The Colonial Economy: Prosperity and Depression in Kano Province of Northern Nigeria, 1899 1939

Kano and its environs came under British rule in the first years of the twentieth century. The British introduced new systems that dramatically transformed the direction of events and the way of life of the people. Scholars have examined the historical development of Kano from multiple perspectives. Thus, the present study is a contribution to the analysis of the historical development of Kano Province under colonial rule with a focus on economic development. Development here refers to economic development, or those features that support it such as railroads, roads, storage facilities, etc.; the "soft" human development, such as education, health, clean water, and electricity; the human capital that supports it; and of course, the social groups that are at the centre of any economic process. The study examines the colonial economy and developments in Kano from its establishment as a province after the conquest of the Sokoto Caliphate between 1897 and 1903, up to the end of the Great Depression and the beginning of the Second World War. The study examines the nature of the economic development of Kano and related issues, which impacted economic activities during the period. These issues include administrative restructuring, the abolition of slavery, the land tenure system, agriculture, taxation, trade, labour, infrastructure development, reform of the legal system, and economic regulating systems. The innovations that the British colonial authorities introduced made it possible for the economy of Kano to become integrated into the global economy, as agricultural products were exported in large quantities, notably groundnuts. Though most of these policies were targeted towards the maximization of the colonial interests, they were nevertheless initiated and implemented with peculiar considerations to the environmental suitability, socio-political setting, and population configuration of the indigenous Kano people. While not denying that the colonial occupation of Kano was deliberately designed and implemented by the British authorities to serve their imperial interests, the study argues further that the realistic effects of colonial planning also led to diverse economic advancement for the Kano area as well as for the indigenous and foreign population during the period under study. The research is problematized within the context of the factors that influenced the economic boom in Kano during the colonial period. Generally, the research confirms that Kanos colonial economy went through a series of changes from the pre-colonial levels to periods of boom and bust from the first decade of the nineteenth century through the Great Depression and the onset of the Second World War. When the British arrived in Kano, they were not well informed of local conditions. The first resident, Cargill, became embroiled in a policy dispute, but the opening of the railway in 1911 saved the day, which enabled the unprecedented exploitation of the area. The railway linked Kano to international trade, which increased its fortunes until the Global Depression reversed the trend. This thesis establishes that colonial policies had significant consequences on Kanos economy, and the area benefitted from colonialism in many ways which helped to advance its fortunes and development in comparison to its previous state.