Master’s Thesis at the University of Karbala Discusses the Impact of the Northern Region on the Political Situation in Nigeria 1914 – 1966

Master’s Thesis at the University of Karbala Discusses the Impact of the Northern Region on the Political Situation in Nigeria 1914 – 1966

On Wednesday morning, April 3, 2024, a master’s thesis was discussed in the College of Education for Humanities at the University of Karbala, in the Hall of Knowledge in the Department of History / Modern and Contemporary, entitled “The Impact of the Northern Region on the Political Situation in Nigeria 1914 – 1966” by the student Afrah Jassim Hamidi.

The thesis was supervised by Professor Dr. Hussein Jabbar Shukr.

The thesis included an introduction, a preface, and three chapters. The preface reviewed the geographical importance of the Northern Region of Nigeria, the most important Islamic kingdoms in the Northern Region, the circumstances that paved the way for British penetration, and the underlying reasons for the penetration into this part of the African continent.

The first chapter dealt with the general conditions in the Northern Region and the changes brought about by the British authority after the merger of 1914 and the establishment of the State of Nigeria.

The second chapter dealt with the impact of the general conditions of the Northern Region of Nigeria on the Southern Region from 1922 to 1998 and the role of World War II (1939-1945) in carrying out constitutional reforms, which resulted in the Richard Constitution of 1951.

The third chapter revealed the role of the people of the Northern Region in the events of Nigeria from 1948 to 1966, and the political crises that the country faced after independence and its role in the collapse of the rule and the fall of the First Republic, which was under the control of the people of the Northern Region in a coup in 1966.

The thesis proceeded from the hypothesis of the political weight that the Northern Region occupied among other regions, as well as the extent of the influence of the people of the Northern Region in leading Nigeria to achieve independence, in addition to the reasons that prompted the British authority to choose the first president of the republic from one of the people of the Northern Region.

The thesis reached several conclusions, including:

* The tribal nature and administrative systems of the Northern Territory forced the British authority to follow the system of indirect rule and apply it to Nigeria in general.

* The British authority followed a policy of divide and rule towards the people of the northern and southern regions, planting the seeds of division and racism and causing internal divisions in an attempt to extend its control over the country.

* The superiority of the Northern Region in terms of area and population helped in dominating power and rule in Nigeria after independence in 1960, which resulted in a strong reaction from the people of other regions, resulting in a coup in 1966 and the collapse of the republican rule.

After a sound scientific discussion by the scientific committee for the discussion headed by Professor Dr. Hatem Rahi Nasser, the thesis was approved and the student obtained a master’s degree in modern and contemporary history.

The discussion was attended by the Dean of the College, Professor Dr. Sabah Wajid Ali, and the Vice Dean for Scientific Affairs, Professor Dr. Muayyad Imran Chiyad.