The concept of indirect rule refers to a system of governance used by the British during their colonial rule, whereby they utilized existing traditional power structures and local leaders to administer colonial territories. Indirect rule was particularly successful in Northern Nigeria.
Northern Nigeria had a well-established system of governance through the Emirate system, which the British found to be efficient for administration. The Emirs, who were traditional rulers, had significant influence and respect among their people. The British colonial administration leveraged these existing hierarchies to implement their rule, thereby maintaining peace and order, as well as reducing administrative costs.
The success in the north contrasted with other regions like Eastern Nigeria, where centralized traditional authority structures were less defined. In the east, the people were organized into smaller, segmented societies without a dominant central figure equivalent to the northern emirs, which made the implementation of indirect rule more challenging.
Similarly, in Southern Nigeria and the Niger Delta region, the complexity and diversity of ethnic groups and socio-political organizations made indirect rule less effective. The British faced difficulties in finding equivalent local leaders to work with as they did in the north.
Therefore, the significant presence of an organized and influential traditional governance system explains why indirect rule was most successful in Northern Nigeria.