worldwide, women who inspire not by occupying space, but by redefining it. Her performance has earned her two high level commendations. First, a recognition by the Head of Service following a rigorous independent assessment of her achievements, and more recently, a formal commendation letter from the Hospitals Management Board acknowledging her professionalism, discipline, and transformative impact.

These acknowledgements are far more than administrative gestures, they place her in the company of women leaders whose influence reshaped nations: New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern with her empathy driven governance, Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf with her courageous reforms, and Germany’s Angela Merkel with her disciplined, steady leadership. Dr. Fatima belongs to this esteemed lineage of women who do not wait for change, they create it.

What sets her apart is her ability to merge vision with structure, compassion with competence, and humility with bold ambition. Staff members describe her as firm yet accessible, warm yet uncompromising on standards, traits that embody the modern leadership model the world is steadily embracing. Under her stewardship, Sheikh Jidda General Hospital has transformed from a routine public facility into an institution of possibility, demonstrating what happens when a capable woman is given the opportunity to lead without constraint.

The recent commendation letter from the Hospitals Management Board captures this evolution clearly: “Dr. Fatima has strengthened administrative coordination, improved patient care, elevated professional standards, and fostered a hospital environment where excellence has become the norm rather than the exception”. These outcomes are remarkable in a system that often battles bureaucratic bottlenecks and infrastructural limitations. Her work is proof that effective leadership especially in health must be visionary, intentional, and rooted in integrity.

In a period when global discourse places increasing emphasis on the importance of women in leadership particularly in healthcare, Dr. Fatima stands as a living testament to what is possible. She has demonstrated that leadership is never about gender, but capacity, clarity of purpose, and the willingness to serve with unwavering commitment.

Her rise sends a powerful message to young girls across Nigeria and Africa: that excellence has no gender boundaries. It is a call to institutions to trust and empower competent women. And it is a reminder to society that progress accelerates when leadership is guided by competence rather than stereotypes.

As Kano continues its journey toward comprehensive healthcare reform, Dr. Fatima represents a new chapter, one where leadership is defined not by age or gender, but by impact, innovation, and measurable progress. She is, without question, one of the most compelling examples of modern African women in leadership today.

May her story continue to enlighten, inspire, and redefine what African women can, and will achieve when given the opportunity to lead.

Dr. Baba writes from Kano, and can be reached via drssbaba@yahoo.com

Opinion

Book Review: Against the Odds by Dozy Mmobuosi

Published

4 days ago

December 4, 2025

Eric

By Sola Ojewusi

Against the Odds is an ambitious, deeply personal, and unflinchingly honest memoir that traces the remarkable rise of Dozy Mmobuosi, one of Nigeria’s most dynamic and controversial entrepreneurs. In this sweeping narrative, Mmobuosi reveals not just the public milestones of his career, but the intimate struggles, internal battles, and defining moments that shaped his identity and worldview.

The book is both a personal testimony and a broader commentary on leadership, innovation, and Africa’s future—and it succeeds in balancing these worlds with surprising emotional clarity.

A Candid Portrait of Beginnings

Mmobuosi’s story begins in the bustling, unpredictable ecosystem of Lagos, where early challenges served as the furnace that forged his ambitions. The memoir details the circumstances of his upbringing, the value systems passed down from family, and the early encounters that sparked his desire to build solutions at scale.

These foundational chapters do important work: they humanize the protagonist. Readers meet a young Dozy not as a business figurehead, but as a Nigerian navigating complex social, financial, and personal realities—realities that millions of Africans will find familiar.

The Making of an Entrepreneur

As the narrative progresses, the memoir transitions into the defining phase of Mmobuosi’s business evolution. Here, he walks readers through the origins of his earliest ventures and the relentless curiosity that led him to operate across multiple industries—fintech, agri-tech, telecoms, AI, healthcare, consumer goods, and beyond.

What is striking is the pattern of calculated risk-taking. Mmobuosi positions himself as someone unafraid to venture into uncharted territory, even when the cost of failure is steep. His explanations offer readers valuable insights into:
• market intuition
• the psychology of entrepreneurship
• the sacrifices required to build at scale
• the emotional and operational toll of high-growth ventures

These passages make the book not only readable but instructive—especially for emerging

African entrepreneurs.

Triumphs, Crises, and Public Scrutiny
One of the book’s most compelling strengths is its willingness to confront controversy head-on.

Mmobuosi addresses periods of intense scrutiny, institutional pressure, and personal trials.

Instead of glossing over these chapters, he uses them to illustrate the complexities of building businesses in emerging markets and navigating public perception.

