Historia Actual Online, 35 (3), 2014: 53-60 ISSN: 1696-2060 TRADE ACROSS FRONTIERS: AN OVERVIEW OF INTERNATION- AL TRADE BEFORE THE ADVENT OF MODERN ECONOMIC SYS- TEM IN NIGERIA Aboyade Sunday Ariyo Department of History & Strategic Studies, University of Lagos, Nigeria. Email: [email protected] Recibido: 04 Mayo 2013 / Revisado: 05 Noviembre 2013 / Aceptado: 30 Junio 2014 / Publicado: 15 Octubre 2014 Resumen: El área ahora designada Nigeria tiene tiers with neighbours and distant lands long be- una larga historia de las comunidades de co- fore the arrival of the Europeans and the intro- mercio a través de las fronteras con las tierras duction of modern international trading system. vecinas y distantes mucho antes de la llegada de The various polities that emerged and con- los europeos y la introducción de los modernos trolled different parts of the area participated sistema de comercio internacional. Las diversas effectively and benefited from long distance organizaciones políticas que surgieron y que trade, which afforded them the opportunity to controlan diferentes partes de la zona participa- exchange their abundance for what they lacked ron y se beneficiaron de manera efectiva del but which was available elsewhere whether far comercio de larga distancia, lo que les dio la or near. With reference to the nature of the Ni- oportunidad de intercambiar sus excedentes gerian environment, regional specialisation, ex- por lo que les faltaba, pero que estaba disponi- ternal trade relations and the capacity of the ble en otros lugares, lejos o cerca. Con referen- traditional economy, this paper examines inter- cia a la naturaleza del medio ambiente de Nige- national trade in pre-colonial Nigeria and its ria, la especialización regional, las relaciones de impact on the economy. The paper concludes comercio exterior y la capacidad de la economía that the distortion of inter-regional trade ar- tradicional, este trabajo examina el comercio rangement and the structure of pre-colonial internacional de la Nigeria pre-colonial y su im- Nigerian economy began with the gradual pene- pacto en la economía. Se concluye que la distor- tration of Europeans into the hinterland to ef- sión del comercio interregional y de la estructu- fect direct purchase of palm produced from ra de la economía nigeriana pre-colonial co- producers after the abolition of slave trade. menzó con la penetración gradual de los euro- peos en el interior del país para llevar a cabo la Keywords: Trade, International trade, Long dis- compra directa de palma a los productores des- tance trade, External trade, Nigerian economy pués de la abolición del comercio de esclavos. Palabras clave: Comercio, Comercio interna- 1. INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN PRE-COLONIAL cional, el comercio a larga distancia, el comercio NIGERIA exterior, la economía nigeriana. significant feature of the economic his- tory of the areas now designated Nigeria Abstract: The area now designated Nigeria has a A before the advent of modern economic long history of communities trading across fron- system was a vibrant trade relation and exten- © Historia Actual Online, 35 (3), 2014: 53-60 53 Aboyade Sunday Ariyo Trade across frontiers… sive commercial activities that existed between opment in means of transportation increased the people of the area and populations of fron- the scope and volume of the trade with distant tiers far and near. During this early period, the lands. In this regard, long distance trade and concept of international trade is unknown. The trading relations engendered increased contact movement of commodities, services and capi- between the people of the Nigerian area and tals across frontiers in exchange for products of places located outside the boundary of present state necessities or luxury values occurred in the day Nigeria. Thus, commercial links and long form of long-distance trade, which was con- distance trading arrangement constituted a ma- ducted over a complex network of overland and jor force that engendered close economic rela- water routes across the frontiers of states and tions and interdependence among the people regions of West Africa and beyond. of Nigeria and their neighbours during this peri- od. Given this background, it would be gainful Indeed, the conduct of international trade in the to examine the pre-colonial economy of people context of long distance trade before the advent that settled the Nigerian area and how it facili- of modern economic system was not strictly tated trade beyond their frontiers. defined by exchanges of goods and services across distinct national boundaries, rather trade 2. PRE-COLONIAL NIGERIAN ECONOMY AND was basically across frontiers of chiefdoms, TRADE ACROSS FRONTIERS kingdoms, empires and regions within