of 1923, 1928 and 1933. In the 1930s, Macaulay also supported militant attacks on the British colonial government. In 1936, the Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM) was founded by Nnamdi Azikiwe. NYM appealed to all Nigerians regardless of cultural background. It quickly grew into a powerful political movement. In 1944, Macaulay and NYM leader Azikiwe agreed to form the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC). Azikiwe became the dominant Nigerian nationalist leader. He also supported pan-Africanism and a pan-Nigerian based nationalist movement.

Nigerian nationalism grew in popularity and power in the post-World War II period as Nigerian economy faced difficult times. Nigerian soldiers and the trade union leaders were the backbone of this movement. These soldiers had returned after fighting for the British side in the World War. In 1945, a national general strike was organised by radical nationalist trade unionists.

Nigerian nationalist had the twin task of fighting the British and also unifying the diverse and conflicting ethnic groups of Nigeria. The national movement was stronger in south Nigeria which was more developed as compared to the north. This created a north- south divide between the two regions. Even in the south, there were ethnic conflict between the Yoruba and the Igbos. By the 1950s, these three regions also had their own anti-colonial movements led by regional parties: the conservative Northern People’s Congress (NPC) in the north; the National Council for Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) in the east, and the Action Group (AG) in the west.

After the wave of nationalism in Nigeria, the British decided to hand over power to the Nigerians. They made a complex federal system which made the three major regions of Nigeria autonomous. Nigeria became independent on 1st October, 1963. Unfortunately, a just and democratic balance could not happen. Soon civil war started in Nigeria. Military rule started soon and reinforced the domination of the north.