Colonialism and the Transformation of Traditional Institutions: A Study of ‘Yandaka District office in Katsina Emirate, Northern Nigeria

Abstract

Colonialism was the British policy introduced in Nigeria with the main target of ruling the people based on colonial policies and programs. Colonial policy was more pronounced in Nigeria around the 18^th century, and the idea was introduced into Northern Nigeria with or without the attention of traditional institutions. In other words, introducing colonial policy led to introducing an indirect rule system of government. The indirect rule implies using traditional institutions and applying colonial policy to extract the available resources to satisfy the British personal interests. However, colonial policies not only in Northern Nigeria but also in the whole country “Nigeria” have both social, economic and political consequences, which still play a vital role on the soil of the country. It is in line with this that the paper traces the transformation of colonial policy in Northern Nigeria, taking into consideration a case study of the Yandakan district and portraying the effort of this institution in rejecting the policy. The methodology used in conducting the research includes primary and secondary sources. The primary sources involve books, journals, articles, and newspapers. However, the secondary sources involve conducting oral interviews and archival materials.