Military history of Nigeria during World War II
[3] Within days of the declaration, the Nigerian War Relief Fund (NWRF) was established, a volunteer fundraising movement designed to increase local support for Britain.
[5] In response to critical manpower shortages following the invasion of Europe by Axis Powers, Britain and France began to look to their colonies for supplies of able-bodied fighting men.
The Home Office was aware that by sending colonial soldiers to Europe it would risk exposing them to radical political ideas which could eventually destabilize British rule in Africa, and African forces were therefore sent more commonly to South-East Asia.
Despite this, British officers reported being impressed with the capabilities of the Nigerian soldiers,[6] of which their participation in the capture of Mogadishu[7] and the rapid advance towards Degehabur[8] can be highlighted.
[9] Actions of the Allied combatants ultimately forced a Japanese evacuation of the Mayu peninsula, capturing areas which had been held by Japan for nearly four years.
In 1939, as part of the plans the Nigerian colonial administration set up the Nigeria Supply Board to regulate trade and manage production.
That year a series of "defense regulations" were instituted, granting vast power to the board and other administrates to control the distribution of imports and foodstuffs.
After the rapid success of Germany's Blitzkrieg in Europe, the British government declared that winning the war would require a supreme effort from every person in the empire.
[15] Part of this effort would include increasing production of wartime commodities, meanwhile drastically reducing social spending, development, and imports of goods deemed non-essential.
Additionally, direct taxes were increased on the population, a measure which would result in country-wide strikes in 1945 and 1947 against the continued enforcement of wartime legislation.
The Home Office strongly encouraged and incentivised Nigerian miners and farmers to increase their output of raw materials.
[citation needed] Nigerian women played a critical role in collecting the harvests of Nigeria's two largest crop exports: cocoa and palm oil.
At the outbreak of war, the colonial government prohibited exports of cocoa and palm oil to Germany in order to deprive them of critical wartime goods.
Upon successful completion of the Allied objectives in Burma, Nigerian troops were not included in the victory speech by commanding officer General William Slim.
[21] The strike was orchestrated by trade unionists across the country and included delegates from the farming, railway, mining, manufacturing and teaching unions.
