Theory question 107
Nigeria: People and Economy(a) Draw a sketch map of Nigeria and on it locate and name: (i) the Niger-Benue trough (ii) the rivers Niger and Benue (iii) one confluence town (iv) Bacita and Numan (b) Describe the commercial production of sugarcane in the Niger-Benue Trough under the following headings: (i) method of cultivation (ii) method of harvesting (iii) economic importance
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(a) Map showing the trough along the Niger (from Jebba) and the Benue valley, the two rivers meeting at Lokoja (confluence town), Bacita near Jebba on the Niger and Numan on the Benue.
(b)(i) Large estates (Bacita, Numan); land cleared and ploughed by machine; cane cuttings planted in rows; irrigation from the rivers in the dry season; fertilisers and weed control.
(ii) Harvested after about 12-18 months; fields sometimes burnt to remove leaves; canes cut close to the ground by machete or machine; carried quickly by truck or tractor to the factory before the sugar content falls.
(iii) Raw material for sugar factories; saves foreign exchange on sugar imports; employment; income for farmers and government; by-products (molasses, bagasse for fuel); growth of settlements and infrastructure.
Locate Bacita on the Niger and Numan on the Benue.