French West Africa occupied a large zone of western Africa and combined varied ecological and demographic settings, from the semi-desert Sahel to more densely settled coastal areas. Its economy remained predominantly agricultural during the period 1914–1935. Unlike the more capital-intensive Belgian Congo, the federation depended largely on the export of crops produced through traditional methods and on the import of consumer goods.

This system was described as the économie de traite, or “milking economy.” Commercial firms bought African produce at low prices and sold imported goods to African producers at high prices, leaving production largely in the traditional sector. Senegalese groundnuts dominated the federation’s export structure, accounting for 52.7 percent of exports in 1928. Customs duties and heavy taxation supplied much of the colonial administration’s revenue.

The Great Depression disrupted this model by reducing trade and African revenues. French West Africa nevertheless continued to collect substantial head taxes and obtained loans for capital equipment, especially after 1931. The federation’s infrastructure and fiscal system therefore remained dependent on the labour of its inhabitants, while metropolitan financial support was restricted and temporary.

French West Africa officially sanctioned unpaid labour for projects of local or colonial interest. The annual obligation rose from an initial seven days to twelve days, and workers could be drafted under the “second portion of the contingent” for social and utilitarian purposes. These arrangements supplemented taxation and helped provide the labour required for colonial infrastructure.