What Lord Lugard Said About Igbo, Hausa And Yoruba

 

Lord Lugard was born in 1858 in Madras, India, as missionary parents. He was a British soldier, also an explorer. He was the first governor of Southern Nigeria, in 1912-1914, the first high commissioner, and last governor of Northern Nigeria.

He wrote a letter to Walter H. Lang in 1918, which involves the attitude of the three great tribes in Nigeria, and I quote:

After spending the best part of my life in Africa, my goal was to improve the people I was ready to give my life to.

Look what Mr Lugard says about Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba that seems to be.

Hausa; He is a fatalist, spent (spending money excessively) and a gambler. He is seriously immoral and seriously ill. He is a threat to any community he finds, he has no ambitions.

Igbo; They are fiercely rebellious without any authority. They are very zealous and very religious. They can be very dangerous to be trusted.

Yoruba: I can freely say that Westerners are the lowest, very moral and very unfaithful people. This is best evoked by self-seeking motives of people I met during my stay.

Lugard was married to Flora Shaw, a British journalist and writer. She was named Nigeria.