Though Portugal did not colonise Nigeria, the claim that the Portuguese were the first Europeans to berth in the country is correct.
Though there was no country called Nigeria at the time, there are historical records that the Portuguese were the first Europeans to make contact with the people on the West Coast of Africa in the 15th century, particularly the territory that would later become Nigeria. The re-naming of Eko as Lagos, a port city in Portugal is an illustration of the early influence of Portuguese culture on Nigeria’s western coast.
However, the claim that the Portuguese “discovered” Nigeria is erroneous. First, there was no country named Nigeria at the time. Nigeria as a nation is a creation of the British imperialists.
Second, the Portuguese met people with organised and independent indigenous administrations and only had economic relations with them until the British colonial invasion.
The researcher produced this article per the Dubawa 2020 Fellowship partnership with Legit.ng to facilitate the ethos of "truth" in journalism and enhance media literacy in the country.
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Source: Legit.ng
