Food Politics and Gendered Realities in Western Nigeria, 1939-1955

Abstract

This paper examines the dynamics of food production, distribution, and marketing in Western Nigeria. It emphasises the gendered realities, that is, the implication for the involvement of men and women in the food system. The work accounts for the pre-colonial transitions to the colonial era and the impact of colonial governance on food production and marketing. Furthermore, the analysis on food politics is connected to modern agricultural policies; therefore, the work discusses the nexus in modern agriculture and food marketing in Ilesa and Akure provinces of Western Nigeria and its disparity in gender roles. Also, the politics of food marketing in Lagos during World War II implied a lot on gender disparity and complementary roles. The paper exposes how colonialism defined gender roles through food production and marketing in Western Nigeria. It uses the historical method and sources of writing were based on archival materials and newspapers retrieved from the National Archives, Ibadan.