UNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI

MAIDUGURI, NIGERIA
CENTRE FOR DISTANCE LEARNING
SOCIAL SCIENCES

ECO 108: ECONOMIC HISTORY OF WEST AFRICA

 ECON 108: ECONOMIC HISTORY OF WEST AFRICA (2 UNITS)

INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE

In this course, we shall discuss two main issues that could help our understanding of the nature
of Economic History of West Africa. In the first place, we shall find out some knowledge of the
origin of Agriculture in West Africa.

Secondly we shall examine the traditional technology of the people of West Africa and the
avenues which the Economic Historian exposes us on the reconstruction of Economic History of
West Africa.

The Economic History of West Africa is designed to equip students with a profound knowledge
of the problems relating to Economic performance of West Africa in the 20th Century. The origin
and development will be brought out as well as possible solutions so as to improve the Economic
performance of the sub-region.

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STUDY MODULE 1: THE LAND AND PEOPLE OF WEST AFRICA

1.0 INTRODUCTION
In Module 1, we shall discuss the meaning of West Africa and equally look at the lands and
people of West Africa; we shall also examine the geographical features of West Africa and the
changing map of West African History.

1.1 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this topic, students should be able to;

i. Explain what is meant by West African Economic History and the need for such a study in
contemporary time in line with the millennium development goal.

1.2 IN-TEXT
West Africa, also called Western Africa and the West of Africa, is the westernmost
subcontinent of Africa. West Africa has been defined as including the 18 countries Benin,
Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali,
Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, the island of Saint Helena, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome and
Principe and Togo

1.3 HISTORY
The history of West Africa can be divided into five major periods: first, its prehistory, in which
the first human settlers arrived, developed agriculture, and made contact with peoples to the
north; the second, the Iron Age empires that consolidated both intra-African, and extra-African
trade, and developed centralized states; third, Major polities flourished, which would undergo an
extensive history of contact with non-Africans; fourth, the colonial period, in which Great
Britain and France controlled nearly the whole of the region; fifth, the post-independence era, in
which the current nations were formed.

1.4 PREHISTORY

Early human settlers from northern Holocene societies arrived in West Africa around 12,000
B.C. Sedentary farming began in, or around the fifth millennium B.C, as well as the
domestication of cattle. By 1500 B.C, ironworking technology allowed an expansion of
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agricultural productivity, and the first city-states later formed. Northern tribes developed walled
settlements and non-walled settlements that numbered at 400. In the forest region, Iron Age
cultures began to flourish, and an inter-region trade began to appear. The desertification of the
Sahara and the climatic change of the coast cause trade with upper Mediterranean peoples to be
seen.

The domestication of the camel allowed the development of a trans-Saharan trade with cultures
across the Sahara, including Carthage and the Berbers; major exports included gold, cotton cloth,
metal ornaments and leather goods, which were then exchanged for salt, horses, textiles, and
other such materials. Local leather, cloth, and gold also contributed to the abundance of
prosperity for many of the following empires

1.4.1 THE LAND AND PEOPLE OF WEST AFRICA

West Africa is a term used today to describe that part of the great African continent which
consists of the independent English speaking states of Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and the
Gambia, Liberia plus the Independent French-speaking states of Mauritania, Senegal, Mali,
Niger, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin and Guinea-Bissau. It forms a natural geographical
region as it is bounded to the North by the Sahara Desert, to the West and south by the Atlantic
Ocean and to the east by the Cameroun’s Mountain and highlands, which form barrier between
West and Central Africa. These boundaries marked the stage on which the main dramas of West
African history were played.

The Sahara Desert seemed to be a barrier to free movement between North and West Africa, as it
takes a journey of about 1500 kilometers across the desert. Also for more than two thousand
years, men have trekked over the desert, surviving the extreme heat of the day and bitter cold of
the night. This must always be remembered when considering the history of West Africa. It is
believed that Central African people may have migrated from the northern part of Nigeria.
However, the most effective barrier to communication with other people appears to have been
the Atlantic Ocean, since boats suitable for sailing long distances were not developed by the
coastal fishermen. When the Europeans arrived the coast in such boats at the end of the 15th
century, they did not teach Africans how to make them. Furthermore, some historians believe

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that there is evidence of long distance trade along the West coast as far as Angola. They point
out those fishermen from modern Ghana, for instance, today travel long distance along coast in
their Canoes without difficulties.

1.4.2 THE STUDY OF WEST AFRICAN ECONOMIC HISTORY

In studying West African Economic History, one must not lose sight of the fact that it was part of
the history of the African Continent as a whole. There are two reasons for the study of history in
Africa region. Firstly, our knowledge of the history of West Africa has increased so greatly in the
past 30 years, that it is difficult to cover it in depth in an introductory survey of the whole
continent. Secondly, there is a definite advantage in studying one particular region of the
continent in detail before studying the continent as a whole. Once the problem of West African
history is understood, the study of the history of the rest of Africa becomes much easier, for it
shares some of these same problems.

1.4.3 THE GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES OF WEST AFRICA

West Africa, broadly defined to include the western portion of the Maghreb (Western Sahara,
Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia), occupies an area in excess of 6,140,000 km2, or approximately
one-fifth of Africa. The vast majority of this land is plains lying less than 300 meters above sea
level, though isolated high points exist in numerous states along the southern shore of West
Africa. The northern section of West Africa (narrowly defined to exclude the western Maghreb)
is composed of semi-arid terrain known as Sahel, a transitional zone between the Sahara and the
savannahs of the western Sudan. Forests form a belt between the savannas and the southern
coast, ranging from 160 km to 240 km in width.
The northwest African region of Mauritania periodically suffers country-wide plagues of locusts
which consume water, salt and crops on which the human population relies.
West Africa is west of an imagined north-south axis lying close to 10° east longitude. The
Atlantic Ocean forms the western as well as the southern borders of the West African region.
The northern border is the Sahara Desert, with the Ranishanu Bend generally considered the
northernmost part of the region. The eastern border is less precise, with some placing it at the
Benue Trough, and others on a line running from Mount Cameroon to Lake Chad.

