Lagos Colony was a British possession centered on the port city of Lagos (now southern Nigeria). It existed from its annexation in 1861 until its incorporation into the Southern Nigeria Protectorate in 1906.
Annexation and Early Years
Annexation (1861):
- On 6 August 1861, Commander Beddingfield (HMS Prometheus) and Acting Consul William McCoskry forced Oba Dosunmu to sign the Lagos Treaty of Cession.
- Declared a Crown Colony on 5 March 1862.
- Initial administration by the British Consul, later under Governors.
Population & Economy (1872):
- Cosmopolitan port with over 60,000 inhabitants.
- Staple exports: palm oil, palm kernels, copra, gum copal, camwood, and sesame.
Expansion and Protectorate
Protectorate over Yorubaland (1890–1897):
- Gradual extension of British jurisdiction into mainland Yoruba states.
- Concluded by treaties and military interventions (e.g., Ijebu Expedition, 1892–1893).
Southern Nigeria Protectorate (1906):
- Lagos Colony merged with the Protectorate of Southern Nigeria in February 1906.
- Became the capital of the unified Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria in 1914.
Origins and Pre-Colonial History
- Awori Fishing Settlement:
- Early Yoruba community on Lagos Island, ruled by Idejo (white-cap) chiefs.
- Benin Influence:
- 16th-century conquest by Benin Empire troops.
- Dynasty claims descent from Ashipa, a Benin prince or Awori loyalist.
- Trade & Slavery:
- Important port for the Trans‑Atlantic slave trade until British suppression.
- 1851 bombardment deposed Oba Kosoko; Akitoye reinstated under British protection.
Governance & Society
Native Administration:
- Oba and chiefs retained local authority under British “indirect rule.”
- Crown Colony subjects were British subjects; Protectorate inhabitants were “protected persons.”
Legislative Council:
- Established 1861 as advisory body; expanded in 1886.
- Town Improvement Ordinance (1863):
- Controlled urban development of Lagos Island and environs.
Infrastructure & Development
- Transportation:
- Lagos–Ibadan Railway opened to Oshogbo in 1907.
- Public Health & Utilities:
- Swamp drainage campaigns (malaria control, 1898)
- Electric street lighting (1898)
- Telephone link to Britain (1886)
- Education & Religion:
- CMS Grammar School (1859)
- Methodist Boys’ High School (1877)
- Growing missionary activity and African press (Anglo-African newspaper, 1863)
Legacy
- Capital of Nigeria until 1991 (replaced by Abuja)
- Continues as West Africa’s largest city (over 21 million metro population as of 2023)
Notable Governors
- William McCoskry (Acting Consul, 1861–1862)
- Henry Stanhope Freeman (Governor, 1862–1865)
- William Rice Mulliner (Acting Governor, 1865–1868)
- Cornelius Alfred Moloney (Governor, 1886–1892)
- Gilbert Thomas Carter (Governor, 1891–1897)
- William MacGregor (Governor, 1898–1903)
- Walter Egerton (Last Governor, 1903–1906)
See Also
- Timeline of Lagos
- Government Gazette (Lagos)
- Protectorate of Southern Nigeria