THE FATHER OF ZIK: THE MAN WHO NEGOTIATED WITH LORD LUGARD

THE FATHER OF ZIK: THE MAN WHO NEGOTIATED WITH LORD LUGARD

THE FATHER OF ZIK: THE MAN WHO NEGOTIATED WITH LORD LUGARD

Did you know that before Dr. Nnamdi Benjamin Azikiwe became one of the towering figures of Nigerian nationalism, his father, Obed-Edom Chukwuemeka Azikiwe, was already playing an important role within the British colonial administration?

Obed-Edom Chukwuemeka Azikiwe was born in the late 19th century—sources generally give 1879—and died on 3 March 1958, just two years before Nigeria gained independence. He was the father of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria’s first indigenous Governor-General and later its first President.

He worked as a clerk in the British administration of Nigeria and is widely described in historical accounts as having served as Lord Frederick Lugard’s private secretary.

But there is a fascinating chapter of his life that deserves greater attention.

THE NEGOTIATOR BEHIND THE TREATIES

Historical accounts attribute to Obed-Edom an important role in preparing and negotiating agreements between the British colonial administration and several powerful traditional rulers.

Among the rulers associated with these treaties were the:

1. Obong of Calabar
2. Sultan of Sokoto
3. Oba of Benin
4. Alaafin of Oyo

These agreements formed part of the complicated process through which Britain extended its control over different territories that eventually became part of Nigeria. Accounts of Obed-Edom’s role suggest that he helped formulate and present agreements in ways that could be accepted by both the colonial authorities and traditional rulers.

Some historical narratives go even further, portraying him as a skilled intermediary who attempted to moderate the language and severity of colonial agreements, thereby encouraging negotiation instead of confrontation.

Whether every detail of these accounts can be independently established is another matter. But one thing is clear: Obed-Edom occupied an unusual position—close enough to the colonial administration to understand its intentions, yet familiar enough with Nigerian society to engage traditional authorities.

He was, in effect, a man standing between two worlds.

THE FATHER OF A FUTURE NATIONALIST

Perhaps the most fascinating part of the story is what came next.

The son of this colonial administrator would grow up to become Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe—“Zik of Africa”—one of the principal figures in Nigeria’s nationalist movement and a major advocate of independence. Nnamdi Azikiwe served as Governor-General from 1960 to 1963 and became Nigeria’s first President in 1963.

His father’s career involved administration, diplomacy and negotiation within the colonial system.

His own career would involve political mobilisation, nationalism and the struggle to end colonial rule.

Different battles. Different methods. But perhaps the same gift—the ability to communicate, persuade and negotiate.

And that makes the story of Obed-Edom Azikiwe particularly fascinating.

He may not be as famous as his son, but his place in the story of Nigeria deserves to be remembered.

A LEGACY OF NEGOTIATION

There is a beautiful lesson here:

Sometimes history remembers the man who stood on the podium, while forgetting the man who helped prepare the ground beneath his feet.

Nnamdi Azikiwe became one of the architects of Nigeria’s independence.

His father, Obed-Edom, had earlier worked within the colonial administration at a time when agreements, diplomacy and negotiations were shaping the political landscape of the territories that would eventually become Nigeria.

So perhaps we can borrow an old saying:

“A lion begets a lion.”

Or, in this case:

A master negotiator may have given birth to another master of political persuasion.

History is not always made by the men whose names dominate the textbooks. Sometimes, it is also shaped by the quiet men behind the documents, negotiations and decisions.

Obed-Edom Azikiwe may have been one of those men.

What lessons can we learn from his story?