Read the passage below and evaluate the truth of the statement that follows:
Established in 1939 as an oil palm research station under the Department of Agriculture in Nigeria, the facility situated near Benin City was expanded in 1951 to serve British West African colonies under the name West African Institute for Oil Palm Research (WAIFOR). Following national independence and the subsequent dissolution of inter-territorial regional bodies, Nigeria assumed exclusive ownership of the center in 1964, renaming it the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR). Although initially focused solely on oil palm yield and processing, NIFOR's statutory mandate was formally broadened in 1992 to encompass coconut, date palm, raffia palm, and ornamental palms.
Statement: The research facility near Benin City was officially mandated to conduct research on coconut and date palms prior to Nigeria's national independence.
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