From Toll System to Customs Regulation

Customs Administration in Colonial Nigeria, 1861-1960

Bibliographic Data

ID5869148
AuthorsBen Oramalugo (0009-0001-1570-3222, corresponding author), Benjamin Anaemene (0000-0003-0057-7697, Redeemer's University)
Year2025
Volume17
Pagese31710
Publication date2025-05-21
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEl Futuro del Pasado (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1989-9289 • E-ISSN: 1989-9289
PublisherEdiciones Universidad de Salamanca (PUBLISHER • ES)
DOI10.14201/fdp.31710
OpenAlexW4410568561
LanguageEN
References cited7

The profusion of scholarly literature on colonial Nigeria has been both abundant and widespread. This article is not simply an attempt to add to this relentlessly growing mountain of literature. Rather its objective is to interrogate how customs operations have been used by the British as a strategy to raise revenue for the colonial administration especially during the period of declining economy since its establishment in 1861 - a subject that so far occupies a relatively minor corner in broader discourse on colonial Nigeria. This article therefore examines the nature of colonial customs policy and administration from 1861 to 1960. It analyses customs administration under company rule, customs administration in the Niger Coast Protectorate (1891-1906), customs administration from the Amalgamation of Colony of Lagos and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria up to 1914, customs administration during the First World War (1914-1918), the Inter-war Years (1919-1938), customs administration during the Second World War (1939-1945) and the role of customs administration (1945-1960). This article utilizes the primary and secondary sources for data collection. It concludes that colonial customs operation was a major financial backbone of British colonial administration in Nigeria. Besides, the colonial customs administration bequeathed several legacies to the Nigeria Customs Service that came into existence after independence in 1960

Colonialism · Death toll · Economics · Political science · Socioeconomics · Toll · African history and culture studies · Law · Medicine

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access