African Personality Opposing Colonialism

Mykell Trunnell
May 1, 2012

A number of individuals came to prominence in as political activists in the early twentieth century. In Nigeria, Herbert Macaulay founded the Nigerian National Democratic Party in about 1923, which advocated an independent Lagos government, higher education with compulsory primary education attendance, and the Africanization of the civil service, and non-discrimination in the development of private economic enterprise. Macaulay was one of the first leaders of the Nigerian opposition to British colonial rule. He formed the NNDP as a result of a new constitution being formed in 1922 providing limited franchise elections in Lagos and Calabar. He worked as a private surveyor and a journalist and in eventually became the editor in chief of a political newspaper, the Lagos Daily News. Herbert Macaulay was arrested twice for writing articles criticizing the Colonial Government. Macaulay opposed almost every attempt by the Crown to increase their hold on Lagos and the surrounding region in Nigeria. As a result of his anti-colonialism works, he became well known in the local political movement in Lagos and was sent to England by the King of Lagos, Oba Esugbayi Eleko, as a representative in a land dispute. While in London, Macaulay attempted to assert the authority of Oba Esugbayi Eleko. While this did not persuade the Crown to return lands to Oba Esugbayi Eleko, the British did appoint Macaulay as a representative for the rights of local leaders in Lagos. While primarily concerned with politics in Lagos, his activities eventually led to a movement of independence throughout Nigeria after he held a meeting among students who later formed the first national political party in Nigeria, the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC). Nigeria became politically independent on October 1, 1960, after about seven decades of colonial rule by the British. Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was elected as the Prime Minister, his Northern People's Party governing in coalition with Herbert Macaulay’s Nigerian National Council. Presidential elections were held in 1963. The Federal Republic of Nigeria is declared on October 1, 1963. Nnamdi Azikiwe was the first elected president.