number of rivers and creeks. The second belt is from 50 to 100 miles wide, largely covered by dense tropical forests very rich in oil-palm trees, which constitute the chief wealth of the colony. The third belt is of more open, parklike land which gradually merges into open country covered with high grass. The last belt is a rolling plateau of over 2,000 to 6,000 feet in altitude, broken by occasional hills of granite and sandstone, covered in part by thin forests, but more open to the north, until at the border are the first sandy stretches of the Sahara Desert. AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES As already indicated by the trade statistics the economic life of Nigeria centers around its vast natural resources, the chief of which are the large land areas suitable for the growth of the palm tree. Nigeria has entered upon a period of commercial expansion, the limiting factor in which is transportation. There are large untouched areas of oil-bearing palm trees and shea-nut trees, the fruit of which rot for want of collection, due principally to inaccessibility, but as new railways are built ever-increasing quantities of produce are being placed on world markets. Large areas of agricultural land are available for farming but the native farmer has adopted shifting methods, rarely cultivating the same plot for more than a few years. The methods employed have been very crude, though in recent years some sections have adopted more modern methods. OIL PALM The oil palm furnishes products of great commercial value and is one of the principal economic resources of tropical Africa. A type known as eloesis guineensis" is found generally throughout the districts bordering the Gulf of Guinea. The product is exported in the form of kernels or as oil. Exports of palm oil in 1914 were 1,450,622 hundredweights, valued at £4,245,893, and in 1923 they were 1,978,140 hundredweights. The 1919 exports were the largest on record and 1923 shipments were the second largest. Exports of palm kernels reached 162,451 tons in 1914, valued at £2,541,150; increased to 216,913 tons in 1919, valued at £4,947,995; and to 223,074 tons in 1923. The export of both palm oil and palm kernels has fluctuated considerably, largely due to the fluctuation of prices in world markets. In 1922 the United Kingdom took 94 per cent of the palm kernels and 72 per cent of the palm oil. The United States took 20 per cent of the palm oil in 1922. CACAO Cacao has long been one of the principal items in Nigerian trade. The trees thrive in the Southern Provinces, which furnish the greater portion of exports. The recent demand for West African cacao has greatly encouraged plantings. The plantations near Agege in the Western Province did not do so well as those nearer the AboekutaIbadan boundary. In the Eastern Province the climatic conditions are more favorable and plantings were made near Old Calabar, Itu, and Eket. In 1907 exports amounted to 2,089,225 pounds, valued at £47,840; in 1917 to 34,590,192 pounds, valued at £499,004; in 1919 to 57,593,200 pounds, valued at £1,067,675; and in 1923 to 73,510,080 pounds. PEANUTS In recent years the demand for peanuts, also known as groundnuts, in world markets has stimulated their growth throughout Nigeria. The largest areas suitable for their cultivation lie in the Northern Provinces, around Bida, Kano, and Zaria. Considerable quantities are now being produced in the Southern Provinces as well. Exports in 1916 were 50,368 tons, valued at £473,653; in 1919 they aggregated 39,334 tons, valued at £698,702; and in 1923 amounted to 22,887 tons. Of the 1922 peanut shipments, France took 30 per cent; Germany, 28 per cent; and the United Kingdom, 27 per cent. OTHER OIL SEEDS AND NUTS Among other oilseeds and nuts the shea nut has assumed a dominating position. A considerable trade has been developed in shea nuts and the extracted butter, chiefly from the Ibadan and Ilorin districts. Exports of shea products in 1913 were 9,540 tons, valued at £74,471; in 1919 they amounted to 1,729 tons, valued at £27,222; and in 1923 recovered to 6,421 tons. The kola nut is grown to a limited extent but so great is the domestic demand that large quantities must be imported from the Gold Coast. A fair amount of benniseed is grown in the Northern Provinces. The oil from this seed is used extensively by the natives and as yet only small quantities have been exported. COTTON Particular emphasis has been placed on the development of cotton cultivation throughout the British possessions. Excellent results have been obtained in Nigeria, where there is an area half the size of Texas suitable for cotton cultivation. At present the areas highly developed are those near the railroads, but with