on in Nigeria.1 The end products, palm oil and palm kernels,
have traditionally composed 15 to 20 per cent of Nigeria's exports; in 1965 their
combined value was £40 million (26, p. 20). In addition, palm oil is an important
item in the Nigerian diet (as part of the traditional soup or sauce) and is
used as an illuminant, cooking fat, and soap ingredient. Implicit production estimates
based on marketing board purchases of palm kernels, for which there is
little domestic use, indicate that internal consumption ranges from 80 to 150 per
cent of exports.