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Colonial boundaries are reflected in the modern boundaries between contemporary West African
states, cutting across ethnic and cultural lines, often dividing single ethnic groups between two or
more states.
In contrast to most of Central, Southern and Southeast Africa, West Africa is not populated by
Bantu-speaking peoples.
Within West Africa, this is nearly as large as the United States and measure about 3,000
kilometers from West to East, there are great geographical variations. However, we can divide it
broadly into two major regions which will be important for our understanding of its history, the
Savannah and the forest. In the Savannah, with its open woodlands and grasslands, movement is
easier than in the dense forest. Also crops, which grow in the Savannah, are different from those
grown in the forest. The fly, (mosquitoes, tsetse fly) which kills cattle and horse, makes it almost
impossible to keep them in the forest zone. However, large areas of the Northern Savannah are
free from the tsetse fly, rainfall is heavier in the forest than in the Savannah, and the rainy season
which lasts much longer.

Over and above, the broad distinction between the Savannah and the Forest, we must take into
account the series of mountains and highlands that separate West African countries. for example,
the Jos plateau and the highlands of Futa Djallon are among the mountains and highlands that
were very important in the history of West Africa. For, many people were able to take refuge
there and defend themselves successfully from their enemies. In some cases, such mountain
people remained largely isolated from the main structural development in West African history.
A very vital feature of the geography of West Africa is its many major rivers, the most important
of which are the Niger, Benue, Senegal, Gambia and Upper Volta., These were navigable for
long stretched by canoe and made travel between very long distances where it would have been
difficult by land.

1.4.4 THE INHABITANTS OF WEST AFRICA

Most of the inhabitants of West Africa are normally described as being of Negroid Stock, though
on the desert fringe there are barbers, Tuaregs and moors that are of Caucasoid stock. Over the
centuries, there has been a great deal of intermingling between these two major groups. One
product of this intermingling has been the light-skinned Fulani, who have Caucasoid features,
but speak a language from the group of languages spoken by the majority of Negro Inhabitants of

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West Africa. In contrast, the dark-skinned, Negroid Hausa had spoken a language from the group
of languages spoken by the Caucasoid. It is therefore very difficult to classify people by facial or
physical appearance.

Variety is perhaps the chief characteristic of the people of West Africa. They comprise of many
different ethnic groups speaking many different languages, practicing many different religions,
which in pre-colonial times were organized in communities that ranged from small hamlets of a
hundred people to big cities which were centers of states within a population of several million
inhabitants.

The people of West Africa do, however, have many features in common. Those inhabiting the
Savannah today cultivate for their own personal use sorghum, millet, maize, citrus fruits,
groundnuts, cassava and rice. Those parts of the Northern Savannah that are free from the Tsetse
fly support the herds of cattle of the Fulani nomads. The people of the forest cultivate cassava,
yams, both the imported and the indigenous varieties, bananas, plantain, rice and palm-produce,
citrus fruits and kola-nuts.

While the inhabitants of West Africa initially practiced their indigenous religions, Islam, which
was brought across the desert, had gained many coverts in the Savannah. In more recent times, it
has gained converts in the forest belt too. Today over fifty percent of the population of West
Africa are Muslims. Christianity which only started active conversion of West African in the 19th
century has gained the majority of its converts in the forest belt, but probably less than ten
percent of West Africans are Christians today.

Most West African societies are patrilineal - that is the relationships between members of the
same family are determined through the male line. However, in Ghana, Sierra Leone and Senegal
there are groups which are matrilineal : that is relationships in the family are determined through
the female line.

1.5 SUMMARY
West Africa is a term used today to describe that part of the great African continent which
consists of the independent English speaking states of Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and
Gambia plus, the independent French speaking states of Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Niger,
Guinea, Burkina Faso, Cote-Devour, Togo, Benin and Guinea-Bissau.

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One of the barriers to free movement between North and West Africa is Sahara Desert, as it takes
a journey of about 1500 kilometers across the desert.

West Africa can be divided into two regions - Savannah and the Forest. Crops which grow in the
Savannah region are different from those grown in the forest region.

A very vital feature of the geography of West Africa is its many major rivers - the most
important of which are the Niger, Benue, Senegal, Gambia, and Volta.

The people of West Africa have many features in common. Those inhabiting the Savannah
cultivate for their own personal use - Sorghum, millet, maize, citrus fruits, groundnuts, cassava
and rice. Those of the forest cultivate cassava, yam, bananas, plantain, rice and palm-produce,
citrus and kola nuts.

Over 50% of the populations of West Africa are Muslims, while 30% are Christians and about
20% practice African traditional religion.

Apart from Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Senegal, most West African societies are patrilineal i.e. the
relationship between members of the same family are determined through male line.

1.6 SELF –ASSESSMENT EXERCISE

1. Explain the reason why the study of West African History is essential.

2. Describe the features of West African History.

3. State how the race of the people of West Africa affects their occupations and
farming activities

1.7 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS

A. G. Hopkins, All Economic History of West Africa, 1972.

D. Crummey and C. C. Stewarts (eds) Modes of Production in Africa, London 1981

C. W. Gutkind and Immanuel Wallestein (eds) The Political Economy of Contemporary

Africa, 1976.

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HillaMyint, The Economies of Developing Countries, 1980 Walter Rodney, How

Europe Underdeveloped Africa, 1972

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STUDY MODULE 2: THE PRE-HISTORIC AGRARIAN ECONOMICS

2.0 INTRODUCTION:
In this Module 2, we shall discuss the Stone Age of West Africa, the beginning of farming and
the coming of iron. We shall also examine the effects of iron on the West African Economy.