each new road opened up an ever-increasing area of cotton land is available. Nearly every family has its own cotton patch and it is estimated that 70 per cent of the cotton produced is used in local consumption. A number of diseases and pests injure the crop at times, but with improved methods of cultivation and education of the natives, the effects of these are minimized to some extent. The Nigerian agricultural department, with the aid of the British Cotton Growing Association, has distributed and established an American long staple variety which has considerably increased the yield. Exports of raw cotton in 1913 were 6,361,152 pounds, valued at £159,223, and in 1919 they were 6,744,752 pounds, valued at £484,744. In 1922 Great Britain took 6,206,700 pounds, valued at £294,101, as compared with 13,196,500 pounds, valued at £530,280, in 1921. Mr. W. H. Himburg, the general manager of the British Cotton Growing Association, has estimated that Nigeria should produce 1,000,000 bales. MISCELLANEOUS AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS Tobacco is raised to some extent in the Ibadan region but the demand is so great that large quantities are imported. In 1921 there were 2,771,054 pounds of leaf and unmanufactured tobacco and 65,734,300 cigarrettes imported. During 1922 the department of agriculture conducted trials to determine whether a type of Virginia tobacco could be raised for sale in the United Kingdom. The results were satisfactory and further trials are now being carried out. Among other crops which are produced largely for native consumption are maize, yams, Guinea corn, millet, wheat, rice, beans, cassava, chillies, and a few minor vegetables. LIVESTOCK Livestock is scarce in the Southern Provinces, largely because of the prevalence of tsetse fly, especially in the moist regions. In the intermediate and dry zone small herds are found, composed of a dwarf variety of cattle. In the Northern Provinces the tsetse fly does not live to any extent and large numbers of cattle move about the country. Statistics on the number of livestock of the colony are not available. Hides and skins are one of the principal exports of the colony and were valued at £3,462 in 1906 and at £1,262,140 in 1919. In 1922 there were 1,703 tons of raw hides exported, of which 31 per cent went to the United Kingdom, 29 per cent to Germany, 17 per cent to the United States, 15 per cent to France, and 7 per cent to Holland. There were 1,184 tons of haired goatskins exported, of which 74 per cent went to the United Kingdom, 17 per cent to the United States, and 6 per cent to France. Of the 43 tons of haired sheepskins exported the United Kingdom took 99 per cent, which country also took 71 per cent of the tanned goatskins and sheepskins. There were 103 tons of the latter exported, of which Italy took 13 per cent and Germany 8 per cent. Tanned cattle hides were also exported, 37,891 pounds going to the Gold Coast and Germany in about equal quantities. FOREST PRODUCTS Considerable sections of the country are still in their original state and are covered with thick tropical growths, mangrove forests, etc. The question of forest reserves is now before the government and a number of proposed reserves are awaiting settlement. Mahogany is the principal product of commercial importance and has been exported to Europe. Total exports were £116,820 in 1919. In 1922 exports of mahogany to the United Kingdom totaled 624,906 cubic feet, valued at £196,202. Little interest has been shown in the minor forest products. In the earlier years of this century rubber was one of the main exports, but due to the competition from the Malayan plantation rubber it has ceased to fill an important place. In 1906 rubber exports totaled 3,434,279 pounds, valued at £307,077, but by 1919 they were only 892,081 pounds, valued at £43,903. A number of trees from which different varieties of gums and resins may be obtained thrive in various sections of the colony, but to date no organized exploitation has been carried out, although attempts are now under way to cultivate certain types. MINERAL RESOURCES Minerals constitute a large item of wealth of Nigeria. The Nigerian government has made concessions to mining companies in order to encourage and help the industry. The principal min erals of commercial value are tin ore and coal. During 1923 there were 154 Europeans and 18,165 natives employed in the mining industry. This was an increase of more than 33 per cent over the number of native workers for 1922. Coal is found in the Udi fields of the Eastern Province, and the headquarters of the mining operations are at Enugu, which is 151 miles north of Port Harcourt. Coal was discovered in 1909 and in 1913 Port Harcourt