Adeniyi-Jones
Encyclopedia
Crispin Curtis Adeniyi-Jones (1876–1957) was a medical doctor of Sierra Leone
an heritage and the pioneer director of the Yaba
asylum. He became one of Nigeria's foremost nationalist as a member and later president of the Nigerian National Democratic Party
. He was also a long time member of the legislative council of Nigeria and served in the council from 1923-1938. Apart from his political activities, he also teamed up with Winifred Tete-Ansa of the National Congress of British West Africa to formulate economic policies to alleviate some of the emerging economic problems in colonial West Africa.
, Sierra Leone. He attended Sierra Leone Grammar School for secondary education and earned his university degrees at the University of Durham and the University of Dublin
. He started work at Rotunda Hospital
, Dublin, and later apprenticed under Sir Robert Boyce
, a notable doctor from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
. He left Britain for Nigeria in 1904 and served in the government medical services in Lagos. However, a strategic policy to limit the advancement of African doctors within the medical services and the lack of funds in many departments curtailed some of his initial enthusiasm.
Nevertheless, he was appointed the first director of the Yaba Asylum, one of the two asylums in Nigeria at the time. In 1914, he left government services and started a successful private clinic in Lagos
.
and Thomas Jackson to form the Nigerian National Democratic Party, also known as NNDP. The party capitalized on an initiative to allow elective representation into the legislative council and contested the three seats allowed Africans in Lagos. Adeniyi-Jones won a seat into the council in 1923 and served in the council for about fifteen years. As a member of the legislative council, he took on the mantle of defending the interest of indigenous Africans by engaging in debates with other members on major policy initiatives such as the practice of indirect rule
and asking tons of questions about official colonial policy and its benefit to Africans. He sometimes offered strenuous opposition to official colonial policy affecting Nigerians in general. He brought the party's nationalistic initiatives to the public sphere and argued for the merits of traditional norms and customs especially those dealing with the selection of traditional chiefs.
A witness to some of the policies to limit the career of Africans in government service, he promoted the cause of Africans in the civil service and sort increases and advancement of Africans in the service. He also advocated the creation of more primary schools, reduction of regional inequality in cocoa grading and the abolition of many provincial courts.
. Prior to the twentieth century, the major economic activity of indigenous Nigerian groups where largely sheltered from the global economy. But with emergence of a colonial economic system in West Africa, problems affecting African producers began to emerge. A major plan of action to contain and eliminate the problems was made by Winifried Tete-Ansa, a Krobo man from the National Congress of British West Africa
, a major political party in Ghana
. He was a man well versed in the rudiments of the global economic institutions. The plan of action was to create African cooperatives to become commanding business institutions in colonial Africa. Some of the companies founded were the West African Cooperative Producers, partly financed by Adeniyi-Jones and the Nigeria Mercantile bank chaired by Adeniyi-Jones. Both ventures failed to reach the founders dream but laid a strong foundation for other ventures. Akinola Maja, T.A. Doherty and H.A. Subair, all directors of the bank later left to form the National bank of Nigeria, the first successful indigenous bank in British West Africa.
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
an heritage and the pioneer director of the Yaba
Yaba
Yaba can refer to* Yaba or Ya ba, tablets of methamphetamine and caffeine popular in Thailand* Yaba, Lagos, a suburb of Lagos, Nigeria* Yaba, Burkina Faso, Burkina Faso* Yaba, Indonesia is a town in North Maluku, Indonesia.YABA stands for...
asylum. He became one of Nigeria's foremost nationalist as a member and later president of the Nigerian National Democratic Party
Nigerian National Democratic Party
The Nigerian National Democratic Party , was Nigeria's first political party.Formed in 1923 by Herbert Macaulay to take advantage of the new Clifford Constitution, the NNDP successfully organized various Yoruba interest groups into a single group that was able to compete politically...
. He was also a long time member of the legislative council of Nigeria and served in the council from 1923-1938. Apart from his political activities, he also teamed up with Winifred Tete-Ansa of the National Congress of British West Africa to formulate economic policies to alleviate some of the emerging economic problems in colonial West Africa.
