Eastern Region, Nigeria

The Eastern region of Nigeria was geographically located in Southeastern Nigeria.[3] It is bordered by the Niger river in the West and has an administrative and cultural border with the Northern region of Nigeria to the north. The eastern boundary lies between the border of Nigeria and Cameroon and the southern coast is along the Gulf of Guinea. The total surface area of the region was approximately 76,000 square kilometres (29,400 sq mi).[3] In 1965, the region had a population of twelve million people and some areas such as Owerri and those inhabited by the Annangs were one of the most densely populated places in West Africa.[4] The Awka region also suffered from soil erosion.

The region had three types of vegetation. The coastal areas in the south is dominated by mangrove swamps and tidal waterways. Further north of the swamps is the tropical rainforest, however, over a period of time, many of the leafy trees of the forest were cleared for planting palm trees.[3] In the northernmost parts of the region is the guinea savannah. Major rivers of the region include rivers of Niger Delta system such as Qua Iboe, Cross River, Orashi River and Imo River. Obudu Plateau in the northeastern area, the Oban and Ikom Hills along the eastern boundary with Cameroon were a few of the highlands in the region.[5]

Prior to World War II, there were five major cities in Eastern Nigeria, Port Harcourt and Enugu created after World War I, Calabar, Uyo, Ikot Ekpene, Onitsha and Aba. Majority of the people lived in small communities and towns. The rise in trade contributed to the migration of men to towns and cities to find work and to trade but during Christmas and other festival periods, they usually come home. The men also built their family houses in their native villages.[12]

Traditional authority in many villages is earned by the most senior man of the family next in line to the throne or a wealthy man who has paid footing to other title holders. Among the Efiks and Ibibio's, masked secret societies played an important social and regulatory role. The masked societies kept debtors in check and played important part in local festivals.[13] In many areas in the region, the use of native courts to settle debts and bride price were important social institutions.[14]

Dancing and sports were also important social elements in the Eastern region.[15] Football was played between April and November. Sports was regulated by the regional branch of the Nigeria Football Association and those of the athletics association. Emmanuel Ifeajuna, was a gold member in High Jump at the Empire Games in Vancouver in 1954.[16]

The Eastern region had an ethnically diverse population. The largest ethnic group in the region were the Igbos.[17] The traditional society of the Igbos was democratic and individualistic with titles, wealth and age being the primary determinants of prestige. During colonial rule, the Igbos spread to other regions of British West Africa, first working as traders and laborers and then establishing small scale businesses in Lagos and other urban districts.[18] The Ibibios and Efiks lived in the districts of Uyo, Opobo, Calabar, Enyong, Eket, Creek Town, Duke Town, Old Town and Ikot Ekpene. During pre-colonial and colonial rule, the Efiks controlled trading post up the Cross River to the Ports of Calabar. The other ethnic groups of the Niger Delta system include the Ijaw speaking people of Opobo, Bonny, Degema, Okrika, Buguma, Brass and Abonnema.[19] The Ijaws had a marked chieftaincy tradition. Other groups within the region were the Annang of Ikot Ekpene, Yakurr, Bahumono, Oron, Ogoni and Ekoi.[20]

Trade in palm produce was a dominant feature in the economy of Eastern Nigeria. Though not indigenous to the region, the palm tree provided fronds for roofing of houses in the villages, palm wine for drinking and palm kernels as source of foreign exchange income.[21] After World War II, prices sought for palm produce skyrocked and by 1954, Palm produce generated an income of 54 million pounds. However, the prices stabilized by the middle of the 1950s.[21] Employment in farming and agriculture was a significant source of income for many residents engaged in yam farming and fishery. In the 1960s, the government promoted rubber, cocoa and palm grove schemes to increase the output of cash crops. The government also established farm settlements at Ohaji, Igbariam, Boki, Ulonna, Erei, Uzo-Uwani and Egbema to encourage agriculture.[22]

Trading of goods was also a major part of the regional economy. In 1954, imports to the region was about 25 million pounds a year which were brought into the country by a few European firms but distributed by thousands of traders within the region.[23] The trade in imported goods such as dried fish, motor parts, textiles goes on along with the trade in local foodstuff.[24]