2.1 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this topic, students should be able to

i. Explain the trade and the origin of farming on the West African Economy.

2.2 IN-TEXT
2.2.1 THE STONE AGE IN WEST AFRICA
The period from the time when man began to dominate the animals and before he discovered
how to melt iron is known as the Stone Age because, his weapons and tools were mainly made
from stone. In Africa, the Stone Age has been divided by archaeologists into three periods:

The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make
implements with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted roughly 3.4 million
years, and ended between 6000 BC (or BCE) and 2000 BC with the advent of metalworking.
The Stone Age is contemporaneous with the evolution of the genus Homo, the only exception
possibly being at the very beginning, when species prior to Homo may have manufactured tools.
According to the age and location of the current evidence, the cradle of the genus is the East
African Rift System, especially toward the north in Ethiopia, where it is bordered by grasslands.
The closest relative among the other living Primates, the genus Pan, represents a branch that
continued on in the deep forest, where the primates evolved. The rift served as a conduit for
movement into southern Africa and also north down the Nile into North Africa and through the
continuation of the rift in the Levant to the vast grasslands of Asia.

2.2.2 BEGINNING OF THE STONE AGE

During 2010, fossilized animal bones bearing marks from stone tools were found in the Lower
Awash Valley in Ethiopia. Discovered by an international team led by Shannon McPherron, at
3.4 million years old, they are the oldest indirect evidence of stone tool use ever found anywhere

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in the world. Archaeological discoveries in Kenya in 2015, identifying possibly the oldest known
evidence of hominine use of tools to date, have indicated that Kenyanthropusplatyops (a 3.2 to
3.5-million-year-old Pliocene hominine fossil discovered in Lake Turkana, Kenya in 1999) may
have been the earliest tool-users known.

The oldest known stone tools have been excavated from the site of Lomekwi in West Turkana,
northwestern Kenya, and date to 3.3 million years old. Prior to the discovery of these
"Lomekwian" tools, the oldest known stone tools had been found at several sites at Gona,
Ethiopia, on the sediments of the paleo-Awash River, which serve to date them. All the tools
come from the Busidama Formation, which lies above a disconformities, or missing layer, which
would have been from 2.9 to 2.7 mya. The oldest sites containing tools are dated to 2.6–2.55
mya. One of the most striking circumstances about these sites is that they are from the Late
Pliocene, where prior to their discovery tools were thought to have evolved only in the
Pleistocene. Rogers and Semaw, excavators at the locality, point out that:
"...the earliest stone tool makers were skilled flint nappers .... The possible reasons
behind this seeming abrupt transition from the absence of stone tools to the presence
thereof include ... gaps in the geological record."

The species who made the Pliocene tools remains unknown. Fragments of Australopithecus
garhi, Australopithecus aethiopicus and Homo, possibly Homo habilis, have been found in sites
near the age of the Gona tools.

2.2.3 END OF THE STONE AGE

Innovation of the technique of smelting ore ended the Stone Age and began the Bronze Age. The
first most significant metal manufactured was bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, each of which
was smelted separately. The transition from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age was a period
during which modern people could smelt copper, but did not yet manufacture bronze, a time
known as the Copper Age, or more technically the Chalcolithic, "copper-stone" age. The
Chalcolithic by convention is the initial period of the Bronze Age. The Bronze Age was followed
by the Iron Age.

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The transition out of the Stone Age occurred between 6000 BCE and 2500 BCE for much of
humanity living in North Africa and Eurasia. The first evidence of human metallurgy dates to
between the 5th and 6th millennium BCE in the archaeological sites of Majdanpek, Yarmovac,
and Pločnik in modern-day Serbia (a copper axe from 5500 BCE belonging to the Vinca culture).
Though not conventionally considered part of the Chalcolithic or "Copper Age", this provides
the earliest known example of copper metallurgy. Note the RudnaGlava mine in Serbia. Ötzi the
Iceman, a mummy from about 3300 BCE carried with him a copper axe and a flint knife.

In regions such as Subsaharan Africa, the Stone Age was followed directly by the Iron Age. The
Middle East and southeastern Asian regions progressed past Stone Age technology around 6000
BCE. Europe, and the rest of Asia became post–Stone Age societies by about 4000 BCE. The
proto-Inca cultures of South America continued at a Stone Age level until around 2000 BCE,
when gold, copper and silver made their entrance. The Americas notably did not develop a
widespread behavior of smelting Bronze or Iron after the Stone Age period, although the
technology existed. Australia remained in the Stone Age until European contact in the 17th
century. Stone tool manufacture continued even after the Stone Age ended in a given area. In
Europe and North America, millstones were in use until well into the 20th century, and still are
in many parts of the world.

2.2.4 THE CONCEPT OF STONE AGE

The terms "Stone Age", "Bronze Age", and "Iron Age" were never meant to suggest that
advancement and time periods in prehistory are only measured by the type of tool material,
rather than, for example, social organization, food sources exploited, adaptation to climate,
adoption of agriculture, cooking, settlement and religion. Like pottery, the typology of the stone
tools combined with the relative sequence of the types in various regions provide a chronological
framework for the evolution of man and society. They serve as diagnostics of date, rather than
characterizing the people or the society.

Lithic analysis is a major and specialised form of archaeological investigation. It involves the
measurement of the stone tools to determine their typology, function and the technology
involved. It includes scientific study of the lithic reduction of the raw materials, examining how
the artifacts were made. Much of this study takes place in the laboratory in the presence of

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various specialists. In experimental archaeology, researchers attempt to create replica tools, to

understand how they were made. Flintknappers are craftsmen who use sharp tools to reduce
flintstone to flint tool.

