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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | Spoken reminiscences of political agents in Northern Nigeria |
Author: | Afeadie, Philip Atsu |
Year: | 2007 |
Periodical: | History in Africa |
Volume: | 34 |
Pages: | 1-30 |
Language: | English |
Geographic terms: | Nigeria Northern Nigeria |
Subjects: | colonial administration brokers interviews (form) |
External link: | http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/history_in_africa/v034/34.1afeadie.pdf |
Abstract: | In colonial Northern Nigeria the title of political agent applied exclusively to indigenous service assistants. These intermediaries would assist government diplomacy and help establish and maintain relations between the colonial government and the traditional rulers. They would also gather information needed for policymaking in administration. They often interceded with the British political officers on behalf of traditional authorities in times of misunderstandings between the two parties and some of them were capable of influencing the appointment of district heads to office. The spoken reminiscences of political agents formed part of the author's research on the role of indigenous service assistants in the establishment of British colonial rule in Northern Nigeria. Conducting oral interviews was informed by the need to seek African perspective in the historical enquiry. The oral data are used to complement information from written sources. This article presents the texts of interviews with four informants. Notes, ref. [ASC Leiden abstract] |