ADENIYI, OLUWASEGUN THADDAEUS, PhD
Department of History & Diplomatic Studies, College Of Arts & Communication Studies,
Crawford University, Faith City, Igbesa Ogun State, Nigeria.
Email: oluwasegun.adeniyi@crawforduniversity.edu.ng, thaddaeusadeniyi@gmail.com
Abstract
This study examined Nigeria‘s role in the global foodstuffs economy in the years leading up to the First World War, focusing on the period from 1900 to 1913. As a major British colony, Nigeria‘s agricultural sector was instrumental in meeting the increasing demand for food products in Europe and beyond. This paper explored the production, exportation, and commercial activities surrounding key Nigerian food commodities such as palm oil, palm kernel, maize, groundnuts, and cassava, which were critical to the global food economy during this era. Using a blend of historical records and economic analyses, the research uncovered the colonial policies that shaped Nigeria‘s agricultural practices, the economic networks that facilitated trade, and the broader implications for the world market. Furthermore, it addressed the socio-economic impacts on local Nigerian communities and the emerging global interdependencies of the time. By situating Nigeria within the larger imperial and economic contexts, this paper highlighted its vital yet often overlooked contribution to the pre-war global economy. The study also provided insights into the shifts in trade patterns and foodstuff demands that foreshadowed broader changes in the global economic landscape at the dawn of the 20th century.
Keywords: Global, Interdependence, Foodstuffs, Economy, Socio-economic
Introduction
The contribution of Nigeria to the global economy before the commencement of the First World War in 1914 is highlighted in this study. It observes that, before the commencement of the war, the foodstuffs economy was the traditional economy of Nigerians, in which both men and women participated. This substructure of the Nigerian economy endured interruption, disruption and dislocation during the colonial period occasioned by several developments such as the British colonial economy policy (which emphasised the production of cash crops) during the outbreak of the First and Second World Wars. This study historicises the origin and spread of major foodstuffs such as yam, cassava, and maize, among others in Nigeria during this period.