THE COLONIAL ACQUISITION OF LAND IN NSUKKA CULTURAL AREA OF IGBOLAND NIGERIA AND ITS CONSEQUENCES ON INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES

Abstract

The colonial acquisition of land in Nsukka cultural area of Igbo-land, Enugu State of Nigeria and its socio-religious and environmental implications have remained critical concerns since after the colonial era. Notwithstanding the traditional ecological knowledge and rich cultural heritage of the people of Nsukka there are still problems resulting from the British system of land acquisition in the post-colonial time. This study recognizes the unexplored scholarly discourse on the link between the colonial acquisition of land and socio-religious and environmental problems of Nsukka area. The paper studied the consequences of the colonial acquisition of land in Nsukka and investigated how the indigenous land tenure patterns were significantly altered by the imposed land acquisition system. The paper employs Antonio Gramsci’s Cultural Hegemony Theory to determine the dominance of British culture and ideas and its consequences on the people of Nsukka. The data was collected through oral histories and secondary sources, while qualitative was used in the analysis of data. The finding shows that the displacement of cultures of indigenous people, the change on customary governance structures and social cohesiveness, destruction of sacred places, and environmental degradation were among the outcome of the acquisitions. It also discovered that the indigenous knowledge and traditions about land use, management, and conservation were also lost and the traditions of spiritual knowledge and rituals were equally lost. Additionally, this colonial injustice is still felt today as it continues to influence land-related laws in current land ownership system. The paper encourages communication between many belief systems, honoring the land's sacredness in its various spiritual settings, and acknowledging and protecting indigenous religious practices as necessary means to reconcile these effects.