If you are among those nationals who do not know the true meaning of Nigeria, this is another occasion for you.
In this article, we’re not merely going to be looking at the meaning of Nigeria, but how the name originated, who gave the name for this great country, the year the name Nigeria was giving.
Sit tight and make the most of your time with us.
The Meaning Of Nigeria
Unfortunately, many Nigerians do not know how the name “Nigeria” came to exist and what it means.
The official name of the country is the Federal Republic of Nigeria, located in the western part of Africa, with more than 200 million citizens. Because of this, it has become the most populous country on the continent.
Currently, the capital of Nigeria is located in Abuja, which is said to be at the center of the country.
The official language spoken in this country is English, but many other languages are verbalized.
Among these languages are Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba. These aforementioned ones are considered the major native tongues in the country.
How The Name Nigeria Originated
Do you even know the previous name of Nigeria?
Originally, the country’s name was the Royal Niger Company Territories. I suppose some of you don’t know that name, but that’s another matter.
According to etymology, the idea of naming this country «Nigeria» was born from the magnificent Niger River that crosses the country.
However, the word ‘Niger’ in Latin means black and because the black river has a few surroundings around it, there came the complete name of Nigeria.
As such, Nigeria means the environments around the Niger River.
For administrative reasons, the protectorates of the North and the South were merged to become one black nation around 1914.
Now it turns out that this is Nigeria that we know today and one of the mighty black countries in Africa.
Because this same river crossed the «Niger», a country neighboring Nigeria towards the north, it was also named after the river. Well, do you know who gave the name Nigeria?
Don’t worry, you will soon find out.
Continue to read and find out when the name of the country was given.
About Royal Niger Company Territories
This is a mercantile company that was originally set up as a “United African Company” in 1879 before the name was changed to “National African Company” around 1881
. In 1926 the name was eventually changed to “Royal Niger Company” which was run by the British government.
Due to the presence of this company on the coast of the Niger Delta, the British take over the region. As a result, these regions became the “Southern Nigeria Protectorate”.
It is there that the company has its first head office in Asaba before moving to Lokoja.
Flora Shaw
Most people have heard about this veteran American journalist. She is the person who gave the name Nigeria when she publish an article in ‘The Times of London’ around 8th January 1897.
Flora saw says that instead of using the long design name the trading company gave its real estate property which was ‘Royal Niger Company Territories’, it will be more upright if the name is simple.
So she realizes that the name Nigeria will be the appropriate name for those merged protectorates. Flora Shaw had the idea that “central Sudan” had been named for its location along the Nile basin.
Thus, it gave the name Nigeria, since it is also located along the Niger River.
In addition to naming the country, Flora Shaw made some outstanding contributions to the country.
She was one of the people who helped establish certain hospitals, educational institutions, and much more. Even though she wasn’t from any protectorate or continent, she did some memorable stuff around the country.
Flora married Frederick Lugard around 1902, who was the governor-general of Nigeria from 1914-1919.
When it was 1926, Frederick Lugard was given the title of a baron which automatically made Flora become ‘Lady Lugard’. Unfortunately, they did not have a chance to have a baby.
Where is the Name Nigeria Popular?
Since its inception, Nigeria has been one of Africa’s leading states.
Indeed, at one point Nigeria was treated as the giant of Africa. Therefore, it made the country to be popular even beyond the shores of Africa.
Among the countries, the name Nigeria is famous include the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France, Ghana, South Africa, Italy, Russia, and many more.
Some important facts on Nigeria’s name
Now we will look at a few things that make the name of this wonderful country more popular than other nations.
Let us go, through some of those facts.
- In 1880, the SSA (Social Security Administration) Registered about 781 newborns who were given the name Nigeria as their first name in the US. Around 1975, the name Nigeria was again given to 5 newborns.
- It will also interest you to know the name Nigeria became the 12,746 most renowned name of all time. In 2000, an estimated 58 newborns were named Nigeria as their first name.
- Not only that; based on data collected by SSA in 2004; about 7 babies (girls) were given the name Nigeria in South Carolina. That specific name was never used to name females in South Carolina, it was their first time.
Those are essentially the few interesting facts we have for you in terms of the name Nigeria.
We now see that certain people in the world have the name of Nigeria. As a result, you may want to consider naming one of your children by the name Nigeria.
The Nigerian name has existed for over a century.
It’s a long history though, but it’s also very entertaining. You can now say what Nigeria stands for, how it was created, and who gave the name.
In addition, you also know the country’s previous name and why. Hopefully, you found this article very informative.