Scholars from the humanities, developmental and social sciences, among others, are hereby invited to join in this comprehensive investigation of the history of Nigeria’s economic development since the 1800s, guided by the sub-themes below.
PERIODS AND SUB-THEMES
a. Pre-1900: West Coast of Africa. How people lived and survived in that environment before 1900
1. Peoples of the West Coast of Africa, their cultures and way of life in the 1800s
2. Trade along the Ivory Coast, Gold Coast, Slave coast, Oil Rivers Protectorate, Gulf of Benin and
Gulf of Biafra
3. Reasons and impact of political, social and cultural developments in different parts of the “Nigeria
environment” before 1900
4. Local technologies and the economy in the 1800s
5. Food production and consumption, and their implications on ecological patterns
6. The distribution and exchange of goods and services in the 1800s
7. Arab intrusion into ‘Nigeria’ for commercial trade, slave trade and human trafficking
8. Life from the era of the Atlantic Slave Trade to the Oil Rivers Protectorate
9. The Trans Saharan Slave Trade / Slave Trade across the Sudan and impact on the Habe states
10. Impact of pre-colonial lifestyle on population growth and dispersion, land tenure system,
allocation of power and authority (politics), war and peace
11. Role of the Maxim gun and internal migration of peoples across the ‘Nigerian’ space
12. The changing nature of agriculture as a result of the Trans Atlantic and Trans Sahara Slave
Trades and their abolition
13. The clash between the Wilberforce doctrine of alternate legal trade with the victims of the slave
trade as equal partners and the Colonial doctrine of maximum economic exploitation of the new
colonies
14. The aftermaths of the abolition of slave trade and the development of Nigerian diaspora
communities in South America, the West Indies, the West Coast and South east coasts of Africa
15. The transition to legitimate trade and effects on local (and international) economy
16. Economic impact of Christianity in the Bights of Benin and Biafra; & above the Rivers Niger and
Benue
17. The import of the mission motif of ‘the Bible and the sickle’ from the Wilberforce doctrine of
ameliorating the injustice of slavery through spiritual and economic empowerment
18. The missionary factor in the development of education, agriculture and technical skills
acquisition for commerce, industrial and economic development
19. Islam in ‘Nigeria’ in the 1800s / Clash between Dan Fodio and Shehu el- Kanemi
20. Life from the era of the jihads to the establishment of the Northern Protectorate
21. Contributions of freed slaves from the West Indies, Liberia and Sierra Leone (etc) to the economic
development of Nigeria.
b. 1900—1914 (From Colonization to Amalgamation)
1. From imperialism to colonialism
2. Economic activities of Nigeria’s indigenous communities at the onset of colonialism in 1900
3. The Royal Niger Company and the emergence of Nigeria
4. Contributions of eminent Nigerians in the early trade and economic development of Nigeria
5. Urbanization, commerce, and the arrival of STDs in Nigeria, 1900-1914
6. Impact of colonization on the economic trajectories of Nigeria’s indigenous communities, 1900-
1914
7. Indigenous technology and Nigeria’s development trajectory, 1900-1914
8. Colonialism and Nigeria’s industrial development, 1900-1914
9. Colonialism and infrastructural development in Nigeria, 1900-1914
10. Colonialism and development of Nigeria’s financial sector, 1900-1914
11. International trading companies and Nigeria’s economic development, 1900-1914
12. Colonial economic interests and Nigeria’s development trajectory, 1900-1914
13. From Barter to money and Banks: The Transition to money economy and disarticulation of
Nigeria’s economic development, 1900-1914 (the Northern Nigeria experience)
14. ‘Locanationalization’: Political amalgamation and the economic integration in Nigeria in the
1900s.
15. The State and economic formation in Nigeria in early colonial times, 1900-1914
16. The Amalgamation treaty and its impact on the economic and political development of Northern
and Southern Protectorates of Nigeria
c. 1914—January 1970 (From Amalgamation to End of the Civil war)
1. From Barter to money and Banks: The Transition to money economy and disarticulation of
Nigeria’s economic development, 1900-1914 (the Eastern and Western Nigeria experiences)
2. The impact of the two world wars on the Nigerian/colonial economy
3. The Levantines and the colonial economy
4. Colonialism and Nigeria’s industrial development, 1914-1970
5. Impact of fiscal federalism on the development of the regions
6. Regional agricultural productivity in Nigeria
7. Regional diversification and institutional mechanisms for development (Example, ENDC, NNDC,
Regional Loans Boards and others)
8. Sources of revenue and government spending (with statistical analysis)
9. The politics of development planning 1962 to 1968, including the first and second National
Development Plans
10. The rapid economic and industrial development dreams and visions of our founding fathers for
Nigeria and the regions; and their actualization plans from pre independence to 1966.
