British colonial rule and food crops production in Esan, Benin Province, Nigeria

Abstract

Until the emergence of the British, the Esan1 and other indigenous peoples who inhabited what is today Nigeria, did not experienced shortage of basic food items. The people were mainly peasant farmers who were able to produce basic food items to meet their immediate needs and still had surplus which they exchanged for other items which they did not produce. After the conquest and imposition of colonial rule, the British authorities imposed new demands on the people; the production of raw materials such as rubber, palm oil and kernels among others. The production of these raw materials impeded the cultivation of food crop in Esan. This paper therefore, examines the factors that necessitated the shortage of foodstuffs in Esan and the efforts made by the colonial authorities to ameliorate the situation. It is hoped that today’s policy makers would learn some lessons from the colonial experience in their efforts at ensuring availability of basic foodstuffs to all Nigerians.