"Rubber will not keep in this country": Failed development in Benin, 1897-1921

Fenske, James (2012): "Rubber will not keep in this country": Failed development in Benin, 1897-1921.

Abstract

Although Nigeria's Benin region was a major rubber producer in 1960, the industry developed slowly. The colonial government encouraged rubber production from 1897 until 1921, when it abandoned the industry. I explain why rubber did not take hold in this period. The government was unable to protect Benin's rubber forests from over-exploitation. Expatriate firms were reticent to invest in plantations, and private African plantations remained small to 1921. The colonial government promoted the development of “communal” plantations, but these suffered from labour scarcity, a weak state, limited information, and global competition.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Nigeria; Benin; rubber; development
• Subjects: N - Economic History > N5 - Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment, and Extractive Industries > N57 - Africa ; Oceania; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development > O13 - Agriculture ; Natural Resources ; Energy ; Environment ; Other Primary Products

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