By Victory Ugochi
In Nigeria’s agricultural sector, once the country’s main source of economic growth, has declined significantly since colonial era. The British colonists introduced new policies that brought rivalry among Nigerian farmers, communities and regions today. These policies led to problems like farmer-herder conflicts, food insecurity and economic disparities between different regions.
When Britain took control of Nigeria in the early 1900s, they focused on growing crops like palm oil, groundnuts, cocoa, cotton and rubber for export rather than food crops like cassava, yam, maize, etc. Northern Nigeria became a major producer of groundnuts, while the west focused on cocoa and the east on palm oil. This was not good for Nigerians as it caused disruption in traditional farming systems.
Consequences of this policy made many Nigerian farmers abandon their ancestral lands and migrate to new areas in search of fertile soil and economic opportunities. This led to conflicts over land and resources which continue to linger till today. Farmers were forced to abandon food crops making local communities dependent on cash crops. Nigerian farmers suffered immensely as their colonists also introduced taxation systems that forced farmers to grow these cash crops, which further destabilized food security.
In the past, Nigerian communities shared land together and elders or chiefs made sure everyone got an equal share of land. But when colonial administrators came to power, they forced the country to use Western-style land ownership laws. These laws made land private and favored those who worked with them. This led to new class of wealthy landowners and left small-scale farmers without land.
One of the most harmful long-term effects of colonial farming policies is the ongoing conflict between farmers and herders. Before colonialism, pastoralists and farmers had established seasonal grazing routes and mutual agreements, but the British government took land and made it private and grew cash crops like cotton. This made it hard for herders to find enough grass for their animals. They had to move south to find more grass for their animals.
Today, climate change and population growth have made these tensions worse, leading to violent clashes particularly in the Middle Belt. Thousands have died and millions have had to leave their homes. This problem started when the country’s farming balance was disrupted by colonial powers. Nigeria used to be able to feed itself and even export food, but now it spends billions of dollars each year importing rice, wheat and other important food items.
The colonial government broke down food crop systems and governments that came after independence did not fix them. Instead, they continued modeling their colonial masters by importing food. Britain created inequalities in regions that made regional rivalries worse. The northern region used to be a big place for farming but now, it is struggling with desertification and lack of investment. The south, though more industrialized, has problems with deforestation and soil degradation from decades of growing only one crop.
Effects of colonialism are still felt today but Nigeria has a lot of potential for growing food. By dealing with past unfair treatment and investing in farming that will last, the country can finally move past problems caused by competition that started over 100 years ago.
