Pax Britannica, Security and Akoko Resettlement, 1897–1960

• Authors: Olusegun Adeyeri

Abstracts

EN

British-inspired peace (Pax-Britannica) after 1897 terminated the spectre of widespread warfare, brigandage, insecurity and instability that pervaded Yorubaland, southwest Nigeria throughout the nineteenth century. The Akoko of northeast Yorubaland, like other Yoruba sub-groups, experienced their fair share of the impact of British colonial rule that followed the restoration of peace to the Yoruba territory. This paper seeks to explore the transformatory impact of British rule upon Akoko society, with respect to settlement pattern. Using Ikare, Okeagbe, Erusu, Oka, Ipe and Ajowa communities as case studies, data analysis revealed that the era of British administration considerably changed Akoko settlement pattern in terms of relocation and resettlement of old communities from hilltops, caves and other hideouts to open places in plains and lowlands, spatial arrangement, type and material make-up of Akoko buildings. The study concludes that peace, security and stability facilitated by Britain, colonial policies and Christian missionary initiatives were the principal factors responsible for fundamental changes in Akoko homesteads, architecture and general social organization. The work adopts the historical, descriptive analytical method.

Keywords

EN

British Rule; Peace; Security; Akoko Resettlement; Social Organization

Discipline

• HISTORY: HISTORY

• Publisher: University of West Bohemia, Pilsen, Czech Republic
• Journal: West Bohemian Historical Review
• Year: 2018
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 215-223

Contributors

author

Olusegun Adeyeri

• Department of History and International Studies, Lagos State University, Ojo, Nigeria