The proto-nationalism before the Second World War was characterised by the

Answer Details

Proto-nationalism in Nigeria refers to the early phase of nationalist agitation that occurred before the Second World War (roughly 1920s-1939). This period was characterised by the activities of educated elements - Western-educated Nigerians who had been exposed to liberal and democratic ideas through colonial education and who began to challenge aspects of colonial rule.

Key figures of this era included Herbert Macaulay (often called the father of Nigerian nationalism), who founded the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) in 1923, and other educated elites who used newspapers, political associations, and petitions to articulate grievances against colonial policies. They demanded greater Nigerian participation in governance and challenged racial discrimination in the colonial civil service.

The proto-nationalist movement was largely elitist - it was driven by lawyers, journalists, doctors, and other professionals who had received Western education. Unlike the mass nationalism that emerged after the Second World War, proto-nationalism had limited grassroots reach.

Traditional rulers generally cooperated with the colonial administration through the indirect rule system. Religious leaders were not the driving force of early political agitation. Student unions became more prominent in nationalist activities during and after the Second World War, not during the proto-nationalist period.