The tone is reflective rather than defensive, inviting readers to consider the thin line between innovation and misunderstanding in environments where the rules are still being written.

This vulnerability is where the memoir finds its emotional resonance.

A Vision for Africa

Beyond personal history, Against the Odds expands into a passionate manifesto for African transformation. Mmobuosi articulates a vision of a continent whose young population, natural resources, and intellectual capital position it not as a follower, but a potential leader in global innovation.

He challenges outdated narratives about Africa’s dependency, instead advocating for
homegrown technology, supply chain sovereignty, inclusive economic systems, and investment in human capital.

For development strategists, policymakers, and visionaries, these sections elevate the work from memoir to thought leadership.

The Writing: Accessible, Engaging, and Purposeful

Stylistically, the memoir is direct and approachable. Mmobuosi writes with clarity and intention, blending storytelling with reflection in a way that keeps the momentum steady. The pacing is effective: the book moves seamlessly from personal anecdotes to business lessons, from introspection to bold declarations.

Despite its business-heavy subject matter, the prose remains accessible to everyday readers.

The emotional honesty, in particular, will appeal to those who appreciate memoirs that feel lived rather than curated.

Why This Book Matters

Against the Odds arrives at a critical moment for Africa’s socioeconomic trajectory. As global attention shifts toward African innovation, the need for authentic narratives from those building within the system becomes essential.

Mmobuosi’s memoir offers:
• a case study in resilience
• an insider’s perspective on entrepreneurship in frontier markets
• a meditation on reputation, legacy, and leadership
• a rallying cry for African ambition

For readers like Sola Ojewusi, whose work intersects with media, policy, leadership, and social development, this book offers profound insight into the human stories driving Africa’s new generation of builders.

Final Verdict

Against the Odds is more than a success story—it is a layered, introspective, and timely work that captures the pressures and possibilities of modern African enterprise. It challenges stereotypes, raises important questions about leadership and impact, and ultimately delivers a narrative of persistence that audiences across the world will find relatable.

It is an essential read for anyone interested in the future of African innovation, the personal realities behind public leadership, and the enduring power of vision and resilience

Opinion

Redefining Self-leadership: Henry Ukazu As a Model

Published

4 days ago

December 3, 2025

Eric

By Abdulakeem Sodeeq SULYMAN

In a world filled with talents and unique gifts, nurturing oneself for an impact-filled living becomes one of the potent metrics for assuming how one’s life would unfold – either in the nearest or far future. I am sure the question you may be curious to ask is ‘what is the important quality that has shaped the life of every individual who has unleashed their ingenuity?’ Apparently, our society is filled with numerous people, who missed the track of their life. Their iniquity is boiled down to one thing – failure to lead oneself.

Realising how important it is to be your own leader has been the springboard for every transformative life. Notably, this also becomes the premise for appreciating and celebrating Henry Ukazu for setting the pace and modeling self-leadership in this era, where self-leadership is under-appreciated by our people. Self-leadership itself engineers purposeful and impactful living, turning individuals to sources of hope to others.

This is exactly what Henry Ukazu symbolises. The name Henry Ukazu is akin to many great things such as ‘Unleashing One’s Destiny,’ ‘Finding One’s Purpose’ and ‘Triumphant Living.’ Regardless of the impression one have formed about Henry Ukazu, one thing you cannot deny is his ability to be pure to nature and committed to his cause. Henry Ukazu is one of the rare people who still believed in the values of the human worth and has committed every penny of his to ensure that every human deserves to live the best life.

The trajectory of Henry Ukazu’s life is convincing enough to be choosing as an icon by anyone who chooses to climb the ladder of self-leadership. Oftentimes, Henry Ukazu always narrate how he faced the storms of life when birthing his purpose. He takes honour in his struggles, knowing full well that every stumbling blocks life throws at him helped in building himself. If not for self-leadership, he will not found honours in his struggles, let alone challenging himself to be an example of purposeful living to others.

Without mincing words, Henry Ukazu’s life has been blessed with the presence of many people, with some filling his life with disappointments, while some blessing him with immeasurable transformations. Surprisingly, Henry Ukazu has never chosen to be treating people negatively; rather he would only choose the path of honour by avoiding drama and let common sense prevail. That’s one of the height of simplicity!

Dear readers, do you know why today is important for celebrating Henry Ukazu? Today, 3rd December, is his birthday and with all sincerity, Henry Ukazu deserves to be celebrated because he has chosen the noble path, one filled with honours and recognitions for being an icon of inspiration and transformation to the mankind. As Henry Ukazu marks another year today, may the good Lord continue shielding him from all evils and guiding him in right directions, where posterity will feel his role and impacts!

Many happy returns, Sir!