Lugard's tenure as Governor-General of the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria

Frederick Lugard served as the first British Governor-General of the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria from December 1913 to November 1918. During this period he executed the 1914 amalgamation and imposed a colonial policy of divide and rule that exploited ethnicity for colonial expediency. He spent approximately 50% of each year in England, leaving non-authoritative subordinates in charge and ensuring that protests against amalgamation from southern political groups dissipated without receiving a hearing.