when did nigeria declare independence
When independence was gained in 1960, tribalism was a dominant force and ethnic divisions widespread. 03 Oct 2010 14:48 GMT | Politics, Africa, Egypt, Ghana, Niger. Home to 150 million people, one-quarter of the entire African continent's citizens, Nigeria is Africa's most populous nation. The British, who colonised the nation for the first 60 years of the 20th century, ruled over some 250 tribes often by playing one off against the other. So when independence was gained in October 1960, tribalism was a powerful force. Nigerians who took over at independence were faced with the challenge of trying to form a sense of Nigerian belonging and identity. Most people could only relate to their ethnic groupings.