A variety of stone tools

In addition to lithic analysis, the field prehistorian utilizes a wide range of techniques derived
from multiple fields. The work of the archaeologist in determining the paleocontext and relative
sequence of the layers is supplemented by the efforts of the geologic specialist in identifying
layers of rock over geologic time, of the paleontological specialist in identifying bones and
animals, of the palynologist in discovering and identifying plant species, of the physicist and
chemist in laboratories determining dates by the carbon-14, potassium-argon and other methods.
Study of the Stone Age has never been mainly about stone tools and archaeology, which are only
one form of evidence. The chief focus has always been on the society and the physical people
who belonged to it.

Useful as it has been, the concept of the Stone Age has its limitations. The date range of this
period is ambiguous, disputed, and variable according to the region in question. While it is
possible to speak of a general 'stone age' period for the whole of humanity, some groups never
developed metal-smelting technology, so remained in a 'stone age' until they encountered
technologically developed cultures. The term was innovated to describe the archaeological
cultures of Europe. It may not always be the best in relation to regions such as some parts of the
Indies and Oceania, where farmers or hunter-gatherers used stone for tools until European
colonization began.
Early Stone Age = Roughly 2,000,000 million to 35,000 B.C.

- Middle Stone Age = Roughly 35,000 B.C. TO 12,000 B.C.

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- Late Stone Age = Roughly 15,000 B.C. to 5,000 B.C.

Unfortunately, we have less evidence on all periods of the Stone Age in West Africa than we
do for the rest of the continents. A research need to be carried out by archaeologists before
we can obtain a clearer picture of the development of man during the Stone Age in West
Africa.

However, we do have a considerable amount of evidence for man of the Early Stone Age
living on the Jos Plateau such as Mai Idon Toro and Nok and some other parts of West
Africa, namely the Futa Djallon highlands, the area north of the River Senegal and in
particular present day Mauritania where many sites have been found. There is also evidence
for its presence in Togo (Acacia) mountains.

The Early Stone Age is divided into three cultures, the Oldowan, Achevlian and the Sangoan.
The makers of the Oldowan were Australopithecus and Homo Habilis. The Achevlian
cultures maker was Homo Erectus while the maker of the Sangoan was the Homo Sapiens.

With changes a drier climate, early Stone Age man seemed to have moved southwards into
woodland areas, particularly along the banks of all-season Rivers which could assure him of
a regular supply of water. Even though, early Stone Age had not developed into homo
sapiens, that is men similar to ourselves, man of the middle Stone Age seemed to have
developed into something very near to him.

We do not have much more evidence for middle Stone Age in West Africa than we do for
early Stone Age man. Materials indicating his presence have been found on the Jos Plateau
and the Lirue Hills to the north of it, and Afikpo in Eastern Nigeria, in Ghana, Cote d’Voire
Coast and Dakar, middle Stone Age man is characterized by the greater specialization of his
tools and by variations in the type of tools he made from one region to another. The maker of
this culture was the Homo Sapien.

Late Stone Age period was characterized by the development of ground-stone axes, small
stone tools such as arrow-heads, bone harpoon and microliths. Microlithic industries have
been found in a number of sites in West Africa, such as Mejiro care near old Oyo, Rop Rock
Shelter on the Jos Plateau, Iwo Eleru near Akure, Ukpa rock shelter near Afikpo, sometimes

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associated with potsherds, or these tools practiced agriculture. Not all the men inhabiting
West Africa in the period from about 15,000 to 5,000 B.C. developed in the same ways at the
same time. Some continued to make tools characteristic of the middle stone age. Some
developed the art of pottery, while some began to practice a rudimentary form of agriculture
began not later than 10,000 B.C. and this was a period when micro-lithic industries were
associated with hunting in the Savannah. On the other hand, developments in industries were
associated with the forest zone in the south-Western part of West Africa. The second phase
of agricultural development began soon after 3,000 B.C. and took four main forms. The first
predominated in the Savannah in sites such as Daima, Kursakata, Gajiganna in Borno and in
addition to making microliths, the people associated with it knew how to make pottery and
ground-stone axes. The second, characteristics of the Sahel, the area between the desert and
the Savannah had few micro-lithe, but its people made harpoons and fish hooks from bones
indicating a fishing economy. The third was characteristics of the coast where the people
exploited the resources of the lagoons. The last was characteristics of the forest where people
developed pottery and ground-stone axes but not microliths.

It was during the latter half of the late Stone Age that men in West Africa began to practice
agricultural activities.

2.3 SUMMARY
Before man discovered how to smelt iron, his weapons and tools were mainly made from stone.
The period from which man began to domesticate the animals and before he discovered how to
smelt iron is known as “STONE AGE”.

In Africa the Stone Age is divided into three periods.

a. Early Stone Age - Roughly 2,000,000 to 35, 000 B.C.

b. Middle Stone Age - Roughly 35,000 to 12,000 B.C.
c. Late Stone Age - Roughly 15,000 to 5, 000 B.C.

There are considerable amount of evidence for man of the early Stone Age living in Jos Plateau
and some other parts of West Africa, namely the Futa Djallon highlands, the area north of the
Upper reaches of the River Senegal and Mauritania, and Togo (Atacora Mountain).

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It was during the late half of the late Stone Age that men in West Africa began to practice
Agriculture activities.

2.4 SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISES

1. Explain the middle Stone Age period.

2. Describe the Stone Age and its importance in discovering the present trend of
Nigeria.

2.5 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS

Professor Thurston Shaw (1962)

Hopkins, A.G. An Economics History of West Africa, 1972

Mannang Nash, Primitive and Peasant Economy System, 1966.

Walter Rodney, How Europe Under-developed Africa, 1972.

