An Overview of British Colonial Forest Conservation in Northern Nigeria

Abstract

The paper examines the evolution of British colonial forest conservation in Northern Nigeria with particular reference to Katsina Emirate. The paper argues that the British beliefs about Northern Nigerian forest utilization and local resources management practices were ideologically driven which were never substantiated in empirical terms. The paper further makes a historical assessment of the attempts by the British colonial authorities to introduce forest policies and administration into Northern Nigeria. Of particular relevance was the establishment of the Forestry Department responsible for implementing forest conservation policies. Examination of these policies shows among other things a shift from conservation to exploitation and vice versa under colonial rule. It finally demonstrates that the entire colonial forest conservation in Northern Nigeria was characterized by the colonial degradation narrative that was mostly ideologically driven to justify direct government involvement in forest management and conservation.