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In 1875, Nigeria had become a British colony. North and South Nigeria were ruled separately, where there was direct control over the South and an Indirect Rule in the North. The system of Indirect Rule involved the use of local chiefs and traditional institutions to implement colonial policies in North Nigeria (Umaru, 2013, p. 46).
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As there was more control over South Nigeria, the British brought in connections with the European world to the Southern part of the country. Contact with Europeans began with the arrival of Portuguese ships in 1486 and the British, French, and Dutch soon followed (Curry, 2006). Together with this, Christianity was brought in and it quickly spread throughout South Nigeria. The British rule introduced a different culture, trade, education and more importantly, a westernised lifestyle to the South. Trade and education made the country more prosperous and this started the poverty gap between South and North Nigeria.
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On the other hand, because of the Indirect Rule, North Nigeria was governed by existing traditional institutions. Meanwhile, the rapid growth and success recorded by the Christian missionaries in the South caused the Northern traditional rulers to exert pressure to stop the advance of Christianity in the north-western and north-eastern parts of the country.
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Thus, the British formed a major compromise to discourage Christian missionary activity in Northern Nigeria. With this arrangement, the colonial leaders not only took sides but created a division between the North and the South that was geographical and at the same time religious. (Umaru, 2013, p. 48).
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