Uji, Wilfred Terlumun
Abstract
The process of urbanization leading to the emergence of towns among the Tiv people of central Nigeria is traceable back to the pre-colonial setting up to the colonial era. In the pre-colonial setting, little settlements existed on the banks of the River Benue and Katsina-Ala. During the colonial era, as a result of the intervention of the Royal Niger Company, these settlements became trading stations thereby growing up into small towns. The further development of colonial infrastructure such as the railways and roads further accelerated the growth of these towns. The sitting of colonial administrative structures in these towns gave a further boost to the growth of population originated as towns. This paper will adopt the use of oral traditions and archival sources in studying the emergence of towns in Tiv society overtime