Colonial Administrative Reorganizations and Inter-Group Relations in O’kunland

Abstract

O’kunland experienced series of administrative changes from time to time. In the bid to find a workable administration for the area, the British colonial administrators moved from one administrative experiment to the other. With each administrative re-organization came the unintended problems of intrigues, rivalries, antagonism among hitherto peaceful communities. This paper documents the administrative changes since Nupe times with emphasis on the British colonial administrative reorganization in O’kunland, a politically segmentry society. Its context is the implications of the administrative restructuring on inter-group relations in the area. The objective of creating a larger polity out of O’kunland resulted in the creation of artificial “Royal Houses”. The paper argues that the imposition and recognition of one chief over and above the other, the creation of administrative centres gave rise to village consciousness. It concludes that the British administrative arrangements opened up a new dimension of mutual distrust as a factor of inter-group relations among O’kun People.