Colonialism and Agriculture in Gusau District During the Great Depression, 1929 – 1938

Abstract

The Great Depression was when the capitalist and imperialist economies of the Western World collapsed. The depression spread to other parts of the world, including the Gusau District under British rule. However, the slump led to a drastic fall in cash commodity prices. The colonial state adopted many economic changes, adversely affecting the Nigerian people. Against this, this paper investigated the impact of British policies on food crop production in the Gusau District during the period. The paper used primary and secondary sources. The primary sources included archival records and interviews, while the secondary sources comprised published and unpublished materials. The study discovered that the depression forced the British to adopt many changes to agriculture in the Gusau District, primarily to achieve their imperial objectives during the period. One of the most notable changes in agriculture was supporting the food crops so that the farmers would have a surplus and be able to cultivate cash crops for export in the District. For the first time, the colonial state extended the Agricultural Department to Gusau, established an experimental farm, established the cropping scheme, introduced mixed farming, improved farming implements and methods, and trained the extension workers in the Gusau District. Consequently, the British successfully achieved the aims of the agricultural reform policies. The policy led to increased food production, stabilising staple crop prices and increasing the export crops in Gusau District.

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