Sir George Dashwood Taubman Goldie

In many ways, Nigeria began in the Isle of Man with the birth of George Taubman Goldie in 1846. Goldie was instrumental in setting up the Royal Niger Company in 1886. Goldie first visited the land of the Niger 130 years ago, immediately seeing the opportunity of creating the West African equivalent of the East India Company. The early years of Goldie's governorship of the Royal Niger Company in the late nineteenth century would make a fascinating history book/historical novel, as Goldie battled against French and German interests, as well as against the furious Fulani invasion from the north. This history is part of the backdrop for the intense 3-day battle between German and British forces on the Mountain of Death in Adamawa State in the First World War.

The Royal Niger Company (and effectively what was to become Nigeria itself) was sold to the British Government for 865,000 pounds. The story of how all this relates to the formation of the United Africa Company - which survives to this day - is perhaps the subject for another book.