Book Review: Africa: Nigeria
| Published date | 01 September 1966 |
| Author | Ronald Cohen |
| Date | 01 September 1966 |
| DOI | 10.1177/002070206602100349 |
| Subject Matter | Book Review |
BOOK
REviEws
413
The
second volume
covers
the
period
1895
to
1945,
fifty
years
of
enormous
change
for
rulers
and
ruled.
A
knowledge
of
this
period
is
essential
to
understand
the
postwar
period
of
nationalism and
in-
dependence which
will
be
covered
in
the third
volume.
In
a
series
of
carefully
linked
chapters
by
a
dozen
authors,
British,
American and
Canadian,
the
reader
is
introduced
to
the
first
tentative
imposition
of
colonial
administration
in
each
territory
This
approach
is
used
because
Africans
saw
admirustration
in
terms
of
its
effect
on local
districts,
not
from
the
overview
of
a
Governor
or
the
Colonial
Secretary
in
London.
A
second
thread
is
the
account
of
the
more
purposeful
and
comprehensive
action
by
colonial
governments
m
the
'twenties
and
'thu-ties.
Here,
in
often
marked
contrast
to
the
early
period
of
con-
solidation
and
experimentation, governors
coped
with
vocal
European
minorities
seeking to
extend and
solidify
their
economic
and political
positions,
Africans
beginning
to
take
part
in
the
new
economies
and
Asians,
generating
capital,
needed
services
and
almost
universal
distrust.
All
major
areas
are
covered,
from
the
development
of
legislative
coun-
cils
to
the formulation
of
agricultural
policy
but
it
is
unfortunate
that
so
little
can
be
said
of
the
African
reaction
to local
administration,
for
the
sources of
information
are
few.
Above
all, two
points
stand
out
in
my
mind.
First,
the
differences
between
the three territories,
whether
of
economy
or
society
are
not
as
striking
as
the
varied
policies
formu-
lated
by
local
adrnmnstrators.
Here,
on
the
ground,
there
is
no
sense
of a
vast
and
comprehensive
scheme
being
applied
but
rather
a
series
of
tactical
skirmishes,
reacting
to
local needs
and
pressures.
Second,
one
is
struck
by
the
continuation
in
the East
African
states
today
of
problems
that
have
their
roots
in
a
much
earlier
time.
Land
is
still
Kenya's
major
problem,
although
the disputants
have
changed;
Uganda's
turbulent
relations
with
Buganda
were
familiar
to governors
of
the
prewar
period.
There
is
a
short
chapter
on
Zanzibar
and
useful
appen-
dices
on
land
policy
in
Kenya,
the
terms
of
the
British
mandate
in
Tanganyika,
a
list
of
colomal
Governors and
an
excellent
select
bibliography
of
government
documents
and
articles.
Margery
Perham
has
contributed
an
admirable introduction
which
is
a
survey
of
the
period.
A
general reader
might
well find
the
book
indigestible,
but
the
specialist-sociologist,
economist,
historian
or
political
scientist-
will
find
it
essential
reading,
with
much
informative
and
illuminating
detail.
Californta
State
College
JANE
BANFIELD
HAYNES
NIGERIA.
The
Tribes,
the
Nation, or
the
Race-The
Politics
of
Inde-
pendence.
By
Frederick
A.
0.
Schwarz,
Jr.
1965.
(Cambridge:
M.I.T.
Toronto:
General
Publishing.
xiii,
316pp.
$11.00)
This
book
was
written
before
the
recent
Nigerian
military
coup
and
is
based
on a
visit
by
the
author
to
Nigeria
for
a
year
during
1961-2
during
which
he
was
working
on
the
revision
of
law
in
the
northern
provinces.
While
carrying
out
this
task
Mr.
Schwarz
became
fascinated
with
the
country
and
its
overriding problem
of
national
unity
In this
book
he
has
analysed
the
basic
factors
bearing
on
the
To continue reading
Request your trial