On the way up to Mount Patti, I was privileged to see the First Governor General of Nigeria Lord Luggard and his wife Flora Shaw. On my way down, I met them right in front of their house which is now a mini museum of Colonial history ?.
Upon getting to the house, it was locked. There was no one else to show me around and I really wanted to see what was in there. We decided to help ourselves in ☺️ On getting in, we were just a bit disappointed. There wasn’t much in the house, just a few furniture and framed news paper articles and pictures.
In there however, I learnt a bit of Nigera’s history. The name Nigeria was first suggested in a special article published in The Times on January 8, 1897 written by Flora Shaw who later married Sir Frederick Luggard the then High Commissioner of the Northern PProtectorate. Before the name Nigeria was put up, we had been known under a variety of titles including the Niger Empire, the Niger Sudan, the Central Sudan and the Hausa Territories.
It was a nice learning opportunity on top Mount Patti so if you’re ever in Lokoja, do not hesitate to meet the Luggards. It is an experience you definitely do not want to miss 😉 .
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