THE EDUCATED ELITE AND ASSOCIATIONAL LIFE IN EARLY LAGOS NEWSPAPERS: IN SEARCH OF UNITY FOR THE PROGRESS OF SOCIETY by NOZOMI SAWADA A thesis submitted to University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Centre of West African Studies School of History and Cultures College of Arts and Law University of Birmingham July 2011 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT This thesis has examined the associational lives of the educated African elite described in the Lagos newspapers between 1880 and 1920, focusing especially on articles about memorial associations, industrial and agricultural associations, and associations relating to the ceremonies of the British Empire. There are two purposes underlying this research. The first is to re-examine early colonial Lagos, which has been described as a divided society. The second is to re-evaluate the roles of the early Lagos press. Based on extensive examination of the Lagos newspapers, this thesis argues that the descriptions of associational activities in Lagos newspapers were part of a conscious project of the press to re-construct Lagos society by encouraging “unity” for an “African”/“Nigerian” way of progress. In addition to the Black Atlantic influences on the development of the idea of an African way of progress, it demonstrates the impact of Japan in the intellectual history of Nigeria. This thesis seeks to contribute to an understanding of the social life of the educated African elite and of press activity in early colonial Lagos within historical context that reveals new aspects of Lagos society between 1880 and 1920. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Looking back, I am aware that the production of my Ph.D. degree was never solely my own achievement but is the culmination of the goodwill, sacrifice and support of many people. My deepest and most heartfelt gratitude go out to my supervisors, Professor Karin Barber, my first supervisor, and Dr. Insa Nolte, my second supervisor. They have been a constant source of encouragement and guidance from the start. I have benefited from their extensive experience in field work, teaching and researching on Nigeria. Without their considerable, unselfish support to put my Ph.D. project into practice, this thesis would never have been completed. I also sincerely appreciate the understanding and patience that they offered throughout the period, which sustained me through the programme, even in difficult times; and I am thankful for the excellent examples they provide as successful Africanists, educators and individuals. It is my greatest ambition to emulate them. I am indebted to staff (and former members) of the Centre of West African Studies (CWAS) for providing a stimulating and friendly environment in which to learn and grow: they include Drs. Stewart Brown, Lynne Brydon, Reginald Cline-Cole, Paulo Fernando de Moraes Farias, Keith Shear, Kate Skinner, Toby Green, Katrien Pype and Paul Ugor. Seminars and conferences at CWAS have given me regular opportunities to discuss my research interests and acquire knowledge of different research approaches, which have broadened my vision. I also thank Maggie Egginton, our Department Administrator, for assisting me on numerous occasions. I thank my student colleagues (or former students who have acquired Doctoral degrees) at CWAS for sharing the excitement and anxiety of thesis draft deadlines and day-to-day research: they include Dr. Beatrice Dunkan, Dr. Jastina Dagbazah, David Kerr, Joanna Skelt, Dr. Obinna Okwelume, Shola Adenekan, Peter Arthur, Rebecca Jones and Muktari Magaji. As an international student, I have encountered some difficulties in adjusting to UK academia and making steady progress with my research project within the limitations of time; however, the consistent encouragement of supervisors and the supportive environment of the department have led me to completion. I gratefully acknowledge the funding sources that made my Ph.D. project possible. This piece of research would have been impossible without financial support from the Yoshida Scholarship Foundation (funded by YKK Corporation, Japan) between the 2006 and 2009 academic years, as well as the Overseas Research Student Awards and the History & West African Studies Student Award from the University of Birmingham, between the 2007 and 2009 academic years. In addition, the final year of the project was supported by JSPS (the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science). I thank all the people who were immensely generous with their time and help during my archival research and interviewing in Nigeria in 2007. I am grateful to Dr. Adelemi Ajala of the University of Ibadan and his family for introducing me to Ibadan city, their hometown, Irobu, and Oshogbo, Dr. Ruth Marshall (the director of IFRA in Ibadan at the time and currently at the University of Toronto) for kindly accommodating me and giving me useful insights about Nigeria, Dr. David Uchenna Enweremadu for assisting my research trip to Lagos, Joseph Ayodokun and Tope Oladunjoye for helping my archival research in the Nigerian National Archive in Ibadan, Dr. Hidehiko Kikuno of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) for introducing me to the agricultural development and experiments in Nigeria, and Professor John Godwin for providing considerable information on the Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos. I would also like to acknowledge the mentoring and guidance that I received from Professors in Japan. In particular, I would like to mention Professors Masami Nakao, Yoichi Kibata, Takashi Koseki, Toshio Kusamitsu, Kumie Inose, Sugiko Nishikawa and Atsuko Hayakawa. I also thank former colleagues in the University of Tokyo where I trained as a graduate student of MA in Area Studies: they include Yhu Fujita, Tomoko Ikeda, Dr. Miya Itabashi, Dr. Atsushi Iguchi, Dr. Kota Ito, Megumi Iwasa and Dr. Motochika Kusaka. Lastly, I extend my heartfelt appreciation to my family for their love and encouragement. Especially to my parents, Mitsuo Sawada and Keiko Sawada, whose hearty enthusiasm for teachings and for deepening their knowledge influenced me in many ways and led to my pursuit of a Ph.D. in the UK. Spending some of my primary and junior-high school years in Sydney, Australia had a significant impact on my life, developing my inquisitive mind. In addition to their consistent support throughout my life, I am sincerely grateful to them for providing this precious experience. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1. Aim of the Study: To Examine the Associational Life of the Educated Elite as Reported in Lagos Newspapers ........................................................................................ 1 1.2. Writing and Print Culture in Colonial Africa............................................................. 9 1.3. Terminology: “Educated Elite”................................................................................ 17 1.4. Nature of Sources .................................................................................................... 21 1.5. The Organisation of the Study ................................................................................. 23 CHAPTER 2: HISTORY OF NEWSPAPERS IN COLONIAL LAGOS 1880-1920 2.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 27 2.2. The Establishment of Lagos Newspapers ................................................................ 31 2.3. The Lagos Weekly Record and Lagos Standard ...................................................... 49 2.4. Government Regulations and the Press in Lagos .................................................... 62 2.5. The Arrival of “Nigerian” Newspapers ................................................................... 65 2.6. The End of Friendly Co-habitation: Growing Rivalries in the Lagos Press ............ 70 2.7. Treading a Thorny Path?: Newspaper Enterprises in Lagos .................................... 75 2.8. Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 87 CHAPTER 3: AN OVERVIEW OF ASSOCIATIONAL LIFE IN COLONIAL LAGOS 3.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 92 3.1.1. Studies on Associational Life in Colonial Lagos ............................................. 92 3.1.2. Outline of Chapter ............................................................................................ 96 3.2. Categories of Voluntary Associations in the Lagos Newspapers ............................. 98 3.3. Changes in Associational Life Reported in Lagos Newspapers between 1880 and 1920 .............................................................................................................................. 105 3.4. Associational Life in the Contexts of Lagos Newspapers ..................................... 108 3.4.1. Unity ..............................................................................................................