D. Crummy and C.C Stewards (eds) Modes of production in Africa, London.

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STUDY MODULE 3: THE AFRICAN ECONOMY

3.0 INTRODUCTION
In this Module, we shall discuss the beginning of farming in West Africa.

3.1 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this topic, students should be able to

3.1.1 Explain farming in West Africa and its origin.

3.2 IN-TEXT
3.2.1 THE BEGINNING OF FARMING GLOBALLY
About thirty thousand years ago, the changes that had taken place in man’s body by this time was
similar to that of all the races of mankind today. The men of those days were clever in making
tools for hunting and collecting food that grew wild. They traveled widely to search for hunting
game and looking for fruits and berries.

About ten thousand years ago, there began in South West Asia a slow change from hunting and
gathering to the practice of food production. Instead of collecting the grain of wild wheat and
barley for food, people began to keep some seeds and plant them around, people began farming
wild-sheep and goats, hunting and breeding them in captivity. Later they did the same for cattle
and pigs. As a result of this, men were able to settle down and live in one place. This was a
revolutionary change in man’s life and it was of immense importance for his future. Instead of
living a nomadic life as a hunter and gatherer, man could now stay in one place with his meat,
fruit and vegetables grown at his door step. However, man now began to build permanent homes
and set up villages. Other development part of man was in food production, where he learnt how
to preserve food in times of scarcity or natural phenomena or due to increasing population. The
revolution in food production meant that man could produce more food than he needed for
himself. As a result of that, not all members of a community had to farm. Some were able to
spend all their time on other jobs, such as making tools, weapons, baskets, pots, or weaving cloth
or building boats or houses. Some people were able to become priests and rulers, while others
travelled long distances in search of materials needed for various crafts and this was the

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beginning of trade. Such traders exchanged their products or services for the food produced by
those who devoted their time to farming. As a result, the community as a whole became
wealthier and stratified into different classes.

In Africa, agriculture began about seven thousand years ago in the North-East part of the
continent. In the valley of the River Nile in Egypt, wheat and barley were grown on the fertile
soil irrigated by the river. The resulting agricultural wealth was the basis of ancient Egyptian
civilization, which began about five thousand years ago.

3.2.2 THE BEGINNING OF FARMING IN WEST AFRICA

When agriculture was beginning in the Nile Valley, the Sahara Desert was much smaller than it
is at present. Its highland area in particular supported grass and trees. Thus about the same time
as agriculture was beginning in Egypt, it was possible for the same thing to be happening in parts
of what is now the Sahara Desert. Paintings and engravings on rocks in these areas showed wild
animals, such as elephants, hippopotamus and giraffes which could not possibly be there now.
Later, drawings showed men, many of whom were Negroes. When these more fertile parts of the
Sahara become too dry for agriculture and there was no longer enough grass for the cattle, people
moved southwards into the moist savannah areas bringing their cattle with them.

In the savannah area south of the Sahara, it was difficult to grow wheat and barley, and the
people had to domesticate suitable tropical plants for food for a very long time. The most
important were guinea corn, burnish millet, longer millet and African rice. On the forest margins,
people had used African yams and palm-nuts as a source food for a long time. As time went on,
some of them moved deeper into the forest taking the yams and palm trees with them.

These grew well there once men had cleared space in the thick forest. What we do not know for
certain is whether man in West Africa invented agriculture and learnt to domesticate animals
without outside influences or whether he was taught these skills by men moving into his lands
from the Sahara. Some experts believe that agriculture was invented independently on the Niger
belt near Timbuktu, and others believe that men in the forest areas had also learnt how to plant
and harvest some root crops without outside help.

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3.3 SUMMARY
About thirty thousand years ago, men of time immemorial were clever in making tools for
hunting and collecting food that grew wild. They travelled widely to search for hunting game and
looking for fruits and barley.

About ten thousand years ago, instead of collecting the grain of wild wheat and barley for food
people began to keep some and plant them around at the same time. They began rearing wild
sheep and goats, hunting and breeding them in capacity. Later, they did the same for cattle and
pigs. As a result of these, men were able to settle down and live in one place.

Moreover, man began to build permanent homes and set up villages.

3.4 SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE

1. The beginning of farming activities could be seen as revolution to man’s life.
Discuss.

3.5 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS

Hopkins A.G the Economic History of West Africa

Basil Davidson the comment of African civilization. A history of West Africa 1000-18000

G.K. Helleiner, Peasant Agriculture, Government and Economic Growth in Nigeria, 1966.

Hallmyint’s Economics of Developing Countries, 1980

A.G Hopkins an Economic History of Western Africa, 1977. Commented [BM1]: Incomplete references

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STUDY MODULE 4: THE AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY IN WEST AFRICA

4.1 INTRODUCTION
In this Module topic we shall discuss agriculture in West Africa and how it was able to reshape
the economy of West African states. We shall also look at how it helped the Europeans in getting
raw materials to develop their economies.

4.2 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this lecture, the students should be able to

4.2.1 Account for the development of agriculture in West African states and the trend
of event in the economy.

4.3 IN –TEXT
4.4 ECONOMIC HISTORY OF AFRICA
Africa has the longest and oldest economic history. Humanity originated in Africa, and as soon
as human societies existed so did economic activity. Earliest humans were hunter gatherers
living in small, family groups. Even then there was considerable trade that could cover long
distances. Archaeologists have found evidence that luxury items like precious metals and shells
across the entire continent were the main trading items. Some cultures, such as those of the
Berber people, lived in dry areas and became nomadic herders, while in the Savannah grasslands,
people cultivated crops and thus permanent settlements were possible. Agriculture supported
large towns, and eventually large trade networks developed between the towns.

