Nigeria and the World

Abstract

The years 1914–60 witnessed an acceleration and intensification of contacts between Nigerians and the wider world. While some impacts are familiar—global depression of the 1930s, two World Wars, and the emergence of anticolonial nationalism after 1945—other relationships remain obscure. This chapter outlines key developments in Nigerian politics during the colonial period and identifies key political actors. It demonstrates the recurrent importance of Nigerian connections overseas and elsewhere in Africa. Whether as soldiers, Islamic scholars, or nationalist politicians, these international links provided a vital conduit for new ideas, languages, and relationships. A burgeoning trade union movement (after the 1945 General Strike), the critical influence of African-American politics, and renewed contact with the wider Islamic world are key themes. The chapter concludes with a discussion of Northern Nigerians who traveled abroad for the hajj and as students of Islamic history, theology, and the Arabic language.