The food economy of colonial Igalaland, 1900–1960

Ugbede Joseph Ineke

Economic History of Developing Regions, 2025, vol. 40, issue 2, 126-142

Abstract: This article reconstructs the neglected history of agricultural production, marketing, and distribution in colonial Igalaland (central Nigeria). The history of the colonial economy of Igalaland from the period of the formal introduction of colonial rule in 1900 until 1960, when Nigeria became an independent nation, can best be understood as a moment of intersection between colonial structures, social change, and human agency. The history of the food economy in Igalaland is crucial to understanding the enduring legacy of colonial exaction and economic structures and their role in shaping a trajectory of exploitation and resilience. This aspect of the Igala economic history has yet to receive the critical scrutiny it deserves, constituting a major gap in the historiography of the region. This article fills this gap by relying extensively on archival documents from the Nigerian National Archives located in Kaduna and Ibadan, as well as secondary sources and semi-structured interviews. It will argue that, despite the negative consequences of colonial rule in Igalaland from 1900 to 1929 and 1930 to 1945, the period from 1945 to 1960 benefited the colonial administration, middlemen, and farmers while increasing economic inequality and creating systemic vulnerabilities.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/20780389.2025.2504681

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