4.4.1 ORIGINS OF AGRICULTURE

The first agriculture in Africa began in the heart of the Sahara Desert, which in 5200 BC was far
more moist and densely populated than today. Several native species were domesticated, most
importantly pearl millet, sorghum and cowpeas, which spread through West Africa and the
Sahel. The Sahara at this time was like the Sahel today. Its wide open fields made cultivation
easy, but the poor soil and limited rain made intensive farming impossible. The local crops were
also not ideal and produced fewer calories than those of other regions. These factors limited
surpluses and kept populations sparse and scattered.

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North Africa took a very different route from the southern regions. Climatically it is linked to the
Middle East and the Fertile Crescent, and the agricultural techniques of that region were adopted
wholesale. This included a different set of crops, such as wheat, barley, and grapes. North Africa
was also blessed with one of the richest agricultural regions in the world in the Nile River valley.
With the arrival of agriculture, the Nile region became one of the most densely populated areas
in the world, and Egypt home to one of the first civilizations.

The drying of the Sahara created a formidable barrier between the northern and southern portions
of the continent. Two important exceptions were Nubian Sudan, which was linked to Egypt by
the Nile and Ethiopia, which could trade with the northern regions over the Red Sea. Powerful
states grew up in these regions such as Kush in Nubia (modern day Northern Sudan and Southern
Egypt) and Axum in Ethiopia. Especially from Nubia, ideas and technologies from the Middle
East and Europe reached the rest of Africa.

Historians believe that iron working developed independently in Africa. Unlike other continents
Africa did not have a period of copper and bronze working before their Iron Age. Copper is quite
rare in Africa while iron is quite common. In Nubia and Ethiopia, iron, trade, and agricultural
surpluses led to the establishment of cities and civilizations.

4.4.2 AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES IN WEST AFRICA

It is a well-known fact in history that man is essentially a social and economic animal seeking to
develop, establish and maintain equilibrium between himself and the community of his
geographical and social environment in order to practice agriculture and make a living from it. A
close study of economic history of nations revealed man’s efforts through centuries to satisfy his
material wants which included the fundamental needs for simple food, shelter and clothing.

The first man tried by collecting wild plants, seeds, nuts, grasses and slow moving animals. He
undertook fishing and hunting occupations and domesticated some animals like cows, sheep,
swine, dogs, etc, which were useful to him through their hides and flesh.

Another important source of food supply was farming. He cultivated wild grasses, fruits, yams
and roots, while also accumulating equipment and learning how to utilize them to convert food
and materials into something more edible and serviceable. His earlier equipment such as

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hammer, needle, etc. were fashioned from wood, flint bone and other materials. He later
developed pottery, cloths making, leather works and the use of fire smelting of iron.

Many centuries ago, Africans lived very much like everyone else that is on hunting, fishing,
gathering food and building homes with leaves. Then, a change came in the economy and in the
method of cultivation which was said to have come from Europe . Thus, Africa had to borrow
ideas from other places e.g. the cultivation of sorghum, millet, cotton and palm trees.. Crop
plants that came to Africa from Indonesia included plantain, others from South America and it is
not likely that the Portuguese introduced them into West Africa. Such crops are maize, cassava,
groundnut and tobacco. Africa derived its own system of agriculture independent of anybody
else. It remained technically primitive, relying less on irrigation.

Until the arrival of Europeans into West Africa, the basic and traditional occupation of the
people was agriculture, which was the main stay of the economy. It was based on a simple
economy in which groups of persons co-operated in the system of mutual obligation to produce
the necessities of life. Hence it was practiced to subsistence which depended on the number of
people to be fed and the extent and intensity of work depended on.

The techniques of farming in pre-contact days consisted simple systems and crude instruments
which were used for cultivation of farm lands.

West Africans cultivated their farms with domestic instruments made from local raw materials
which blacksmiths designed. The common implements of cultivation include; cutlasses, axes and
other crude tools. They used to satisfy their limited demands with shifting cultivation practiced
in many parts of West Africa. The use of the system was made possible by the abundance of
land.

Principal crops included edible roots, indigenous fruits, grain, cotton, rice, yam of various
species and some wild plants which provided food. It is believed that many of the crops and
domestic animals which are common today were introduced by the Arabs or Indian traders from
the east and by the Portuguese and other European traders who came to the coast of West Africa.

Associated with the development of agriculture was land which was regarded as the symbol of
wealth and prestige. It was he who had the largest area of land that ruled the people. The

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agricultural system was closely limited with the position of authority from which in principles,
every member of the community derived his rights to land cultivations. As a result of agricultural
developments, villages, towns and markets started to spring up. The surplus agricultural
production was exchanged for other material needs at the markets which were the centers of
local trade.

The most important feature of agriculture was that this system of life does not allow for
independence i.e nobody was idle and there was a division of labour. Women were employed in
the lighter jobs like dyeing of cloths and mat making. . It was not an era of materialism and there
was a fair distribution of want. Africa did not have a money economy, but in subsistence
economy where all West Africans worked in order to grow or make the goods they personally
wish to buy such goods. A farmer who grew enough food for his family needs but little or no
money. This subsistence economy was phase of development with cultivation of the land, there
was specialization of labour and new class of traders emerged.

The discovery of agriculture was of great importance to the life of the early man because it
provided him with more food. Life became more abundant, the use of iron in various forms
opened a new stage of development with iron spears, cutlasses and other instruments. The people
of West Africa were able to cultivate very thick forests and moved freely from one region to
another.

4.5 SUMMARY
Until the arrival of Europeans into West Africa, the basic and traditional occupation of the
people was agriculture which comprise hunting, fishing, farming and domesticating some
animals such as cows, sheep, dog etc. It was based on a simple economy in which group of
persons co-operated in the system of mutual obligation to produce the necessities of life.

West Africans cultivated their farm with domestic instruments such as axes, hoes etc. Principal
crops included edible roots, indigenous fruits, grain, cotton, rice, yam etc while the surplus
agricultural production were exchanged for other material needs at the markets which were the
centre of local trade.