the West African sub-region and with the population The nature and structure of the economies op- North of the Sahara. Fundamentally, it would be erated by the people of the Nigerian area during inappropriate to apply the concept of nation- the pre-colonial period naturally supported and state invented in Europe in the seventeenth facilitated the development of external trade. century to the political entities that existed in This was because the Nigerian environment, pre-colonial West Africa. Rather, chiefdoms, which falls broadly within savannah, forest and kingdoms and empires existed as states in the the mangrove swamp, made interdependence region. Thus, within the geography of the pre- among the people that settled in the area inevi- sent day Nigeria, where there existed a number table and economic cooperation necessary. The of chiefdoms, kingdoms and empires, long dis- environment, to a large extent, determined tance trading activities occurred as international what was produced in each zone and conse- trade. The economic history of the people of quently influenced the pattern of distribution of this area, particularly, indicated the direction of products of the zones or the direction of trade. trade to be largely intra-West Africa and across More so, the diversity of the natural potentials the Sahara with the Arabs of North Africa. There of each zone also gave rise to specialisation in a were only a few indications of trade relations variety of viable economic activities and occu- between the people that inhabited the area and pation, which engendered the production of those of the East and Central African regions. surplus value for exchange and distribution. Exchange was largely by barter although there Thus, the people of this era, as a natural re- were evidences of the use of varieties of curren- sponse to the features of their environment, cy in some areas of West Africa, including the operated what some scholars have described as Nigerian area, to facilitate exchange where considerably market-oriented economies, which trade by barter appeared knotty. thrived on agriculture, industry and trade. As an integral component of the traditional Across the zones of the Nigerian area, agricul- economy, long distance trade stimulated the ture was essentially the predominant economic growth of economic activities in the various re- activity. Communities engaged in production of gions of the Nigerian area. Essentially, the crops for food, economic and industrial purpos- growth of intergroup and interregional trading es, which were taken to local and distant mar- activities facilitated by the dependent and com- kets in exchange for products different from plementary nature of the geographical zones what they produced. In many of the communi- and regional specialisation gradually expanded ties, different markets were established for lo- into medium and long distance trade across cally produced and foreign goods to encourage frontiers and regions, while subsequent devel- local production as well as to attract long dis- 54 © Historia Actual Online, 35 (3), 2014: 53-60 Trade across frontiers… Aboyade Sunday Ariyo tance traders from other areas. Particularly, in teenth century, there developed trans-Atlantic areas where there was low soil fertility, like in trade to countries of South and Latin America, the northern section of Igboland, trading was an and later to Western Europe after the abolition appealing alternative to farming. Traders from of slave trade. An important point to note is that this region engaged in long distance and local the economies of the people of the Nigerian trade, specialising in the distribution of specific area during the era was able to sustain these merchandise in a way that guaranteed profits.1 trading links without any external support.2 In the coastal areas, fishing and salt making were the preferred economic activities while In the savannah region of the Nigerian area, farming and other occupation usually served as trade was especially strategic to the emergence complementary occupation. In the savannah of the organised communities that developed region, particularly the communities in the there. Essentially, between the eighth and four- northern part, agricultural production, animal teenth centuries, the various Hausa city-states, husbandry and extensive trading activities dom- such as Katsina, Daura, Kebbi, Kano, Rano, and inated the economic activities. Farming and Zazzau (Zaria) as well as the Kanuri state of trading were also dominant in the Yoruba coun- Ngazargamu in Kanem-Borno grew in signifi- try of the southwest. Essentially, across the re- cance and emerged as centres of flourishing gions of the Nigerian area, production for mar- commercial activities. They were destinations ket was a huge