The basic truth and plan by our colonial maters before handling full responsibility to Nigeria.
Our colony had mainly to create an enabling environment for the efficient functioning of the colonial economy.
However, development planning came as an afterthought in 1946 towards the tail end
of the colonial administration perhaps as a way of pacifying the nationalistic spirit that
was building up after the second world war.
Nigeria’s experience in development planning started with the ten [10] year plan of development
and welfare which was introduced in 1946 by colonial government under the colonial development
and welfare fund. The formulation and implementation of this programme was centralized in the
hands small central development committees in each of the three [3] groups of provinces
[Northern, Western, and Eastern] Nigeria was then divided for administrative purposes. There was a constituted board headed by senior colonial government officials under the chairmanship of the development secretary.
The plan showed how the colonial government perceived the country’s development and how to go about it. From April 1, 1946 to March 31, 1956 a total planned expenditure, 23 million pounds sterling was provided by the British government under the colonial development and welfare while the Nigeria government raised the balance from current revenue and from a loan of 9 million pounds sterling from outside. According to the plan funds will bring about improvement in the general health and to the provision of those facilities which may be regarded as the minimum necessary for the general improvement of the country and its population.
