Three (3) phases of industries in Nigeria

Three (3) phases of industries in Nigeria

·        PRE-COLONIAL STAGE: Most industries existed then were cottage industries using cruel implements and owned by the family, lineage e.g. blacksmithing among the Igbos, calabash carving, textile weaving, glass and brass work around Bidda in Niger state, leather work among the Hausa-Fulani in the north etc.

Around 15^th century up till 17th century before slave trade started during slave trade, there was an inter-tribal war where there are crises among the tribes people were afraid of being captured and selling into slavery. The means of production were made among the people by themselves e.g. black smiths produces his tools and implements he needed. The labour in the cottage industries was mobilized among the family.

·        COLONIAL PERIOD (1900 – 1960): This plays roles in the cottage industries; they need raw materials for their industries. They introduce currency policy and people have to use their own currency; by implication, a person either to produce the materials and get paid with the British currency or go and work in the road and railways construction in order to get money which led people to abandon the cottage industries.

The British only provided the processing industries to process and preserved the materials for later use instead of providing production manufacturing industries i.e. the industries that will produce the tools, machines, implements etc.

The development plan of 1914 – 1958 was aimed to help the success of the colonial domination.

·        1960 to present (After Independence): Nigeria was given independence (politically independence not economic independence); quite alright attempts were made but never completed.

1970 – 1972 development plan that emphasizes a lot in industrialization but not much was achieved. It was after 1980 that some small industries were established mostly in Lagos, Kano and spatially distributed; other states have no single industry.

The industries were collapsing because of lack of successive government; each administration comes with its own targets not completing the previous projects, also due to unfavorable political climates e.g. militancy, Boko Haram, religious crises etc. makes investors afraid to come and establish industries or invest in the country.

            Also, the curriculum of the country was not in line or in favor of moving towards industrialization.