Southern Nigeria

Southern Nigeria stretches from the Benin border in the west to the Cameroon border in the east. It is bordered by Northern Nigeria in the north and the Atlantic ocean in the south. It's most populous city is Lagos which is located in the South-West of the region. The Republic of Southern Nigeria has occasionally being proposed to help separate and protect the moderate Muslim, Christian and Animist south from the more radical north of Nigeria. The people of this region embrace education and international laws which include respect for basic human rights. This region was originally a wealthy separate region before the British amalgamation with the north in 1914. This was done to help finance the poorer north. The Republic is yet to become official due to distrust and uncertainty between the major tribes within this region. This distrust comes from years of British military tactics which sought to divide then conquer. This division technique has remained in the hearts of the older generation who still see other tribes within their region as dishonest and insincere despite the absence of any factual or hard evidence of mistrust or betrayal. Specialists identify that the ability of the more moderate and educated south to break away may lead to initial violence and uncertainty before becoming an influential nation in the region. It is often thought that the Northern part of the country wishes to control the oil rich Niger-Delta and hence is willing to do whatever it takes to maintain the amalgamation of 1914. Contested areas include Abuja, Kwara and various parts of the troubled Plateau State.

Geography

Southern Nigeria takes in the coastal area that reaches from the Benin border in the west to the Cameroon border in the east.

States

|Abia State |Umuahia |- |Adamawa State |Yola |- |Akwa Ibom State |Uyo |- |Anambra State |Awka |- |Bayelsa State |Yenagoa |- |Benue State |Makurdi |- |Cross River State |Calabar |- |Delta State |Asaba |- |Ebonyi State |Abakaliki |- |Edo State |Benin City |- |Ekiti State |Ado-Ekiti |- |Enugu State |Enugu |- |Imo State |Owerri |- |Kogi State |Lokoja |- |Kwara State |Ilorin |- |Lagos State |Ikeja |- |Nasarawa State |Lafia |- |Ogun State |Abeokuta |- |Ondo State |Akure |- |Osun State |Oshogbo |- |Oyo State |Ibadan |- |Plateau State |Jos |- |Rivers State |Port Harcourt |- |Taraba State |Jalingo

Famous People

Fela Anikulapo Kuti

Chinua Achebe

Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN)

Prof. Wole Soyinka

Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo (RTD)

Lt Colonel Emeka Ojukwu

Ken Saro-Wiwa

See also

• Southern Nigeria Protectorate
• Northern Nigeria