The most important feature of agriculture was that nobody was idle and there was division of
labour. Women were employed in the lighter jobs like dying of cloths, pottery and mat making.

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4.6 SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE

1. What was the stage of agricultural activities before the arrival of the Europeans
into West Africa?

2. Mention the factors that led to the development of agriculture in West Africa?

3. The discovery of agriculture was of great importance to the life of the early man.
Discuss.

4.7 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS

G.K. Helleiner, peasant Agriculture, Government and Economic Growth in Nigeria, 1966.

Toyin Folola (eds) Britain and Nigeria: Exploitation or Development, London 1987

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STUDY MODULE 5: TRADITION OF WEST AFRICAN INDUSTRIES

5.0 INTRODUCTION
In this Module, we shall discuss the origin of iron and craftsmen in West Africa. Also, we shall
look at the West African traditionally develop economy before the coming of Europeans.

5.1 OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lecture students should be able to
i. Know the origin of iron and the role craftsmen played in shaping the economy.

5.2 IN-TEXT

5.3. THE ORIGIN OF IRON

The word originates from the Anglo-Saxon word "iron" or "iren" (the origin of the symbol Fe
comes from the Latin word "ferrum" meaning "iron"). Possibly the word iron is derived from
earlier words meaning "holy metal" because it was used to make the swords used in the
Crusades.

Iron was known in prehistoric times. Genesis says that Tubal-Cain, seven generations from
Adam, was "an instructor of every artifacts in brass and iron." Smelted iron artifacts have been
identified from around 3000 B.C. A remarkable iron pillar, dating to about A.D. 400, remains
standing today in Delhi, India. This solid pillar is wrought iron and about 7.5 m high by 40 cm in
diameter. Corrosion to the pillar has been minimal despite its exposure to the weather since its
erection.

Sometime prior to the autumn of 1803, the Englishman John Dalton was able to explain the
results of some of his studies by assuming that matter is composed of atoms and that all samples
of any given compound consist of the same combination of these atoms. Dalton also noted that in
series of compounds, the ratios of the masses of the second element that combine with a given
weight of the first element can be reduced to small whole numbers (the law of multiple
proportions). This was further evidence for atoms. Dalton's theory of atoms was published by

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Thomas Thomson in the 3rd edition of his System of Chemistry in 1807 and in a paper about
strontium oxalates published in the Philosophical Transactions. Dalton published these ideas
himself in the following year in the New System of Chemical Philosophy.

Clearing the forest for planting yams and palm trees was made much easier when iron became
available for making tools and weapons. Before that, agricultural implements had been made of
stone, wood and bones.

About 1500 BC, some people in the Hittite empire of Asia discovered how to smelt iron. They
already knew how to smelt metal, copper, by heating the rock containing high iron content such
as Haematite and Limonite to such a temperature that the metal gets separated from the rock.
Later, they mixed copper with tin to make bronze, which makes it harder and tougher weapon
and tools than copper. Iron is even harder, and the rocks which contain it are more common than
those which contain copper or tin. The ancient Egyptians used copper and bronze, but a
knowledge of these metals did not spread into West Africa because of the drying up of the
Sahara desert and the natural route south wards up the hill was blocked by West swamps of the
southern Sudan and the “Sudd”. The Egyptians did not use iron until after 600 B.C. partly
because they had been able to develop a very efficient civilization using tools of copper and
bronze.

By this time, the ancient kingdom of Kush had established along a stretch of the Nile which is
now in the republic of Sudan. Once upon a time “Kush” controlled the kingdom of Egypt and
later the capital was moved further south to a place called Meroe, north of modern Khartoum.
Here, great iron-smelting activities took place. Kush probably supplied Egypt with much of its
iron, and it is likely that the knowledge of iron-smelting spread into eastern Africa from Meroe.
It may also have spread here into West Africa. It seems more likely, however, that West Africa
derives its knowledge or iron from ancient Cartage, which is today a susons of modern Zumis,
where iron tools and weapons were made earlier than in Egypt. This would have been as a result
of trade across the Sahara Desert.

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Iron-smelting furnaces have been found in Nigeria as far back as 300 B.C. associated with what
archaeologists call the NOK culture. This culture was named after the little village of NOK in
central Nigeria, areas of the Jos plateau, remarkable for its beautiful sculptures made in baked
clay terracotta. The knowledge of iron-working spread slowly through out West Africa known
from excavations of occupation mounds in valley of the Niger that men there knew how to smelt
iron as early as the second century B.C. In contrast, in northern Sierra-Leone, evidence indicated
that people there did not learn the art of iron smelting until the eight century A.D. It is unlikely
that iron-working was an independent invention in West Africa, as it would be very difficult to
discover how to do this without a previous knowledge of how to smelt copper. The importance
of iron to West Africa was immense. With iron tools, agriculture became more efficient and food
became abundant. As in ancient Egypt, the surplus of food made it possible for people to become
specialists as craftsmen, traders, priests and rulers. In this way by the end of the first millennium
A.D. the foundations had been laid for the political, cultural and economic developments which
took place in West Africa about that time.

5.3.1 TRADITIONAL WEST AFRICAN INDUSTRIES

A close look at the African or West African society reveals that many of her towns were alive
with activities of craftsmen, artisans and small industries. These self-employed people worked
long hours and were creative, energetic and indispensable in organizing the productive force of
the economy. Not only did they supply the wide variety of goods and services by means of
apprentice system, they also provided vocational training for thousands of young men and
women.
Modern manufacturing units in West Africa had been set up for the most parts with high amount
of government or foreign capitals. They made use of the most advanced techniques and were
operated by experienced managers. They had skilled labour force and consequently high
productivity. They had high capital investment; however, they only employed small number of
workers. In contrast, the indigenous West African crafts and small industries were characterized
by low capital investments and relatively low return.
Hand crafts industries were important occupations and were localized. They included
occupations such as smelting of iron, weaving, painting, drawing, carving, dyeing etc. the
Portuguese who travelled in the 16th century highly valued Ivory carving of the bullion

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craftsmen. They were metal workers near Bauchi in Northern Nigeria. For a detailed and careful
study of the traditional West African Society, the local industries can be grouped into 3
categories depending on the source of raw material used. They were industries based on
minerals, animals and plant resources.

