The Niger and the classics: The history of a name

On 8 January 1897 the name of ‘Nigeria’ appeared in print for the first time. It was the title of an article in our leading newspaper, written by Miss Flora Shaw, who at that time ‘did the Colonies for The Times’, as Cecil Rhodes expressed it. Miss Shaw later became the wife of Lord Lugard, the great builder of Nigeria; and one of the greatest of all British Colonial Administrators. And here is what Miss Shaw said.