Africa’s Economic Development Conundrum

Technology is defined as a modern Science based Technic of production and services in World Economies. This is quite different from the Technics of production and services powered by human Energy in use in the World Economy of Agricultural and Mineral Commodity of Hoes and Cutlasses of human Heritage which was in vogue before the 18^th Century AD Industrial Revolution in Europe. Technology emerged in Europe’s Economy following the Rise of modern Science in Europe in the 17^th Century AD. Technology is powered by artificial Energy such as Steam, Electricity, Sunshine or Wind. Technology introduced in the World Economy Industrial Goods quite different from Natural Goods of Agricultural Commodities such as Cocoa, Fruits /Vegetables, Palm oil /Palm kernel, Cotton, Rubber, Livestock hides and skins, and Mineral Commodities such as Gold, Silver, Platinum, and Liquid / Gaseous / Solid Minerals such as Crude Petroleum / Natural Gas / Solid Minerals. It is Technology that introduced what is now referred to as Industrial Goods, namely Capital Goods, such as Machines, Equipment, Instruments (measuring and Control instruments such as Computers) and  Engineering / Hand Tools) , the processed Consumer Goods Items such as Chocolate, Butter, Marmalade, and the Industrial Materials such as Organic Chemicals, Inorganic Chemicals and Special Chemicals such as Fertilizers / Explosives into Europe’s Agricultural / Mineral Economy.

It is the above developments in Europe that brought about the Industrial Revolutions of the 18^th and 19^th Century AD and the Industrial Economy in Europe. The Industrial Economy changed the Scope and Complexity of Europe’s Economy. Through these Developments, European Nations successfully built their domestic endogenous Capability and or Capacity to produce / manufacture Technologies and Industrial Goods (capital, consumer items and industrial materials) respectively in their respective Economies. It is this domestic endogenous capability and or capacity building that gave Europe the unprecedented Industrial, Economic and Military Power in the World of Nations.

Interestingly, Dr Kwame Nkruma of Ghana at Ghana’s Independence Day Speech in 1958, has this to say about Science and Technology, and I quote, “Without the endogenous domestic capacity for Science and Technology Activities for Industrial and Economic Development of Ghana, then Ghana’s independence is meaningless”. Dr Kwame Nkruma, thereafter, set up a Ghana Council for Scientific, Technological and Industrial Research (GCSTIR) for the Socio-economic development / Industrial Transformation of Ghana. In Contrast at Nigeria’s Independence Day Speech on October 1, 1960, Nigeria’s Executive Prime Minister, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, never mentioned a Word about Science Technology Activities in Nigeria. He rather sought a British Military Support / Protection Alliance Treaty in case of Foreign Attack. This is the same Britain which Nigeria is seeking Independence from. The forgoing explains why Nigeria has not been able to produce and manufacture Technologies of production and services / Industrial Goods (capital , consumer items and Industrial materials in Nigeria’s Economy both for domestic use and for Export  to global World Market  for Foreign Currency in order to address Nigeria’s economical underdevelopment, poverty, joblessness and related Insecurity. What to do and how to achieve these Feats in Nigeria follow herein below.            

The Economic Situation in African Continent.

The entire Continent of Africa did not participate in these incredible developments of 18^th / 19^th Century AD Industrial Revolutions. However, most of the primary Agricultural / Mineral Commodities required to sustain Europe’s prolific Industrialization and modern Technologies production are not available in Western Europe but are abundantly available in the Continents of Africa and Asia. The Scramble for these critical primary Raw Materials Commodities in Africa led to the Colonization of the Continent of Africa by the emergent European Industrial Powers (Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Belgium), in order to obtain these critical primary Agricultural / Mineral Commodities. It is fight for critical primary raw Materials that led to the Partition and Sharing of the African Continent by European Powers. To ensure peaceful sharing of the African Continent and a Conference to this effect was held in Berlin, Germany from 1884-1885. During the Conference the African Continent was partitioned and shared out to European Powers.in 1884-1885.

Allocations of African Continent to European Powers at Berlin Conference in 1885 in Focus.    

