COLONIAL REPORTS—ANNUAL. No. 666. SOUTHERN NIGERIA. REPORT FOR 1909. (For Report for 1908, see No. G30.) irewnte* to tiotfj $ousc8 of ftarifamnU fcj> ttommairt of Jttairatfi. February^ 1911. LONDON: PUBLISHED BY HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE. To be purchased, either directly or through any Bookseller, from WYMAN AND SONS, LIMITED, FETTER LANE, E.G., and 32, ABINGDON STREET, S.W.; or OLIVER & BOYD, TWEEDDALE COURT, EDINBURGH; or E. PONSONBY, LTD., 116, GRAFTON STREET, DUBLIN. PRINTED BY DARLING AND SON, LIMITED, BACON STREET, E. 1911. [Cd. 54fi7-i.] Price 6hd. CONTENTS. PAGE FINANCIAL ••» ... ... ..« 4 ••• *«• TRADE ... ••• •*• ••• «*» ... G ft ... »»« FORESTRY AND AGRICULTURE ... • • * U SHIPPING .•• *** ••• ••• 14 »»• •*• ••• LAND GRANTS AND GENERAL VALUE OF LAND ... «• 15 LEGISLATION * >. ... ... •»• 10 »• • • • < EDUCATION »*• •** «•» > < > ••• ••• ... ... 1G POLICE ... ... ... ... «»» ... ... ... ... 20 CRIMINAL STATISTICS .. ... ... ••» ... ... ... *•• 20 21 PRISONS ... «•• «*• *•• ... ... ... ••* •«• I* ... ... ... 21 GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS .** §•• ••« VITAL STATISTICS «*. *<• ... ... ... ... ... 22 SANITATION .»» ••• ••• ... ... «•• ... ••* 23 POSTAL ... • • • «.» *«* ... ... *•« ••• 23 24 TELEGRAPH I.. ... ... ... >•« «.* ••• ••* RAILWAY ... ... *«• *•* ••* ... »• • 24 WATERWAYS ... ... ... ... .*• 25 SAVINGS BANK ... ... .•• * •. ... ... ... 2G ROADS ... ... **» »• • ... «•« «•. ... 27 CLIMATE ... ... ... ... ••• ••• • • . ... 27 MILITARY | || ... ... ... ... *•* ••• 28 28 SOCIAL CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE ••« ..I ••• ••• 29 IMPORTANT EVENTS ... «•« a*. ••• ••» ••* ••• 31 GENERAL CONDITION OP THE COLONY AND PROTECTOKATE • « * « » • APPENDICES. I. REPORT ON WORK DONE AT THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE DURING 1909 32 II. TABLE SHOWING THE IMPORTATION OF SPIRITS, 1905-9 34 IIT. TABLE AND DIAGRAM SHOWING EXPANSION OP SOUTHERN NIGERIA, ... ... **« *** *•> 34 1900-9 ... a * • « • MAP. COLONIAL REPORTS—ANNUAL. 3 No. 606. SOUTHERN NIGERIA. (For Report for 1908, see No. 630.) THE ACTING GOVERNOR TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE. Government House, Lagos, Southern Nigeria, 5th October, 1910. MY LORD, I HAVE the honour to transmit two copies of the Report on the Blue Book for 1909. I have, &c, J. J. THORBURN, Acting Governor. The Right Honourable, The Earl of Crewe, P.O., E.G., Secretary of State for the Colonies, &c, &c, &c. (18158—2.) Wt. 81959—459. 1125 & 85. 1/11. D k S. 4 COLONIAL REPORTS—ANNUAL. FINANCIAL. The total receipts amounted to £1,361,891, less than the amount estimated by £183,809, being a decrease of £20,084 as compared with 1908. This total of £1,301,891 was made up of £406 derived from sales of land and £1,361,485 from all other sources. The following statement shows the receipts under each head of revenue compared with those for the "preceding year: — Head of Revenue. 1909. 1908. Increase, Decrease. £ £ £ A Custom Duties 987,571 1,014,583 27,012 Harbour, Lighthouse and Buoy­ 2,159 1,947 212 age Dues. Licences, &c 20,378 18,280 2,098 Fees of Court, &c 77,170 70,584 6,586 Postal Revenue • 13,113 9,871 3,241 Rent of Government Property 2,128 2,068 60 Interest ... ... ••• .. 59,540 30,471 29,070 Miscellaneous 5,697 92,478 86,781 Railway and Tramway • 193,729 144,699 49,030 Total ... .•• 1,361,485 1,384,981 90,297 113,793 Land Sales •» ... 406 2,994 2,588 Total 1,361,891 1,387,975 90,297 11081 tat •t• V The receipts from Customs duties amounted to 72*5 per cent, of the revenue received from all sources. The receipts from specific duties totalled £830,907, compared with £863,609 in 1908, while ad valorem duties amounted to £156,664, compared with £150,974 in 1908. The following are the percentages of duty derived from the principal articles on winch duties of Customs are levied : — Per cent. £ Spirits 64-75 639,500 Cotton goods 1061 104,800 Tobacco, unmanufactured 9-91 98,000 The actual expenditure for the year chargeable to revenue amounted to £1,648,680, as against £1,357,763 in 1908; while further expenditure chargeable to loans (railway construction. &c), amounted to £616,809, compared with £852,517 in 1908. As regards loan expenditure, the sum of £563.118 was expended on railway extension, and £48,374 on other works, whilst £5,319 was expended in connexion with the 1908 loan. The total sum expended on railway construction to the 31st December, 1909, was £3,121,697. The total loans raised to 31st December, 1908 (£5,000,000), realised £4,792,596, from which expenditure amounting to SOUTHERN XI OK HI A, I WW, 5 iVl,2ttl,642 had been deferred iu that date, leaving £1,501,054 available for future expenditure, subject to further advances to Northern Nigeria on account of the Baro-Kono Railway. The following statement shows the amount spent under each head of estimate during the year 1909, compared with the pre­ ceding year: — Head of Expenditure. 