- In the late 19th century, Britain secured the acquisition of Nigeria for £865,000 from the Royal Niger Company, driven by fierce competition for palm oil
- Key native figures like Jaja of Opobo and King Koko of Nembe resisted the monopolistic control imposed by the British
- The Brass Oil War and subsequent public backlash led to the revocation of the Royal Niger Company’s charter, solidifying British colonial rule over Nigeria
In the waning days of the 19th century, a shadowy transaction took place that would irrevocably alter the fate of an entire nation.
Britain, the world’s first industrialized nation, had an insatiable hunger for resources, and palm oil was one such commodity.
Source: Getty Images
Native to the Niger Delta, palm oil was essential for British industries, serving as an important industrial lubricant for machines.
By 1870, palm oil had replaced slaves as the primary export of the Niger Delta, a region once known as the Slave Coast.
Negotiating best deals
The trade was uncoordinated, with local chiefs like Jaja of Opobo, a former slave turned affluent merchant, negotiating the best deals.
His newfound wealth bestowed upon him significant influence. But this popular trade attracted not just merchants but also people who wanted to exploit.
Among them was George Goldie, an ambitious British businessman who, in 1879, established the United African Company (UAC).
His company, by 1884, had gained control over the Lower Niger River, establishing 30 trading posts and effectively creating a monopoly.
This upper hand allowed Britain to claim the region during the 1884 Berlin Conference, edging out rival European powers.
Goldie’s empire grew inland, contravening earlier agreements to stay coastal. By 1886, the UAC was rebranded as the National Africa Company and granted a royal charter, authorizing it to govern the Niger Delta and surrounding regions.
Royal Niger Company
This entity soon became the Royal Niger Company, which today survives as Unilever. Promises of free trade given to local chiefs masked the reality of restrictive private contracts written in English and enforced by British power.
One notable dissenter, Jaja of Opobo, was exiled when he dared to challenge the status quo, attempting to export palm oil independently. He died mysteriously while returning from exile. Other chiefs, witnessing Jaja’s fate, began scrutinizing their agreements more closely.
King Koko of Nembe, a former Christian schoolteacher who ascended the throne in 1889, faced encroachment from the Royal Niger Company.
Discontent with the imposed monopoly and denied access to previous markets, Koko sought alliances and favorable terms from the Germans in Kamerun.
Raid on Company
In a bold move, on January 29, 1895, King Koko led a thousand men in a pre-dawn raid on the company’s headquarters in Akassa.
They captured the base, losing 40 men and taking 60 hostages, including valuable goods and a Maxim gun.
Koko attempted to negotiate the release of hostages in exchange for trading rights, but the British refused.
Tragically, Koko executed 40 hostages, which the British claimed were consumed by the Nembe people. The British Royal Navy retaliated fiercely, razing Brass and causing numerous deaths.
Public opinion in Britain turned against the Royal Niger Company after the Brass Oil War, leading to the revocation of its charter in 1899.
The company sold its holdings to the British government for £865,000, equivalent to £46,407,250 today. This sum, now NGN12,550,427,783.81, marked the price Britain paid to acquire the territory that would become known as Nigeria. The transaction was emblematic of the colonial era’s ruthless dynamics, where commerce and conquest were often indistinguishable.
Nigerian lady shows off British passport
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that a Nigerian lady celebrated as she got her British passport.
She said the passport had made her a certified British citizen as she danced in excitement.
Source: Legit.ng