Herein below are the Results of the Partition / Allocation of the African Continent to European Powers, namely,

• Britain got  Northern Protectorate, Southern Protectorate and the Colony of Lagos earlier captured and colonized by Britain (Territories now named Nigeria), Gold Coast (now Ghana), Barthust (now Gambia) Sierra Leone (the part of West Africa where Britain settled the freed African Slaves from  Britain, Tanganyika / Zamziba (now  Tanzania) which was originally allocated to Germany, Uganda, Kenya, Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Nyasa Land (now Malawi), Republic of South Africa (RSA)  including Lesoto and a host of Territories.
• France got the rest of West Africa, not already allocated to Britain, and these are, namely, Ivory Coast, now Cote de’ Voire, Senegal, Niger, Mali, Burkina Fasso , Republic of Benin, Gabon, Chad, Congo Brazzaville and Guinea
• Germany got Cameroun, Tanganyika (now Tanzania), South West Africa, now Namibia, and Togo land in West Africa. However following the defeat of Germany by Allied Forces of Britain and France in the First World War of 1914-1918, Cameroun was taken away from Germany and shared to Britain and France, Tanzania was also given to Britain, and South West Africa (now Namibia) was given to Britain which, put it into the Republic of South Africa (RSA) but now on its own.
• Portugal got Angola and Mozambique,
• Belgium got Rwanda, Burundi, Congo Leopoldville (now DRC)
• Spain got: a host of Territories around Equatorial Guinea,
• Italy got Ethiopia / Eritrea and Libya but I cannot remember which Western European Power got Anglo Egyptian Sudan. (now Sudan and Southern Sudan).

Each European Power during the Sharing Conference in Berlin, Germany, was free and authorized to manage and control the Territory allocated to it, provided it does not interfere with the Territories allocated to other European Powers.
It is academic to state that no African Nation or any Individual from Africa was aware of the Sharing Conference or present to witness the Partition / sharing of the Continent by the European Powers.
British Management of the Territories (now Nigeria) allocated to her at the Berlin Conference of 1884-185:

The following Territories of Ethnic Nations which later were amalgamated by Britain and  named NIGERIA, after the River Niger, are, namely, Northern Protectorates of Nigeria (now 19 States of Northern Nigeria , initially managed  independently as an Entity on behalf of Britain by Uni Lever, a British Company located in London, the British Southern protectorates (now the 16 States of Southern Nigeria) managed  by the British Foreign Office,  and the British Colony of Lagos, which was acquired following the British Conquest of the Port of Lagos and made a British Colony in 1860  and managed as an Entity by the British Colonial Office.

In 1914 on the Advice of Lord Fredrick Lugard, the First Governor General of Nigeria, all these three Entities or Territories, which should have become separate Nations, were amalgamated or forcefully put together to become one Nation and named it Nigeria. As a matter of British Curtesy, it is reported that the Following Personalities from the above three Territories now named Nigeria, were brought in by Curtesy of British Authorities to witness the Amalgamation, namely,

• HRH Maiturare  Sarkin Mussulumi, later Sultan of Sokoto,
• Usman Dan Maje, who later became Emir of Kano,
• Sir Kutoye Ajasa, a Lawyer from Lagos Colony,
• HRH R. Henshaw (Obong of Calabar) of South Eastern British Protectorates, (now Cross River State), and
• Abubakar Shehu of Borno, a Kanuri from Northern Protectorates.

No body represented NdiIgbo Land, ostensibly because Britain believed that  Igbo Land had no Emirs , no Oba and no Traditional Rulers, Britain herself had to protect NdIIgbo, although later the British Authorities selected some very prominent NdiIgbo Ozo titled Leaders and gave them what they call, British Warrant Chiefs or Traditional Rulers of Igbo Land but still called  them for avoidance of doubt British “Warranted Chiefs” years after the Amalgamation.  I was told by my Father that my Great Grand Father, an Igbo titled “OZO nan NZE” benefitted from this largess of BRITISH WARRANT CHIEF. What a Title? Pity I didn’t meet him to see what a “British Warrant Chief” looks like.  Nigeria has come through a long way.

British Colonial Policy/Legacy for Economic Development in Nigeria:

Lord Fredrick Lugard, the first British Colonial Governor-General of Nigeria, from 1914 -1918, gave an insight of what would be the British Colonial Policy for Industrial / Economic Growth and Development in Nigeria. This is contained in his Book, titled, “The Dual Mandate of Britain in Tropical Africa”, London, 4^th Edition, 1929. In this Book, Lord Lugard stated as follows, namely,

• “The Tropics are a heritage of Mankind the exploitation of its vast Primary Raw Materials cannot be denied to the Europeans who need them for their industrial Classes and Technology/ industrialization of Britain.
• “Let it be admitted that at the outset that European Brains, Capital and Energy have not been and never will be expended in developing the Resources of Africa from motives of pure philanthropy,
• “Europe is in Africa for the mutual benefit of her own Industrial Classes and the Native Races of Africa, the source of some Primary Raw Materials needed for the Technology / industrialization of Europe,
•  “The Colonies will take our (European produced) Technologies and Industrial manufactured goods (capital and consumer items) and we (Europe) shall get their (Africa) raw materials in return and.
• “They (the Africa Native people) will get from us (Europe) Technologies of production and services in their own Economy, and our (Europe’s) manufactured industrial goods including cheap transport Vehicles, Machines / Equipment  and our Professionals to exploit their (Africa) primary raw resources (agricultural and minerals) to the mutual benefit of Europe and the African natives”.

