In this time period, Nigeria was undergoing significant transformations, politically, socially, and otherwise. The longtime British colony officially won its independence in October 1960. Independence was expected to bring stability to Nigeria, but instead the country suffered much strife for many years. In the early years of independence, there were tensions between the four self-governing regions (west, east, north, and mid-west). Many critics believe that the four characters of The Raft represent these regions. When Nigeria became a republic in 1963, the regions were replaced by twelve states. Though this was expected to ease regional problems, it did not. Two censuses were taken in 196263 and 1963--64, which affected the division of power in the parliament. Many believed the census was inaccurate because of corruption, including the recounting of the same people several times......
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