A HISTORY OF COTTON PRODUCTION AND EXPORT IN ZARIA PROVINCE, 1902-1960.

A HISTORY OF COTTON PRODUCTION AND EXPORT IN ZARIA PROVINCE, 1902-1960.

Abstract:

This study is on the history of cotton production and export in Zaria province from 1902 to 1960. It generally examines the establishment of British colonial domination and the creation of the colonial economy in the area whose pre-colonial economic production and distribution was independent, self-sustaining and had attained some relevance at the regional and international market levels. The study focuses on the imposition of colonial production system which was essentially targeted towards the development of an export-oriented agriculture to serve the interest of British capitalist industries. It highlights the role of the colonial state in collaboration with European trading companies, the British Cotton Growing Association and other agents in the imposition and entrenchment of cotton production and export in the Zaria province. The colonial policies on the production of cotton and other export crops, the expropriation of food crops, taxation, labour mobilisation for construction and mining activities are significant in understanding the incorporation of the Zaria Province into the British capitalist economy. The periods of the World War I of 1914-1918, the economic recovery crisis of the Inter-war years which include the great depression of 1929-1930 and the World War II of 1939-1945 are particularly important in understanding the extent and impact of British colonial exploitation of the area. Indeed, there was no better description of the status of peasant production in the colony of Nigeria during those difficult years than “production without reward”. The study shows that the so-called ascendancy of groundnut over other export commodities in Northern Nigeria was more facilitated by the British determination to raise the production and export of the crop for its economic gains rather than what has often been regarded as the factor of local entrepreneurs or peasant response to incentives provided by the British capitalist concerns. The study demonstrates the impact of the groundnut production propaganda on cotton production and export in the Zaria Province where in spite of the diversion and sometimes discrimination, cotton production continued to remain the leading agricultural export activity in the area. The activities of the commodity marketing boards in the later years of colonial rule further added to the milking of peasant producers and the creation of a system of marketing export crops filled with corrupt practices that neither the British colonial state nor the post-colonial governments of Nigeria were able to eliminate. The general consequence of these forms of economic relation coupled with the recurring challenges of drought, pest invasion of farmlands was rural indebtedness, poverty, famine and general socio-economic impoverishment of particularly the peasants under colonial domination. The research uses primary and secondary sources of historical inquiry which include oral interviews, recorded audio tapes and sites of material evidence. Also, the research used wide-ranging manuscripts, colonial reports, files and other documents deposited in the archives, museums and libraries at Kaduna and Zaria. These primary sources greatly assisted in the review of secondary materials also widely consulted in the work such as books, journal articles and publications, conference papers, dissertations and theses.

A HISTORY OF COTTON PRODUCTION AND EXPORT IN ZARIA PROVINCE, 1902-1960.