Challenge in Nigeria

Series

Series Name

This Modern Age

Issue

Issue No.

19

Date Released

Jun 1948

Length of issue (in feet)

1828

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1Challenge in Nigeria

Story

Story No. within this Issue

1 / 1

Summary

BFI synopsis: Shows some problems to be faced before Nigeria can hope to become an independent nation within the Commonwealth. Different races and religions in Nigeria to be integrated - The Moslem Northerners (still largely primitive); the farmers and smallholders in the South East (community minded, shots of stilt dancers); the South Western Yorubas (fishermen and farmers). Ibadan: old habits and beliefs still flourish - tribal dances etc. All tribes are partly self-governing under British guidance. Problems of transport and communications causing food shortages; problems of farming, soil erosion causing starvation and disease. Overcrowding and poor conditions in Lagos. Counter measures; building of bridges, roads, locomotives; mechanisation of government owned collieries; work to restore eroded land; building a new dam. Fighting disease; a leper colony (government leprosy service). Nigeria’s own sources of wealth-timber, cotton, palm produce, ground nuts, cocoa, tin. We see a native textile centre; government inspired co-operative movement for raffia craftsmen; co-operative movement to help improve and market cocoa beans. The problem of independence: fear of westernisation, lack of free education, prevale of witch doctors and superstition. Some Africans are educated abroad, however, and can help govern their country. The division between North and South over the westernisation of Africa - north urguing acceptance, the South critical and Nationalist. The role of Britain in fostering democracy in Nigeria and the Constitution of 1946 are discussed.

Researcher Comments

Trade shown on 21 May 1948.

Keywords

Politics and government; Economics; Agriculture; Industry and manufacture; Religion and belief; Race relations; Town and country planning

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
Monthly Film Bulletin   Vol.15 No.174 June 1948, p82.
Enticknap, Leo. The Non-Fiction Film in Britain, 1945-1951 unpublished PhD thesis   p255.

Credits:

Production Co.

This Modern Age, Ltd.

Length of story (in feet)

928

This series is held by:

Film Archive

Name

British Film Institute (BFI)

Email

For BFI National Archive enquiries:
nonfictioncurators@bfi.org.uk
For commercial/footage reuse enquiries:
footage.films@bfi.org.uk

Web

http://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web

Phone

020 7255 1444

Fax

020 7580 7503

Address

21 Stephen Street
London W1T 1LN

Notes

The BFI National Archive also preserves the original nitrate film copies of British Movietone News, British Paramount News, Empire News Bulletin, Gaumont British News, Gaumont Graphic, Gaumont Sound News and Universal News (the World War II years are covered by the Imperial War Museum).

Series held

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