GUIDE TO SOURCES OF NIGERIAN HISTORY

NATIONAL ARCHIVES IBADAN
 

CHIEF SECRETARY'S OFFICE

Following the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorate in 1914 under the administration of a Governor-General, the Nigeria Secretariat was created, and placed under the control of
the Chief Secretary who was responsible to the Governor-General.The Nigerian Secretariat had two main branches, the Office of the Secretary for Native Affairs, and
the Statistical Branch. The Nigerian Secretariat was responsible for the co-ordination of the administrative machinery of the General Government. It was responsible for all matters relating to native administration and for matters relating to the Northern and Southern Provinces and also responsible for the collection and supply of statistical information to the Government. The records of tl).e Chief Secretary's Office include records of previous administrations prior to the amalgamation and dating from 1849.
CSO      
1.1-2 Lagos despaches to and from the Colonial Office
1861-1906
 137 Volume/s
3-4 Lagos despaches (confidential) to and from the Colonial Office
1841-1906
 41"
6-7 Lagos Circular & draf despaches to and from Colonial Office
1871-1922
  32"
8-9 Lagos despaches to the Government-in-Chief of Sierra-Leone 1866-1895 45"
10-12 Lagos despaches (with enclosures) to and from Governor of the GoldCoast 1874-1894 3 bound vols
13-16 Oil Rivers Niger Coast protectorate and from the foreign and Colonial Office 1891-1907 114 volume/s
17 Southern Nigeria WAFF despaches to and from the Colonial Office 1903 8"
18 Southern Nigeria circular despaches to and from the Colonial Office 1890-1904 5"
19-22 Colony & Protectorate of Southern Nigeria WAFF despaches to the COlonial Office 1907-1913 143"
23-24 Northern Nigeria despaches to and from the Colonial Office 1906-1913 21 volume/s
25 Northern Nigeria WAFF despaches (open & confidential ) to and from the Colonial Office 1901-1912 18"
26-28 Northern Nigeria cIRCULAR despaches to and from the Colonial Office 1901-1913 37"
29-30 Nigeria WAFF & Circular despatches to and from the Colonial Office 1900-1913 27"
31 Nigeria (open & confidential ) despaches to and from the Colonial Office 1882-1913 13
32-36 Saving rams (including staff & circulars saving rams) to and from the Colonial Office 1912-1951 537"
37-39 Saving (staff, circulars, priority and account savings) to and from the Colonial Office 1913-1951 105"
40-45 Staff despatches to and from the Colonial Office 1940-1950 83"
46-52 Outward circular telegrams, savings and code circulars from Colonial Office 1947-1954 36"
53-54 3 P.N. to & from Colonial Office 1947-1954 6"
  Files references to the Colonial Office    
  Circular notes from the Colonial Office    
  Miscellaneous despatches comprising staff Confidential circulars, saving rams & circular memoranda    
  Extracts from despatches    
  Incoming Correspondence Register of the Central Secretary's Office    
  Incoming Correspondence Registers of the Chief Secretary's Office    
  Incoming Correspondence Registers of the Chief Secretary's Office    
       
       
.19-21 Registers of Lagos and Southern Nigeria
despatches to and from the Colonial Office
 1881-1913 19/1
22-26 Registers of Nigeria and Southern Nigeria
despatches to and from the Colonial Office
 1874-1956 35"
27-28 Schedule of Nigeria despatches to and from
the Colonial Office
 1917-1956 51"
29 Index to Nigeria despatches to and from
the Colonial Office
 1915-1920 6/1
30-31 Registers of Lagos, Southern Nigeria and
Nigeria despatches to and from the
Colonial Office
 1881-1931 20/1
.32 Miscellaneous Registers of Index books,
Legislative Distribution books, Gazette
matters and Parliamentary Papers
 1910-1957 20/1
.33 Schedule of despatches to the Governors _of
the Gold Coast, Sierra Leone and the Gambia
 1953-1955 3/1
.34 Miscellaneous schedules of despatches to the
Commissioner of Nigeria in the United
Kingdom & the Liaison Officer in Washington
DC, USA.
 1953-1955 1/1
3.1-3 Governors of Nigeria, the Colony and
Protectorate of Southern Nigeria and
Government House telegrams books to and
from the Colonial Office
 1892-1939 53/1
4.1-5 Reports of Governor's Inspection notes,
Statistical Returns, Medical and Health
 1864-1946 82/1
5.1-10 Administrative, Constitutional and Legal
Instruments, i.e. Treaties, Agreements, Deeds of
Conveyance, Proclamations, Order-in-Council,
Letters, Patents, Commission and Warrants,
Royal Instructions, Declarations, Undertakings
and Conventions
 1842-1960 265 11
6.1-3 War Records including World Wars I and
n Schedule of Civil Officials released for War
Service and German Records Captured during
World War 1
 1884-1945 18/1
7.1-2 Executive Legislative Councils and
Miscellaneous Minute Books
 1872-1954 14/1
8.1-7 Letter Books of British Consuls, Governors
of Lagos, Nigeria and Southern Nigeria,
High Commissioner of Northern Nigeria, and
Colonial Secretary of Lagos.
 1854-1936 77/1
9

General Correspondence of the Governor-
General's Office, Lagos
 1914-1918 35 filets
10 General Correspondence of the Governor's
Office, Lagos
 1904-1950 107 II
11 Government House Correspondence relating
to the First World War
 1914 100 11
12 Annual General Correspondence of the
Colonial Secretary's Office
 1882-1912 143"
13 General Correspondence of the Colonial
Secretary's Office
 1906-1913 27"
14-21 General Correspondence of the Chief
Secretary's Office (CSO).18 contains
miscellaneous correspondence).
 1822-1958 20,890 11
22-23 General Correspondence relating to Northern
Nigeria
 1900-1921 24911
24 General Correspondence of the Colonial
Secretary's Office, Lagos
 1902-1916 35311
25 Miscellaneous Correspondence of the
Secretary, Southern Provinces; Director
of Transport, Nigerian Railways;
Commissioner of Lands and the Nigerian
Secretariat, Lagos.
 1905-1939 13511
26 General Correspondence of the Chief
Secretary's Office, Lagos, which include
Intelligence and Assessment Reports
 1902-1958 8,645
 

 

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