Category:Colonial Period

The Colonial Period in Nigeria refers to the era during which British political, administrative, and economic control was formally established over the territories that later became the modern Nigerian state. This period brought profound structural changes to governance, society, and cultural production.

The onset and intensity of colonial rule varied by region. Some areas experienced indirect forms of control earlier through treaties and protectorates, while others were brought under direct administration later. The Colonial Period is therefore defined by the presence of formal colonial authority rather than a single initiating event.

British colonial rule reorganised political boundaries, administrative systems, and economic priorities. Indigenous institutions were reshaped through indirect rule, while new legal frameworks, taxation systems, and infrastructural projects were introduced. Colonial governance was closely tied to resource extraction and integration into imperial trade networks.

The period also saw the expansion of Western-style education, Christian missionary activity, and urban growth, alongside resistance and adaptation by local populations.

Colonial rule had a significant impact on craft traditions:

• Introduction of industrial goods, competing with local production
• Reorientation of crafts toward colonial markets and tastes
• Decline of court patronage in some regions
• Persistence and adaptation of traditional crafts within new economic contexts
• Mission and school workshops, influencing training and design

Some crafts were marginalised, while others survived by adapting to new materials and functions.

Colonial policies altered labour patterns, land use, and mobility. Urban centres expanded as administrative and commercial hubs. These changes reshaped the social role of artisans and the transmission of craft knowledge.

Sources for this period include colonial administrative records, missionary writings, photographs, oral histories, and material artefacts. Colonial documents often reflect imperial perspectives and require critical interpretation.

• Category:Atlantic Slave Trade Period
• Category:Amalgamation Period
• History of colonial Nigeria