The Implementation of British Colonial Defence Policy in Nigeria, 1914-1945

Abstract

This paper is on British colonial defence policy in Nigeria in the period from the beginning of the First World War to the end of the Second World War from 1914-1945. The main objective of the paper is to present the major policies and practices which occurred in colonial Nigeria’s defence sector in the period under study. The paper’s findings have demonstrated that Britain’s main aim in this enterprise was to ensure ‘effective occupation’ of colonial Nigeria as enunciated in the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885. This was achieved through the colonial defence and security sector in Nigeria where the various ethnic groups were given only marginal roles under an alien and imperial system. The paper advances the argument and position that British colonial defence policy was a one-sided and exclusive system of exploitation and was carefully developed to guarantee effective occupation and to serve as pillar of support for the entire colonial system, and enterprise in Nigeria. The methodology adopted is the analysis, and scholarly perspectives on the world wars and colonial defence policy. This methodology also adopted the usage of primary and secondary sources of data collection. The materials so generated were carefully collated, evaluated and analysed, in order to achieve the overall objectives and focus of the paper.