Agricultural Shows in Southern/West Cameroon: A Mechanism for Social Cohesion and Economic Development 1952-1973

Abstract

: Agricultural shows in British Southern/West Cameroon constituted one of the policies that the different administrations that came to beover the territory used in encouraging agricultural productivity within the territory between 1952 and 1973. However, the policy was not only limited to stir production but was transformed to a tool that was aimed at achieving social cohesion and cultural revival to the people of British Southern/West Cameroon. Due to the multi-ethnic nature of its population, seeds of discords existed among the people which hindered interaction as it resulted to limited cooperation. This scenario was therefore detrimental to the much needed economic development that was the main pursue at the time. It is against this backdrop that this paper argues that the main factors that precipitated the adoption of agricultural shows as a policy was the quest to foster social cohesion among the multi-ethnic groups that made up British Southern/West Cameroon between 1952 and 1973in pursue for economic development. The paper depended on both primary and secondary sources in arriving its findings as it revealed that through agric shows social cohesion and cultural revival in British Southern/West Cameroon became a dream come true between 1952 and 1973.