Early life
Crispin Adeniyi-Jones was born in FreetownFreetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
, Sierra Leone. He attended Sierra Leone Grammar School for secondary education and earned his university degrees at the University of Durham and the University of Dublin
University of Dublin
The University of Dublin , corporately designated the Chancellor, Doctors and Masters of the University of Dublin , located in Dublin, Ireland, was effectively founded when in 1592 Queen Elizabeth I issued a charter for Trinity College, Dublin, as "the mother of a university" – this date making it...
. He started work at Rotunda Hospital
Rotunda Hospital
The Rotunda Hospital is one of the three main maternity hospitals in the city of Dublin, the others being the The Coombe and The National Maternity Hospital...
, Dublin, and later apprenticed under Sir Robert Boyce
Robert Boyce
Robert William Dewar Boyce was a Senior Lecturer in International History at the London School of Economics and Political Science...
, a notable doctor from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine is a research and teaching institution focused on neglected tropical diseases and the control of diseases caused by poverty. It is a registered charity affiliated to the University of Liverpool...
. He left Britain for Nigeria in 1904 and served in the government medical services in Lagos. However, a strategic policy to limit the advancement of African doctors within the medical services and the lack of funds in many departments curtailed some of his initial enthusiasm.
Nevertheless, he was appointed the first director of the Yaba Asylum, one of the two asylums in Nigeria at the time. In 1914, he left government services and started a successful private clinic in Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
.
NNDP and the legislative council
On June 24, 1923, Adeniyi-Jones, Eric Moore and Egerton Shyngle joined Herbert MacaulayHerbert Macaulay
Herbert Samuel Heelas Macaulay was a Nigerian nationalist, politician, engineer, journalist, and musician and considered by many Nigerians as the founder of Nigerian nationalism.- Early life :...
and Thomas Jackson to form the Nigerian National Democratic Party, also known as NNDP. The party capitalized on an initiative to allow elective representation into the legislative council and contested the three seats allowed Africans in Lagos. Adeniyi-Jones won a seat into the council in 1923 and served in the council for about fifteen years. As a member of the legislative council, he took on the mantle of defending the interest of indigenous Africans by engaging in debates with other members on major policy initiatives such as the practice of indirect rule
Indirect rule
Indirect rule was a system of government that was developed in certain British colonial dependencies...
and asking tons of questions about official colonial policy and its benefit to Africans. He sometimes offered strenuous opposition to official colonial policy affecting Nigerians in general. He brought the party's nationalistic initiatives to the public sphere and argued for the merits of traditional norms and customs especially those dealing with the selection of traditional chiefs.
A witness to some of the policies to limit the career of Africans in government service, he promoted the cause of Africans in the civil service and sort increases and advancement of Africans in the service. He also advocated the creation of more primary schools, reduction of regional inequality in cocoa grading and the abolition of many provincial courts.
Experiments in economic development
Adeniyi-Jones played an important role as a financier and president of a few companies formed in the late 1920s and 1930s. He was president of the Nigeria Mercantile Bank and was a major financier of the West African Cooperative Producers Limited. Both companies were part of an ambitious economic program to create an elevated standing for indigenous Africans within the British EmpireBritish Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. Prior to the twentieth century, the major economic activity of indigenous Nigerian groups where largely sheltered from the global economy. But with emergence of a colonial economic system in West Africa, problems affecting African producers began to emerge. A major plan of action to contain and eliminate the problems was made by Winifried Tete-Ansa, a Krobo man from the National Congress of British West Africa
National Congress of British West Africa
The National Congress of British West Africa , founded in 1920, was the earliest nationalist organization in West Africa, and one of the earliest formal organizations working toward African emancipation...
, a major political party in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. He was a man well versed in the rudiments of the global economic institutions. The plan of action was to create African cooperatives to become commanding business institutions in colonial Africa. Some of the companies founded were the West African Cooperative Producers, partly financed by Adeniyi-Jones and the Nigeria Mercantile bank chaired by Adeniyi-Jones. Both ventures failed to reach the founders dream but laid a strong foundation for other ventures. Akinola Maja, T.A. Doherty and H.A. Subair, all directors of the bank later left to form the National bank of Nigeria, the first successful indigenous bank in British West Africa.