British government official report on Nigeria (1862-1960): Part 1: Creation of the Colony of Lagos and Protectorate of Lagos

The geo-political entity “Nigeria” is a colonial creation whose origins are to be found in the three  British proto-colonial economic polities, the Colony of Lagos, which was under the supervision of the Colonial Office, the Niger Coast (Oil Rivers) Protectorate under the Foreign Office, and the territory of the Royal Niger Company, a royal chartered company vested by Her Majesty’s Government with judicial and administrative powers.