The import of these Policies is that Nigeria shall not be allowed to produce / manufacture Technologies / Industrial Goods in Nigeria’s Economy, both for domestic use and for export to the global World Market. Nigeria has to import all her Technologies / Industrial goods inputs to sustain any form of Industrial Economy in Nigeria.  Is it not what is going on now in Nigeria? I ask.

To implement the above horrible Economic Development Policies, the following Actions were taken in British Colonial Nigeria, namely,

• University College, Ibadan the only University established by Britain in Nigeria, from 1948 -1962, did not offer any Courses in Engineering, Technology and Professional Industrial Courses
• No Polytechnics, no Colleges of Technologies no Technical Colleges to train Manpower in Professional / Technical Skills for the production /manufacture of Technologies and industrial goods in Nigeria’s Economy and all the Technologies and Industrial goods inputs in use in Nigeria’s are as at present foreign sourced,
• All Scientific Research in Nigeria is primary raw Agricultural / Mineral Commodity Services Research based and or Disciplines of Science / Technology Research / generalized Problem oriented Research. Where, in Nigeria, is globally competitive Technology being produced now for export to global World Market?
• All Nigeria’s Exports till date are primary Agricultural / raw Mineral Commodities, practically no industrial Goods till date have been exported from Nigeria in the face of Nigeria’s over 120 Universities, each with Faculties of Science, Engineering and Technology and with well over 25 Research and Development Institutions operating in Nigeria’s Economy.

Nigeria does not need a Sooth Sayer to tell her why after over 50 years of Independence and involvement in Science and Technology Activities from 1899-2019, Nigeria cannot export any Technology and globally competitive Industrial Goods from her own Economy to gain foreign Currency and have to import all manners of Technologies and Industrial Goods Inputs, for any form of Economic development activities in Nigeria. This is the Triumph of Nigeria inherited British Legacy as well documented in Lugard’s Dual Mandate Book. Nigeria will be nowhere near globally competitive industrial / Economic Growth / Development until Nigeria purges herself of this terrible British Colonial Legacy. For information, one observes that it is only during the Civil War of 1967-1970, that any form Technology or Industrial Goods, albeit through Technology Innovation were produced in Nigeria’s Economy, 1914-2019.

Please read for more Details of what can be done to address this unfortunate situation in my following Writings / Books, and  for more suggestions on how to address Nigeria’s Technology / Industrial Goods production Conundrum, namely  (1) “Scientific and Technological Innovations in Biafra: The Ogbunigwe Fame, 1967-1970”, Second Edition, 2017 and (2) Technology and Wealth of Nations”, 2019 respectively. In Conclusion, it is important to understand the immortal words of Lord Fredrick Lugard, Nigeria’s first Governor General of Nigeria, 1914-1918, in his Book on “The Dual Mandate of Europe in Tropical Africa” namely that the Mission of Europe to Africa is Economic. The first Mission during the Agricultural Commodity Economy was Africa’s Supply of Labor to Europe and her North American Colonies for the prolific production of Agricultural Commodities, the main source of Wealth of that era. The second Mission, after the 18^th and 19^th Century AD Industrial Revolutions, is to provide primary Raw Materials (Agricultural / Minerals ) not available in Europe, for the prolific production / manufacture in Europe, of modern Technologies and globally competitive Industrial Goods (Capital, Consumer Items and Industrial materials ) respectively, both for domestic use and for export to the global World Market for foreign Currency, in order to solve the problem of unemployment, joblessness, poverty  related insecurity and the Military Power to defend Europe / North America, if the Situation arises. Europe and the Rest of the World, we must appreciate do not owe Nigeria a Living. Until Nigerians understand and appreciate this Economic reality, so will Nigeria continue to grope economically in the Dark in our Economic Growth and Development. See what is going on now namely COVI 19? What is Nigeria’s Strategy for its containment, bearing in mind that over 65-70% of the Drugs in use in Nigeria are imported from South East Asia, in particular, China and India.

Felix N.C. Oragwu, FSAN, MInstP (IOP) London

Former Senior Academic in Physics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, (UNN), from 1960s,
Head of Research and Development (R&D)  Planning Division / Coordinator of  Technological Services of the Industrial War Machine that operated in the defunct State of Biafra, 1967-1970.
Retired Senior Director in Charge of the Department of Science and Technology (S&T) Policy, Planning and Development of the Federal Government Ministry of Science and Technology (FMST) 1979-1987
Former Technology Development Consultant to UNECA, UNDP and UNIDO