SOAS Research Online

Abstract

Essential to the study of economic development in developing countries is the influence of government policy on the export production of primary products. This policy affects such growth determinants as capital accumulation, foreign exchange earnings, and resource use. Palm Products are one of the major exports upon which Nigeria depends for development funds. Government policies affecting this rural industry have achieved only a limited success in inducing export output increases. The thesis attempts to examine and explain export output trends against the background of these policies and other factors such as demand and production organisation. The objective is to suggest, from the analysis that emerges, a future policy capable of inducing greater increases in export output, earnings and improvement in producers' income, taking into account world production, external demand and recent development in other sectors. The main finding is that the introduction of policy measures able to improve production organisation within the rural producing sector as opposed to the present plantation organisation has a greater prospect of stimulating production at less cost. The study extends over 63 years divided into three periods of historical significance - 1906/38; 1939/54 and 1955/65. The first period commences when Southern Nigeria was created. The second covers the war and post-war years, while the third extends from the introduction of self-government until the 1966 military coup. The study is analytical. Materials used include available colonial documents, annual reports and other sources supplemented by estimates. The central theme is contained in Chapters 2 to 7. Chapter 2 examines the demand factors influencing early production. This is followed in Chapters 3, 4 and 5 by a discussion of early policy measures affecting production and producers' responses to economic incentives. Chapter 6 discusses post-war policies and export production while Chapter 7 examines production in the context of economic planning. Some general conclusions and recommendations are presented in Chapter 8.