Africana Periodical Literature 
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 Periodical article |
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| Title: | Long-Distance Trade and States in the Niger Delta |
| Author: | Alagoa, Ebiegberi J. |
| Year: | 1970 |
| Periodical: | The Journal of African History |
| Volume: | 11 |
| Issue: | 3 |
| Pages: | 319-329 |
| Language: | English |
| Geographic term: | Nigeria |
| Subjects: | long-distance trade history traditional polities History and Exploration Economics and Trade Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups) |
| External link: | https://www.jstor.org/stable/180341 |
| Abstract: | The development of states in the Niger Delta is usually attributed to external factors, e.g. the European trade in slaves from at least the 17th century and the palm oil trade during the 19th century. There is a tendency to see these external factors as the only forces responsible for the creation of states in the area. Oral traditional evidence shows that internal long-distance trade with these states as focal points existed before European trade. Internal long-distance trade consisted of 1) a north-to-south axis mainly for the supply to the states of agricultural produce, for which salt and fish were exchanged, and 2) an east-to-west axis between these states and places as far west as Lagos and the Ijebu country for trade in specialist goods produced in various localities. The discussion of the admittedly great influence of European trade on the internal development of states in the Niger Delta needs to be qualified by an understanding of the prior existence of these states in some form, and of the internal long-distance trade that might have exercised similar great influence in the distant past. Notes, figures, summary. |
