INTERGROUP RELATION AMONG THE YORUBA AND THE HOST COMMUNITY IN MALUMFASHI TOWN IN THE 20TH CENTURY

Abstract

The history of Nigerian societies since the pre-colonial era has been characterized by different forms of inter-group relations. Works like those of Bako,1 Usman,2 Abdulkadir,3 Gatawa,4 Mohammed,5 Wycliff,6 Jamilu,7 and Salisu8 have studied such group relations and provided a wide range of factors that shaped the pattern of inter-ethnic relations amongst different Nigeria tribal groups. However, the advent of colonial rule in the 20th century paved the way for greater physical contact and inter-communal relations between Hausa and Yoruba communities. In the early colonial period, quite a number of Yoruba were posted to Malumfashi town from southern Nigeria as employees of European Commercial firms such as United Africa Company (UAC), John Holt, Societe Commerciate de I’ Quest Africaine SCOA, British Cotton Growing Association (BCGA), Peterson Zochonis (PZ) and G.B. Olivant (GBO) that established branches in Malumfashi in the 20th century