This study investigates the efficacy and political entanglements of the Regional Loans Boards in Nigeria during the mid-20th century. Author Sayre P. Schatz, an economist specializing in development, utilizes institutional records and administrative data to analyze how government lending programs functioned within the socio-political framework of post-colonial Nigeria. The work argues that the intersection of political patronage and administrative oversight significantly hindered the economic objectives of these lending institutions.

Scholars of Nigerian economic history frequently cite this text as a foundational analysis of early post-independence development policy. Experts note the clinical, data-driven approach Schatz employs to document the systemic failures of government-managed credit systems.