ABSTRACT
Colonial imperialism was responsible for initially laying the foundations of, and in the late colonial period, consolidating the modernization paradigm in Nigeria. The territories that make up modern day Nigeria were brought under British colonial rule between 1851 and 1914 after various wars of conquest and resistance. The period between 1945 and 1960, the last phase of colonial rule in Nigeria, has been described as crucial in terms of launching the country on the path to "modernization". This period witnessed the introduction of various political, social and economic reforms aimed at promoting the modernization project. The colonial administration was therefore able to manipulate the fragmented Nigerian bourgeoisie and ensure a programmed transition from colonialism to neocolonialism. Economic reforms in Nigeria between 1945 and 1960 were carried out at the time when development economics and its ideological cousin, modernization, had become ascendant in colonial economic thought and, therefore, greatly influenced the economic development policies that were adopted in the country.