In industry, the coal mines of Enugu managed by the Nigerian Coal Corporation and Nigersteel's rolling mill which used steel scraps to produce mild steel bars were one of the few coal mines and steel plants in operation in West Africa in 1963.[25] During the NCNC led government, a cement factory was established at Nkalagu, Nigerian Breweries chose a stout factory at Aba, a Tobacco and glass making plant was located at Port Harcourt. Oil mining in the region started by Shell D' Archy in 1937 did not yield commercial quantities until 1957. But by 1965, oil was a promising source of income.[26]

The region like Nigeria during the first republic operated a parliamentary system of government with a premier leading the executive branch and a bicameral legislature. The figurehead position of governor existed but it was subordinate to the premier.[32] Apart from the regional government, Eastern Nigeria also had a local government modeled after the English system. There were three tiers of governance levels within the system, the county and urban districts, the municipalities and the local councils.[32]

The village school was an important part of the community. Members of the community at home and abroad voluntarily gave money for the erection of school buildings. Wealthy or salaried family members were encouraged to sponsor the education of their younger ones. In 1956, there were about six thousand primary schools and fifty four secondary schools.[38] Many of the secondary schools were managed by voluntary agencies and Christian missions and some schools were named after members of the mission including the Hope Waddell Training School, Dennis Memorial, Onitsha, Cornellia Connelly, Uyo and Crowther Memorial, Port Harcourt. Education became a major priority in the late 1950s and early '60s with the regional government at times devoting close to one third of its budget to education.[38][39] Half of the money was used as subvention given to agencies managing the schools and to ensure a universal primary education programme. The church was instrumental to the education of the people, the Church of Scotland Mission (Later the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria), Figures like, the Dr. E. N. Amaku, Mr. Ntieyong U. Akpan, Justice Egbert Udo Udoma where all educated by the Mission.

University of Nigeria, Nsukka was established by the regional government. An agriculture training and research center was at Umudike.[40]

The following cities were in the Eastern Region, Nigeria:[41][42]

• Igboland
• Northern Region, Nigeria
• Western Region, Nigeria
• Revenue stamps of Eastern Nigeria
• Midwest Region, Nigeria

• Information Service (1956). Eastern Region (Nigeria). Enugu: Enugu, Eastern Nigeria Information Service.
• Van Buer, Franklin (1968). "2". THE STRUCTURE AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE EASTERN NIGERIAN TAX SYSTEM (Thesis). University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
• Diamond, Larry Jay (1988). Class, Ethnicity, and Democracy in Nigeria: The Failure of the First Republic. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 0815624220.
• Igwe, Samuel Okoronkwo (1987). Education in Eastern Nigeria, 1847–1975: Development and Management: Church, State and Community. Evans Brothers. ISBN 023750832X.
• Jones, G.I. (2000). The Trading States of the Oil Rivers: A Study of Political Development in Eastern Nigeria. James Currey Publishers. ISBN 0852559186.
• Groß, Uwe; Wydra, Kerstin, eds. (5 November 2013). Maternal-Child Health: Interdisciplinary Aspects Within the Perspective of Global Health. Universitätsverlag Göttingen. ISBN 978-3863950842.
• Afigbo, Adiele, Eberechukwu (1972). The Warrant Chiefs: indirect rule in southeastern Nigeria, 1891–1929. Longman.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Ministry of Information, Eastern Region (Nigeria) (1960). Eastern Nigeria. Eastern Nigeria Ministry of Information.
• Okoth, Assa (2006). African nationalism and the de-colonisation process : [1915–1995] (Rev ed.). Nairobi [u.a.]: East African Educational Publ. ISBN 9966253580.
• Ministry of Commerce, Eastern Region (Nigeria) (1966). Investment opportunities in Eastern Nigeria. Govt. Printer.
• Nwaubani, Ebere (2001). The United States and decolonization in West Africa, 1950 – 1960. Rochester, NY: Univ. of Rochester Press. ISBN 1580460763.
• Harris, Philip James (1957). Local Government in Southern Nigeria: A Manual of Law and Procedure Under the Eastern Region Local Government Law, 1955, and the Western Region Local Government Law, 1952. University Press.
• Coleman, James Smoot (1971). Nigeria. University of California Press.
• Mwakikagile, Godfrey (2001). Ethnic politics in Kenya and Nigeria. Huntington, NY: Nova Science Publ. ISBN 1560729678.
• Chuku, Gloria (2015). Igbo Women and Economic Transformation in Southeastern Nigeria, 1900–1960. Routledge. ISBN 978-1135469405.