1009. 1008. 1 ncrcase. Dor reuse. X, »s". d. £ s. (/. £ r. d. Charge on Account of 200,174 10 10 112,030 4 9 03,235 15 1 — Public Debt. Pensions and Gratuities... 11,212 7 10 13.475 10 7 73(5 11 3 _ Governor's Office 8,028 17 0 0,180 12 4 — 1.160 15 Colonial Secretariat 11,878 0 4 12,801 13 7 2,070 0 9 — Political and Administra­ 70,501 4 7 71.858 J 3 7,730 3 4 — tive. Judicial 11,030 7 1 0.750 0 1 2.171 1 0 —. Legal 3.403 18 2 3,084 II 3 310 3 11 — Treasury 14,140 1 7 14,577 11 10 437 10 Customs 30,572J 15 7 25,288 7 5 5,284 8 2 — Postal 15.332 in 11 12,110 13 10 3,210 3 1 — Telegraphs 25.04(1 13 0 21,240 17 2 4,390 15 10 — Audit 8.178 8 10 0.368 4 3 1,810 4 7 — Printing 10,086 10 11 0.431 10 7 655 0 4 — West African Frontier 06,004 10 0 08,080 10 5 1,995 0 Force. Volunteer Force 2.437 17 4 1.780 0 11 051 10 5 Marine 106,435 15 0 118.780 1(5 0 12,346 1 Civil Police 42,252 ') 7 37,015 13 10 4.33(; 8 9 — Prisons ... 30,040 10 7 20,230 4 1 7.410 0 0 — Forestry 11,884 11 2 0,000 0 2 1.805 11 0 — Agriculture 10,486 12 4 8,204 18 7 2,220 13 U — Medical 00.043 18 0 55.103 10 7 5,750 .8 2 — > Medical Hesearch 000 0 0 — 000 0 6 — Sanitary 3,302 15 7 4,466 18 1 — 1,154 2 Native Affairs ... 21,055 10 0 20.303 3 9 092 12* 9 — Education • 22,834 3 5 20.325 2 0 2,500 1 3 — Surveys 10,518 3 9 0.000 7 M 1,427 10 7 — Mineral Survey 2,127 0 4 2,005 7 0 31 10 4 — Lands 1,511 2 0 25,302 8 8 23,851— 0 Laboratory 710 i 1 038 8 9 80 18 4 Rents 1,081 lu 11 2.103 12 8 182 1 Charitable 305 15 11 300 17 .» 04 18 9 — Transport 00.546 1 11 65.005 8 5 10,549 13 0 — Motor Transport 5,900 10 0.002 3 8 60(5 0 Contribution to Northern 70,00 0 0 70,000 0 0 — Nigeria. Miscellaneous Services ... 30,338 10 2 24.2/7 10 5 15,000 10 9 Public Works 38.487 4 7 37.28S 0 9 1,108 17 10 — Koads Construction 7.154 1 7 5,817 0 11 1,330 14 8 — Works and Buildings 46,804 0 9 38.511 10 0 7.202 1 3 Annually Recurrent. Koads and Bridges 0,408 8 10 10.138 8 1 000 to Aunmdly Recurrent. Bail way ' 128,771 0 10 101,224 0 11 27,546 10 11 — 0 721 11 5 — Tramway 2,001 u 0 1.989 10 7 Carter and Denton 070 12 0 1.183 8 3 203 16 Bridges, Works and Buildings 1(57,030 0 0 142.542 7 8 25,303 12 4 Extraordinary, Roads and Bridges Extra­ 38,498 11 10 57,102 4 3 — 18,003 12 ordinary. Telegraphs Extraordinary 14,703 15 3 17,037 12 4 3.233 17 Marine Extraordinary ... 137,405 7 4 20,433 10 0 110,071 8 .» Total .048,080 9 7 1,357,703 3 7 355,450 8 0 04,633 2 6 COLONIAL KEl'OKTS—ANNUAL. The following statement shows the total receipts and expen­ diture for the last five years : — lie venue. Expenditure. £ £ 1905 951,748 998,504 1906 1,088,71? 1,05030 1907 .., 1,459,554 1,217,337 1908 ... 1,1187,975 1,357,703 1909 1,301,891 1,048,080 The excess of assets over liabilities on 31st December, 1909, was ,£375,761, being £286,789 less than at the close of 1908. The banking business of the Government is transacted by the Bank of British West Africa, under an agreement entered into in 1894. This agreement, however, applies only to Lagos, and equal facilities are still lacking in the Central and Eastern Provinces. The competition introduced into the banking business in Lagos by the establishment of a branch of the Bank of Nigeria has proved beneficial to Government and the mercan- ' tile community. TRADE. Year. Imports. Exports. Total. 1907 3,839,339 3,863,332 7,702,671 1908 »,. • * * 4,046,572 3,335,911 7,382,483 1909 * •. 4,529,604 4,114,237 8,643,841 The above figures do not include either specie or Porto Novo transit goods and produce. They include, however, Government importations and goods and produce passing through the Central Province to and from Northern Nigeria. The average total imports and exports, as above, compared with the periods 1901-3 and 1904-6 are as under: — 45 1001.3 4,268,661 (excluding specie) 1004-0 5,461,000 1907-9 7,909,665 ITp to 1904 Porto Novo transit goods and produce were included iu the Customs returns, and, consequently, Ilie averages shown for the first two periods represent a portion of the trade of Dahomey as well as of Nigeria.