40 



Henry McCallum), who went further, and preferred " that it 

 should be an Economic Department, whose duty would be not 

 only to protect existing forests, and reafforestate denuded districts, 

 but also to develop new experimental agricultural industries, so 

 that the prosperity of the Colony should not be entirely 

 dependent on the price of and demand for palm oil and palm 

 kernels." 



Following on these recommendations Mr. Cyril Punch was 

 appointed on the approval of the Secretary of State for the 

 Colonies, Inspector of Forests (October, 1897). 



The first Bill to provide for the establishment and regulation of 

 the Forestry Department and for the proper regulation of the 

 forests of the Colony was drafted in 1897. It was introduced to 

 the Local Legislative Council on November 3rd, 1897, and passed 

 the second reading on November 11th, without any serious 

 criticism. It was, however, objected to so strongly by a large 

 number of the native community, who appeared to regard it as 

 interfering too much with their rights of land tenure, that its 

 Proclamation was deferred, and finally the Secretary of State 

 considered it should be withdrawn and legislation on the subject 

 deferred until a Land Ordinance had been passed defining the 

 rights of native chiefs in regard to land, including the forests. 



The first Forest Reserve was constituted at Ibadan in August, 

 1899. 



This reserve had for its object the preservation of timber and 

 the improvement of the rubber yield. A set of Rules were 

 passed by the Ibadan Council, and although some forestry rules 

 made by the native authorities had been drawn up in December, 

 1898, for the protection of rubber and timber, the Regulations * 

 made in connection with the Ibadan Forest Reserve appear to 

 have been the first real and successful attempt at forest 

 conservation. 



These rules came into force on the 1st of October, 1899. The 

 area set apart was bounded on the north and west by the Odo Ona 

 river ; on the east by the Ibadan-Mamu road ; on the south by 

 Jebu territory, covering in all about 100 square miles. 



A Deed of Gift was signed by eleven of the influential Chiefs 

 of Ibadan on the 8th day of October, 1899, ceding the Mamu 

 Forest Reserve,! as a token of friendship and goodwill towards 

 the Government of Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and 

 Ireland. 



Then followed the lease by the Alake of Abeokuta and 

 authorities of the Egba nation for 99 years, of the Oloke-Meji 

 Forest ReserveJ ; the first quarterly payment (annual sum £25) 

 being made on the 25th December, 1900. 



Next came the formation of the Oshun river Forest Reserve § 

 about 100 square miles in extent granted 22nd January, 1904, by the 



*See Govt. Gaz., S. Nigeria, Vol. 2, No. 63, Nov. 20th, 1907, p. 2239, for a 

 copy of the Regulations. 

 fCopy in Govt. Gaz., No. 63, Vol. 2, Nov. 20th, 1907, p. 223S. 

 I Copy of Indenture, I.e., p. 2246. 

 § Copy of Agreement, I.e., p. 2244. 



