British Pragmatism or “Native” Inertia?

Abstract

Discussion on Colonial agriculture in Northern Nigeria have generally focused on how British colonial government enforced its policy on cultivation of cash crops in the colonies to meet the needs of her industries in Britain. However, I argue that in Ilorin Emirate of Northern Nigeria, resistance from local farmers and climatic/environmental factors undermined efforts at cultivation of cash crops in the region. The British administrators found a compromise with local farmers. The colonial agricultural policy was reversed, and “Natives” returned to their initial choice as food farmers. In the course of time Ilorin Emirate transformed into the food basket of colonial Nigeria. This study was conducted using primary sources, which includes Colonial Office Records, files from the department of agriculture, memoirs of colonial political commissioners obtained from the Archives, and accounts from oral informants. This was utilized in conjunction with several secondary source materials obtained from published and unpublished writings.