Outline the objectives of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (N.C.N.C.)

Answer Details

The National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (N.C.N.C.) was formed in 1944 under the leadership of Herbert Macaulay as President and Nnamdi Azikiwe as Secretary-General. It was the first major nationalist party with a nationwide outlook, and it pursued the following objectives.

1. To achieve self-government and independence: Its foremost aim was to secure political freedom and self-government for Nigeria and to bring an end to British colonial rule.
2. To promote national unity: It sought to weld the various peoples, ethnic groups and organisations of Nigeria and the Cameroons into one united nation, transcending tribal and sectional divisions.
3. To secure political education and enlightenment of the people: It aimed to educate Nigerians politically, awaken their national consciousness and mobilise them for the anti-colonial struggle.
4. To defend and promote the political and economic interests of Nigerians: It championed the rights and welfare of the people and worked to improve their economic and social conditions.
5. To oppose obnoxious colonial policies: It campaigned against unpopular colonial measures, notably the Richards Constitution of 1946 and the objectionable land and mineral ordinances of the time.
6. To provide a national platform for political action: It set out to unite the numerous trade unions, ethnic unions, social clubs and political groups under a single national umbrella for effective political action.
7. To secure improved constitutional and representative government: It demanded greater African participation in government and more representative institutions leading toward full self-rule.
8. To promote democracy and protect fundamental rights: It stood for democratic government and the protection of the rights and liberties of the people.

Through these objectives, the N.C.N.C. played a leading role in the nationalist movement and in the eventual attainment of Nigerian independence.