A history of modern manufacturing industries in Zamfara State, 1963 – 2019

Abstract

Zamafara State is one of the 36 states in Nigeria. It is located in North Western Nigeria. The capital of the state is Gusau. The people of Zamfara area, known as Zamfarawa, were very enterprising during the pre-colonial period. The people were mainly into agriculture, commerce and crafts production. Traditional crafts industries were unable to metamorphose or progress to modern manufacturing industries due to unhealthy colonial interventions and stultification of the crafts by the colonial administration in favour of the industries located at the metropoles. Modern manufacturing activities started by the end of colonial rule. The area witnessed growth and development of modern manufacturing companies mainly in cotton/textile and vegetable oil extraction. The industries were mainly in Gusau though some were found in some local government areas outside the state capital. This paper is concerned with modern manufacturing activities that have been taking place in the state over time. It discusses the industries, their locations, type of goods they produce and their ownership. It also discusses the economic and social effects of the industries on the state government and the larger society. The historical method of enquiry was applied in gathering materials and writing the paper. Preliminary findings of the paper show that there is increasing investment in the manufacturing sector of the economy of the state more particularly in the agro-based industries. Goods produced in Zamfara State are used in Nigeria while the rest are exported to many countries in the world. Thus, we can rightly argue that through its industries Zamafara State has contributed meaningfully to national and global economies.