Account for the introduction of the indirect rule system in Nigerian and its failure in some parts of the country

The
Indirect rule system was introduced in Nigeria due to the following reasons.

1.    LACK OF FUNDS:-

The little fund that was available to the colonial administration could not sustain direct administration.

2.    LANGUAGE PROBLEM:-

Direct administration was not possible because
of the different ethnic languages, which
the new British officials could not 
understand.

3.   THE EXISTENCE OF SUITABLE TRADITIONAL STRUCTURE

The existence of a well organized traditional
political system in  Northern Nigeria made the introduction of the
system possible.

4.    SIZE OF THE AREA TO BE ADMINISTERED

The size of Northern Nigeria was too large
to be administered directly.

5.    PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:-

The British Colonial government had introduced
the same system in East Africa and India
with success so it believed it could
succeed in Nigeria.

6.     
FEAR OF CONSEQUENCES
OF DRASTIC REFORMS:-
The fear that the Emirs and the
people would resist the introduction of any drastic
reforms was another factor which accounted for the introduction of indirect rule.

7.     
LACK
OF ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL-

There was shortage of British personnel to
administer the area directly.

 ITS FAILURE IN SOME PARTS

The system of indirect rule failed in some
part of Nigeria because of the following reasons.

1.     
The existing traditional system in the south,
particularly in the East, was not suitable for the operation of the indirect rule for example, there was no centralized system of
administration.

2.     
The appointment and imposition of
warrant chiefs on the people of the,East was resisted.
The people did not co­operate with them.

3.     
The educated elites were
neglected. They were not made use of in the system, hence they
did not support the indirect rule system.

4.     
Lord Lugard did not have a good understanding
of the traditional system of administration in the South. The
indiscriminate introduction of the
system to the south was therefore a big mistake.

5.     
The introduction of direct
taxation in the south was another
       
factor that contributed to the failure of the system.