Sixty Years of Plantation Agriculture in Southern Nigeria: 1902-1962

Abstract

LIKE many underdeveloped territories in the tropics, Southern Nigeria relies upon the export of primary products to earn the foreign exchange to pay for her imports. This has been the case since the early years of the last century when the trade in palm oil replaced the traffic in slaves. The indication today is that agriculture will continue for some time to be the chief basis of the export trade of the whole country, despite a growing emphasis on industrialization and a rapid increase in revenue of crude petroleum for export.1 In the current Six-Year Development Plan, therefore, first priority is given to agriculture, with emphasis on a rapid expansion of tree crops.2 By the end of 1901 much of Southern Nigeria was under British administration and as a means of raising revenue, the government felt a need to increase the volume and improve the quality of produce for export. Under the Colonial government, which controlled policy until 1951, the plantation system had no place in the agricultural development of the country, and any improvements made were brought about by encourag-