RAILWAY TRANSPORT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFA AREA IN KWARA STATE, 1907 – 2008

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BY ABDULSALAMI, MUYIDEEN DEJI

A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE POST-GRADUATE SCHOOL, BENUE STATE UNIVERSITY, MAKURDI IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN HISTORY

 

ABSTRACT
The study analyses the extension of railway transport to Offa when the construction of rail lines
started in Lagos in 1896. Shortly after the construction of rail lines in Lagos and subsequent
opening of railway transport for commercial purposes in 1898, the British colonial authority under
the auspices of Gilbert Carter felt that the need was very important to extend the services of railway
transport to other places outside the colony of Lagos. This prompted the extension of rail line to
Ibadan in 1901, thence, Offa through Oshogbo in 1907. The passing of rail through Offa brought
changes to Offa and its environs. The development led to the introduction of Christianity, Western
education and gave impetus to the propagation of Islam. This gave opportunity to many indigenes
to have interaction with people beyond the shore of Offa. The few educated people and many other
Offa indigenes including members of the adjourning communities, secured employment with the
railway transport authority. Subsequently, the population of the study area increased, new market
emerged around railway station, which became the hub of business activities for people from far
and near. Generally, the extension of railway transport to Offa boosted agricultural and industrial
activities. Many indigenes had opportunity to learn new metal and wood technologies from the
different workshops established in the station by the railway authority. The eventual emergence
of small and medium industries created huge employment opportunities for the people. However,
the sudden decline of the railway transport created serious socio-economic crisis in the area.
Among other major negative effects was the movement of people to other areas in search of greener
pasture. The main trust of this study is anchored on three main areas bothered on the extension of
railway system and the effects of the extension of the railway transport to Offa and her environs,
the effects of the decline of the railway transport and possible recommendations to resuscitate the
entire sector. The methodology adopted in this study is multidisciplinary. The major sources used
are primary and secondary. Both sources have been critically assessed before use.

 

Categories: ,

Description

 

Table of Contents – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –           ix

List of Maps – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – – — – – – — – – – – – –              xiii

List of Tables- – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –           xiv

Abstract – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –          xv

List of Abbreviations – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –         xvi

 

 

CHAPTER ONE

 

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — -1

1.2 Statement of the Problem- – – – – – – – – – –     – –       — – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – — -5

1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – 7

1.4 Significance of the Study – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 8

1.5 Scope and Limitations of the Study- – – – – – – – — – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – –9

ix

1.6 Research Methodology- – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – -10

1.7 Conclusion – – – — – — – — — – — – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – -12

Endnotes– – – – – – – – – — – – – – – —       – – – – — – – – – – — — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – -14

 

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES

2.1 Introduction – – – – – – – – – – — – – – — – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – — – — – – – – – – – – – – — – – 16

2.2 The Significance of the Railways in Africa– – — – – – — – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — – -16

 

 

2.3 Railway Transport and Agricultural Development in Nigeria – – – – — – – – – – – – – – — – – -27

 

 

2.4 Literature Review on Offa Economy and Society- — – – – – —    – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 38

 

 

2.5 Conceptual Perspectives and Theoretical Framework- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — – – 53

 

 

2.6 Conclusion- – – – – — – – – – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – -65

 

 

Endnotes- – — — – – – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 68

 

 

CAHAPTER THREE

 

GEOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF OFFA BEFORE THE ADVENT OF THE RAILWAY TRANSPORT IN 1907

 

3.1 Introduction- – —- – – – — – – – – – – — – – – – – – — – – — – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 76

 

 

3.2 The Geographical Location of Offa in Kwara State- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – – – -77

 

 

3.3 A Brief Historical Background of Offa from 1350 to 1907—- – – – – — – — – – – – – — – – – -80

 

 

3.4 The Economy of Offa People up to 1907– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 84

 

x

 

 

3.5 Conclusion- – – – – — — – – — – – — – – – — – – — – – – – — – – – – — – – — – – – – – – – – – -89

 

 

Endnotes- – – — – – — — – – — – — – – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –91

 

 

CHAPTER FOUR

 

EXTENSION OF THE RAIL LINE FROM LAGOS TO OFFA AND ITS ENVIRONS

 

SINCE 1907

 

 

4.1 Introduction- – – – – — – – — – — — – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – – — – -94

 

 

4.2 Origin and Development of Railway Transport in Nigeria up to 1907- – – – – – – – – – – — – -95

 

 

4.3 Colonial Government Notice and Land Acquisitions in Offa for the Construction of Railway

 

Projects – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – -98

 

 

4.4 The Construction and Development of Railway System in Offa and Its Environs Since 1907 –

 

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – — – – – — – — – 101

 

 

4.5 The Administration of Railway Transport and its Significance to Offa People, 1907 – 2008- –

 

– – – – – – – — — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 107

 

 

4.6 The Golden Era of the Nigerian Railway Transport in Offa, 1944 – 1965 – – – – – – – – – -114

 

 

4.7 Conclusion——- – – — – – – — – – – – — — – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – -117

 

 

End Notes- – – – — – — – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – — – – — – – – – – – — – – – — – – – – — – – – – -118

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

xi

 

 

CHAPTER FIVE

 

RAILWAY TRANSPORT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFA AREA FROM 1907 – 2008

 

5.1 Introduction- – — – – – — – – – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – — 123

 

 

5.2 The Establishment of Railway Transport and the Development of Offa and its Environs from

 

1907 -2008- – – – – – – – – – – — – – – – — – – — – – – – – – – — – – – – – — – — – – — – – – – – – – – — 124

 

 

5.3 Social Impact of Railway Transport on Offa People- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – -127

 

 

5.4 Economic Impact of Railway Transport in Offa and its Environs- – – – — – – – – – – – — – – -144

 

 

5.5 Conclusion- – – — – – — – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – -156

 

 

Endnotes- – – – — — – – – – – – – — – – – — – – — – – – — – – — – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 158

 

 

CHAPTER SIX

 

THE COLLAPSE OF RAILWAY TRANSPORT AND ITS EFFECTS ON OFFA

 

PEOPLE, 1965 – 2008

 

6.1 Introduction- – – — – – – – – — – – — – – — — – – – – – – – – — – — – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – -165

 

 

6.2 The General Collapse of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, 1965 -1982 – – – – – – – – – – – -167

 

 

6.3 The Collapse of Railway Transport in Offa, 1982 – 1999- – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – -172

 

6.4 Effects of the Collapse of Railway Transport in Offa- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — – -176

 

 

6.5 Attempted Resuscitation of the Railway Transport in Nigeria, 1999 -2008- – – – – – – – – – -186

 

 

6.6 Lessons from other Countries to Revive the Nigerian Railway Systems- – – – – – – – – – – – -194

 

6.7 Conclusion- — — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — – -200

 

 

xii

 

 

Endnotes- – – – – – – – – – — – – – – — – – – – — – — – – – – – — – – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – — – – – -202

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER SEVEN

 

SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO KNOWLEDGE

 

7.1 Summary – – – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – — — – – – – — – – – – – – 209

7.2 Conclusion – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 214

7.3 Contribution to knowledge- – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 220

Bibliography– – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – – – – — – – – -222

 

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