Colonial Infrastructure and Nigeria’s Unity: The Case of Obudu District

Abstract

This paper examines British colonial infrastructure in Nigeria in the context of the nation’s unity. It notes that to achieve the primary goals of colonialism, the colonising power needed to establish an enabling environment or infrastructure. These infrastructures included an effective administration, a modern transport system, a portable currency, and modern banking. The colonising power foisted on the people coercive administrative instruments as local authorities were conferred with legislative, judicial, and executive control over communities and also made laws regulating the conduct of affairs in their areas of jurisdiction. The paper highlights how colonial infrastructures have fundamentally enhanced Nigeria’s unity. The paper notes that, although the establishment of colonial infrastructure was for economic exploitation, it has aided the unity of Nigeria. It is this observation that justifies the adoption of the political economy approach, which posits that the politics of functional infrastructure is a public concern for private benefit. It is submitted here that functional infrastructure can be effectively utilised to promote harmony, peaceful coexistence, and nation-building. To this end, the research recommends that the Nigerian government should reengineer its policy of infrastructure development if the unity of the country is to be achieved. The paper depends on oral interviews and secondary sources.