was established and the railroad built to serve the mines. Production began in 1915. The coal, which breaks readily into large blocks, is easily worked as it crops out at the edge of an escarpment, making a shaft unnecessary. Recent experiments show that it may be possible to prepare coke of a fair quality from it. Five seams in all have been located within 300 feet of the surface, varying in thickness from 1 to 6 feet, only the thickest one being worked at present. The Ibos who inhabit this part of the country were, until quite recently, slave traders. It was quite difficult to get them to work for Europeans at first but at present about 2,000 are employed in the coal mines. The output of the Udi mines has increased from 85,000 tons in 1917 to 110,000 tons in 1918 and to 170,683 tons in 1923. Tin is the most valuable mineral resource and is found in many sections of the colony, though most of it is found in the Northern Provinces. During the postwar period the mines had difficulty in weathering the depression and many concessions were granted by the government, which aided most of the companies to survive. Owing to the rise in price of tin at the close of 1922, the concessions were removed on April 1, 1923; and with the extension of the known area of tin-bearing ground, the industry is now in good condition. When prices were high and labor cheap the companies used primitive methods which led to the exhaustion of the richer areas. Now they must use dredges and mechanical shovels or else break down the gravel by monitors and the use of sluice boxes. The latter method seems to be gaining in favor and about 22 pumps are in operation. The Northern Nigeria (Bauchi) Co. has a scheme shortly to be completed which will derive power from a hydroelectric plant at the Kwall waterfall. The company plans to distribute power to the surrounding areas. The production of tin ore increased from 133 tons in 1907 to 9,966 tons in 1917, but decreased to 7,483 tons in 1921, and again increased to 8,021 tons in 1922. and 8,475 tons in 1923. The value of this ore was £25,265 in 1907, £1,485,887 in 1917, £714,659 in 1921, £744,011 in 1922, and £1,190,313 in 1923. Small quantities of gold are mined, though most of it is gained by individual prospectors. The tributaries of the Niger in Kontagora Province embrace the largest producing area. In 1922, there were 745 ounces won, while in 1923 this was increased to 956 ounces. There are deposits of phosphatic rocks near Abeokuta, in the Oshosun Balagun area on the west side of the railway, and on the Seriki Oko-Oluke plateau to the east. The rock when finely powdered possesses valuable fertilizing possibilities. FISHERIES A considerable number of people are employed in fishing as the rivers and creeks abound with various types of fish. The entire catch is consumed locally, though small quantities are cured for towns in the inland. There is practically no sea fishing. MANUFACTURES There are no manufactures of importance in Nigeria. A little crushing is done at the mills of Apapa, and kernel and groundnut oil is shipped to England. There is some tanning of hides and weaving of cloth as a family undertaking. Earthenware and brassware are also made for local use. Very little water power is used. In the southern Provinces there is very little fall in the rivers but in the northern Provinces power is available. With the extension of the railroads a greater exploitation of the water power is to be expected. BANKS The Bank of British West Africa (Ltd.) was established in 1894. and now has 16 branches and 2 agencies. The Colonial Bank entered Nigeria in 1917 and now has eight branches. Both banks do all kinds of banking business. The posts and telegraphs department operate a government savings bank. GOVERNMENT FINANCE The Nigerian budget in general shows a deficit which is usually made up for by grants from the Imperial Exchequer. The following table shows the revenue expenditures and debt of Nigeria: The continued unfavorable budget and the increasing public debt are matters of concern to the Government. The principal items of revenue for the year 1922-23 were: Customs, £2,539,361; railway, £1,408,166; direct taxes, £681,760; court fees, £352,894; and marine, £227,919. The chief items of expenditure were: Loan works, £1,098,261; railway, £1,085,851; public debt, £827,370; public works, £512,951; and political, £457,006. In 1913 nearly 65.8 per cent of the customs duties collected were upon imported spirits i. e., £1,135,086 out of a total of £1,724,658. In 1923 only £277,599 was collected from spirits, or approximately 15.3 per cent. Export duties amounting to £2 6s. 8d. per ton are now levied on cocoa, 10s. per ton on groundnuts, £2 per ton on palm |