Colonial Office: Niger Coast Protectorate Original Correspondence

CO 444

1899

This series contains the despatches of the Commissioner and Consul General at Old Calabar, Niger Coast Protectorate, who after the transfer of administrative responsibility on 1 April 1899 corresponded with the Colonial Office instead of the Foreign Office.

Bound volumes arranged chronologically within the following subject headings: Despatches (letters of the governors), Offices (letters of government departments and other organisations) and Individuals (arranged alphabetically). Each volume with a contents list.

For earlier Foreign Office records see:

For records after 1900 see CO 520 FO 2 FO 84

Public Record(s)

English

4 volume(s)

Subject to 30 year closure

Topics

International

Africa

After more than a century of paramount British influence in the area, British consuls, responsible to the Foreign Office, were appointed for the eastern part of the Niger coast from 1849. The Oil Rivers Protectorate was established over that part of the coast in 1885, and in 1891 a commissioner and consul-general replaced the consul at Old Calabar. In 1893 the protectorate was extended and named the Niger Coast Protectorate. In 1899 responsibility was transferred from the Foreign Office to the Colonial Office, and in 1900 the protectorate was united with the southern portion of the territories of the Royal Niger Company to form the Protectorate of Southern Nigeria.