What were the goals of the missionaries who came to Nigeria in the late 1800's?

Answer 1

Converting people to Christianity.

It was more than that. In the North they did not establish any churches or attempt any "converts" this was because Fredrick Lugard would not allow them.

In areas where Islam dominated Christianity did not have much of an influence. Because Islam is more of a dominate religion.

However, one of the principle objectives were to attempt to remove the many and strong supersitions of Nigerians along with abolishing the many practices of Human sackrifices (sp). The Christians also wanted to impose Western morality on to the Nigerians in a false belief that their morality was superior to the Igbos, Yoruba or other Nations within the area of their control they named Nigeria. So Polygamous relationships needed controlling, the idea of the powerful market women who could earn more than their husband did not fit in with their Victorian view of a womans place in the home. Or the use of Christian names because the lazy missionaries could not pronounce the African names, in class.

The introduction of the Christian Missionary School CMS was also used to introduce Western Education to prepare Nigerians to modern ways of thinking and economy. Both Yoruba and Igbo nations embraced this as a way to advance themselves. In the run up independence the Northern States of Nigerian mainly Hausa and Fulani Muslim states found themselves at a disadvantage so the British fixed the 1st elections to ensure that the Islamic North had control over the rest of the Federation.

Initially the British run Nigeria as two separate states Northern = Islamic and Southern. Until they were merged in 1914. Ironically the British liked the Islamic model of government as it made their work easier to Adminster such a large area with very few Colonial Adminstrators on the ground. Utilizing the Islamic model served the British purposes as it reached a broader mass than having to convert the hetrogenous southern states of various traditional beliefs.

Answer 2

to take power