Agricultural Production in the Nineteenth Century
At the start of the nineteenth century, the economic resources of Nigeria depended largely on
agriculture. The bulk of the population were engaged in farming. Farmlands were allocated to
families which wanted the lands by the traditional rulers of each community. Land was very
important during this period because it was simply the only means of providing basic foodstuffs
and domestic materials. The head of the family take responsibility from the traditional head to
reallocate land to the individual member of the family subject to good behaviour and to the
performance of his duties towards the chiefs. These duties may include paying regular tribute in
kind. The family could retain the land perpetually. Farming consisted of series of simple operations
and the universal system of farming was shifting cultivation. Shifting cultivation was especially
adopted in the forest areas where farming was the main economic activity. In the forest areas
bushes were cleared using some systemic methods before farming whereas farmland was burnt in
preparation for farming. The ashes served as manure for the land. Firewood were collected after
the bush burning and small games were trapped for meat.
With shifting cultivation, the fallow system was prevalent. The effectiveness of the system
in maintaining soil fertility was determined by the length of the fallow period. The period fallow
was dependent on the extent to which the crops grown had impoverished the soil. The longer the
period of fallow the more the fertility level of the soil, except for erosion and other strange forces.
Low population density was one of the factors that promoted shifting cultivation in the various
communities. Apart from bush farming, however, cultivation on a much smaller scale, in the form
of gardening was done inside the villages and towns, within different compounds. In the small
scale farming, crops such as vegetables, beans, pepper, and maize which were easy to tend by very
young children and old people were planted. Locally manufactured knives cutlass and hoes
1
, constituted the farm implements. There was two types of hoe including the large heavy type and
the small hoe. The heavy hoe was used in making farm ridges and for constructing the drainage
system on the farm. The small lighter hoe was used for weeding and other less heavy work. The
knives and cutlasses were used for clearing the bush and for digging out root crops such as yam
and cassava.
The principal food crops that were grown included guinea corn, maize, millet, beans of
several varieties, yams of various species, sweet potatoes, pepper of various kinds, kola nuts and
vegetables of different species. Cotton was also grown to provide raw materials for the indigenous
textile industry. Palm trees were grown in the bush to provide the vegetable oil needed by the
people. A number of wild plants which provided fruits such as paw-paw and mangoes were also
planted. Agricultural production were largely subsistence, though some form of plantation existed
in certain areas. Surplus agricultural produce were exchanged for local industrial products like
hoes, mats, pottery, and leather products. It was customary for the entire family to provide labour,
especially during planting and harvesting. Each family possessed at least a farmland, and provided
labour on it. Some slave labour existed to supplement the family labour when necessary. The farms
owned by chiefs were largely farmed by slaves.
By the second half of the nineteenth century, agricultural production in Nigeria had taken
another dimension. There was gradual prominence of agricultural produce for export. The three
most important agricultural products during this period were palm products, cocoa, and rubber.
Palm Products: Palm products became more important with the spread of the industrial
revolution in Europe. Palm trees grew abundantly and successfully in several parts of Nigeria and
provided the people with vegetable oil which was a basic necessity of every household. In Europe,
palm oil was needed for vegetable fats, for the soap and candle industries, and for the
2
At the start of the nineteenth century, the economic resources of Nigeria depended largely on
agriculture. The bulk of the population were engaged in farming. Farmlands were allocated to
families which wanted the lands by the traditional rulers of each community. Land was very
important during this period because it was simply the only means of providing basic foodstuffs
and domestic materials. The head of the family take responsibility from the traditional head to
reallocate land to the individual member of the family subject to good behaviour and to the
performance of his duties towards the chiefs. These duties may include paying regular tribute in
kind. The family could retain the land perpetually. Farming consisted of series of simple operations
and the universal system of farming was shifting cultivation. Shifting cultivation was especially
adopted in the forest areas where farming was the main economic activity. In the forest areas
bushes were cleared using some systemic methods before farming whereas farmland was burnt in
preparation for farming. The ashes served as manure for the land. Firewood were collected after
the bush burning and small games were trapped for meat.
With shifting cultivation, the fallow system was prevalent. The effectiveness of the system
in maintaining soil fertility was determined by the length of the fallow period. The period fallow
was dependent on the extent to which the crops grown had impoverished the soil. The longer the
period of fallow the more the fertility level of the soil, except for erosion and other strange forces.
Low population density was one of the factors that promoted shifting cultivation in the various
communities. Apart from bush farming, however, cultivation on a much smaller scale, in the form
of gardening was done inside the villages and towns, within different compounds. In the small
scale farming, crops such as vegetables, beans, pepper, and maize which were easy to tend by very
young children and old people were planted. Locally manufactured knives cutlass and hoes
1
, constituted the farm implements. There was two types of hoe including the large heavy type and
the small hoe. The heavy hoe was used in making farm ridges and for constructing the drainage
system on the farm. The small lighter hoe was used for weeding and other less heavy work. The
knives and cutlasses were used for clearing the bush and for digging out root crops such as yam
and cassava.
The principal food crops that were grown included guinea corn, maize, millet, beans of
several varieties, yams of various species, sweet potatoes, pepper of various kinds, kola nuts and
vegetables of different species. Cotton was also grown to provide raw materials for the indigenous
textile industry. Palm trees were grown in the bush to provide the vegetable oil needed by the
people. A number of wild plants which provided fruits such as paw-paw and mangoes were also
planted. Agricultural production were largely subsistence, though some form of plantation existed
in certain areas. Surplus agricultural produce were exchanged for local industrial products like
hoes, mats, pottery, and leather products. It was customary for the entire family to provide labour,
especially during planting and harvesting. Each family possessed at least a farmland, and provided
labour on it. Some slave labour existed to supplement the family labour when necessary. The farms
owned by chiefs were largely farmed by slaves.
By the second half of the nineteenth century, agricultural production in Nigeria had taken
another dimension. There was gradual prominence of agricultural produce for export. The three
most important agricultural products during this period were palm products, cocoa, and rubber.
Palm Products: Palm products became more important with the spread of the industrial
revolution in Europe. Palm trees grew abundantly and successfully in several parts of Nigeria and
provided the people with vegetable oil which was a basic necessity of every household. In Europe,
palm oil was needed for vegetable fats, for the soap and candle industries, and for the
2