11. The rapid meteoric economic development and industrial advancement strides in Nigeria in the
decade of 1956 – 1966 in the West, East and North of Nigeria
12. Economic philosophies of indigenous political parties
13. Economic development policies of Nnamdi Azikiwe, Francis Akanu Ibiam, M. I. Okpara,
Odumegwu Ojukwu (Eastern Region); Jeraton Mariere, Dennis Osadebey, David Ejoor (Mid-
Western Region); Ahmadu Bello, Kashim Ibrahim, Hassan Katsina (Northern Region); Adesoji
Aderemi, Samuel Akintola, Moses Majekodunmi, Joseph Fadahunsi (Western Region);
Muhammadu Ribadu, Musa Yar’Adua, Mobolaji Ohofunso Johnson (Lagos Colony)
14. Obafemi Awolowo and the economic and political development of Western Region
15. Gowon’s Decree of 1969 (abolishing fiscal federalism and replacing it with revenue allocation
formulae)
16. The social and economic impacts of oil drilling on the host communities (case studies)
17. National Planning and Revenue Allocation
18. Traditional economic institutions and imposed (modern) institutions
19. Traditional religious beliefs in relation to changing economic systems and social structures
20. Identity, citizenship question and patriotism: the role of money, trade and industry
21. The economies of Eastern, Northern, Western, Mid-Western Regions between 1960 to1967
22. Nigeria’s economy 1960 to1966; and 1967 to 1970
23. Post-independence economy and foreign-backed imperial commerce (UAC, Barclays and
Levantine traders)
24. Ironsi Unification Decree of 1966 and its economic implications
25. Educational advancement of the regions, social and economic mobility and the Nigerian Civil
War
26. War-time economic policies of Yakubu Gowon and Obafemi Awolowo
27. The rise and impact of Petroleum Revenue on the Nigerian Civil War
d. 1970—1985 (From End of the Civil War to End of National Planning Scheme)
1. The Political economy of the Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agenda and its
implication for the economy of different regions
2. Development of the oil industry in Eastern Nigeria, Western Nigeria and Northern Nigeria
3. Oil boom and development of agricultural sector in Eastern: Resource Cause or Curse?
4. The impact of the default implementation of the recommendations of the Udoji Salaries and
wages commission that recommended salaries and wages upward review as well as productivity
and merit based reward system. (The salaries review was adopted and executed but not the
productivity and merit based reward system. The effect of this on national productivity reward
system and human resources management culture should be fully addressed.
5. Paradox of scarcity amidst plenty: Oil boom and poverty levels in Eastern, Western, Mid Western
and Northern Nigeria
6. The World Bank and Multilateral Development Agenda in Eastern Nigeria
7. The more you give; the less you get: Impact of Resource Abundance and Revenue Sharing
Formula on Eastern Nigeria
8. Impact of fiscal federalism on economic development in Eastern Nigeria and beyond
9. Economic diversification in Nigeria and the Eastern Nigeria experience
10. Impact of revenue sources and revenue allocation on economic development of Eastern Nigeria
11. Social and economic impacts of oil drilling on the Niger-Delta region and elsewhere
12. Impact of oil revenue on the agricultural sector and economic development of Eastern Nigeria
13. Governance and economic development in the different regions
14. The downward economic and industrial development in Nigeria during the military interregnum
e. 1985—2000 (Trial-and-Error Policies & Primitive Accumulation of Wealth)
1. Revenue allocation and national planning and their impacts
2. A critical look at state creation and the economy of Nigeria and the new states
3. The Third Republic and the death of the rapid economic and industrial development of Nigeria
envisioned by our founding fathers
4. The development of the Nigerian stock market and the phenomenal financial engineering that
created the merchant banking, mega banks and business moguls
5. The banking industry crises from the late 1990s
6. Contributions of regional and national economic and financial managers
7. Industrialization policies and incentives for small, medium and large-scale enterprises
8. International growth targets and the impact on Nigerian economy
9. The social and economic divide between the North and South of Nigeria: causes and effects
10. Military regimes in Nigeria and the impacts on economic development
11. Structural Adjustment Programme and the economy of different regions in Nigeria
12. Impacts of Nigeria’s external debt burden on Nigerian economy
13. Undiversified economic base of Nigeria: Causes and effects
14. Attraction of foreign private investment into the various sectors of the economy: The journey so
far
15. Effects of the industrialization policies of this period on national/regional economic development
16. Strict market systems and Structural Adjustment Programmes during this period and their
economic impacts
17. Impacts of privatization during this period
18. Technological advancement and economic development
19. The rise of geopolitical zones and their economic impacts
20. Effects of greed and corruption on the Nigerian economy
21. The social and economic impacts of oil drilling on host communities
22. Nigeria’s rising poverty index
23. The rise of Boko Haram, Nigerian refugees and IDP’s and their economic implications
f. 2000-2021 (Nigeria’s Economy in the New Millennium)
1. Politics and democratization in the Fourth Republic and the Nigerian economy
2. The national debt
3. Nigerian agency in the imperial economy: local initiatives and the development of indigenous
entrepreneurship
4. Environmental (Desertification)/economic wars
5. Nigeria as the poverty capital of the world
6. The Role of History in understanding the dynamics of economic development in Nigeria
7. Relevant issues bordering on the economy of the regions, geopolitical zones and the country at
large
8. Technological advancement and economic development
9. Energy, science and technology infrastructure for economic development
10. COVID-19 and the economy
11. Proposed pathway(s) for economic development of Eastern Nigeria in the twenty-first century
12. Other related topics.
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Guidelines
Interested authors should please be guided by the various time frames. (While each number can be taken
as a literal topic, it can also serve as a guide to articulate topics from.) Abstracts of not more than 200
words should be submitted to egodi.uchendu@unn.edu.ng by 30 May 2021.
• Authors should specify the period and sub-theme of choice; provide full institutional address,
emails and phone numbers; and 5-6 keywords.
• Use Times New Roman Font 12 with 1.5 line spacing.
• Full papers should be 6000 words maximum (excluding Footnotes and Bibliography)
• House Documentation Style: The Chicago Manual of Style.
See samples from https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html
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Call for Sectional Editors
The project Coordinators need capable sectional editors to handle the different periods. Interested
persons should send a two-paged letter of interest indicating the period they want to coordinate, and a
list of their publications. Please submit to egodi.uchendu@unn.edu.ng & sfwatshak@gmail.com .
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Project Coordinators
Prof. Egodi Uchendu Prof. Sati Fwatshak
egodi.uchendu@unn.edu.ng sfwatshak@gmail.com
www.egodiuchendu.com unijos.academia.edu/SATIFWATSHAK
08039617898 08034514996