5.3.2 INDUSTRIES DEPENDING ON MINERAL RESOURCES

The knowledge of iron mining and smelting of minerals spread to Meroe in the city of Surhn
many centuries ago. Before 2000 B.C. modern knowledge of iron work seemed to have spread
across the Sahara and from there to West Africa. The result of the iron industry was more
efficiency in fishing, hunting and farming as well as high productivity. The spread of iron
industry not only brought development but also brought evils, i.e. wars, as more weapons and
spears became very common.
Warrior states were set up and invasion of one state by another became rampant. Smelting to
minerals also helped in development of special handy crafts such as terracotta, brass figures and
ornaments of beads in Northern Nigeria, and bronze mass of Benin, Ife, in Ghana, Sierra Leone,
the Gambia and French colonies in West Africa. There was smelting of minerals, Glass wares
existed at Bida, Autharial gold mine in Ghana and authuniate-tin mine in Plateau district of
Northern Nigeria. Gold smelting was important to traditional industrial tool which were
connected to the development of smelting an iron. Black-smelting was very important to the
development of agricultural tools, used in farming activities, such as cutlass, hoes, and swords
were manufactured by then. Local black-smiths forgot/abandoned our local spears and arrows
used for hunting quite a number of household tools were also made.
Certainly, iron tools and weapons kept in facilitating production whether of minerals, crops or
other commodities. It then makes sense to finally discuss the remarkable landmarks/changes
made by man on the landscape which were brought about by many of the traditional economy,
mainly due to the tools made available by the iron mining smelting and the smiting industries.
Pottery was a prominent and ubiquitous traditional industry in which many were engaged.
Pottery making varies according to the season. Production was at the peak of the dry season and
it was lowest during the rainy season. To date, it remains a useful industry producing a great
variety of useful domestic utensils like cooking, pots, hats, source pots, water pots etc.

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5.3.3 INDUSTRIES DEPENDING ON ANIMAL RESOURCES

In the savannah zones, the rearing of cattle led to the leather making industry. Northern Nigeria
and Northern territories of Ghana provided the market for the leather goods such as saddles and
handbags fashioned out from leather. A byproduct of the cattle rearing were the hides and skins
which had a separate market of their own. Specially treated hides and skins were dispatched by
camels, caravan, and were sold to Europeans, Arabs and Moroccan traders. In many parts of
Northern Nigeria, the making of leather into sandals and bags was a common feature. Savannah
areas were especially suitable for these industries because of the relative abundance of cattle,
sheep, camels and other domestic animals.

5.3.4 INDUSTRIES BASED ON PLANT RESOURCES

Naturally, the luxurious vegetation of the Southern West Coast of West Africa provided a wide
range of new material for making different goods mainly based on the exploitation of forest
resources including cloth weaving, mat making, calabash making and wood work. Weaving of
cloths was one of the traditional occupations of West Africans. Cotton was grown and
manufactured into cloths and other goods. However, cloths were hand woven and dyed during
the early days while the equipment used for spinning were looms made from woods. Women and
children were popularly associated with craft work.

5.4 SUMMARY
About five thousand years ago, some people in the Hittite Empire of Asia Minor discovered how
to smelt iron. With iron tools, agriculture became more efficient and food became more
abundant. The surplus of food made it possible for people to become specialists such as
craftsmen, traders, priests and rulers.
The West African industries were characterized by low capital investment and relatively low
return. Hand crafts industries were important occupations and were localized. These occupations
include: Smelting of iron, weaving, painting, drawing, carving, dying, etc.
The local industries can be grouped into 4 categories:
a. Industries based on mineral resources
b. Industries based on animals

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c. Industries based on plants

d. Industries based on plant resources.
The result of the iron industries was more efficiency in fishing, hunting and farming. The spread
of iron industry not only brought development but also evil, i.e. wars, as more weapons and
spears became very common.

5.5 SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISES

1. What was the occupation of people of West Africa before the arrival of Europeans?
2. Discuss the activities of craftsmen in the development of industry in West Africa.
3. Highlight how the activities of local technology of the early man helped in attaining
growth in West Africa.

5.6 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS

Michael watts: Silent Violence Food, Famine and Peasantry in Nigeria, 1972.
G. K. Helleiner, Peasant Agriculture Government and Economic Growth in Nigeria, London,
1966
ToyinFalola (eds) Britain and Nigeria: Exploitation or Development. London 1987.
History of Chemistry, Sir Edward Thorpe, volume 1, Watts & Co, London, 1914.
J.S. Hogendorn: The Origin of Groundnut Trade in Northern Nigeria, 1972
Michael Watta: State Oil and Agriculture in Nigeria, California 1987.

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STUDY MODULE 6: THE EUROPEAN CONTACT WITH WEST AFRICA DURING 18TH –
19TH CENTURY.

6.0 INTRODUCTIONS
In Module 6, we will discuss the European contact with West Africa and its impact on the
inhabitants of West Africa.

6.1 OBJECTIVES
At the end of this topic, students should be able to
i. Explain the Europe presence in the coast of West Africa.

6.2 IN-TEXT

6.3.1 THE EUROPEAN CONTACT WITH THE WEST AFRICAN COAST

Under this topic, we would look at the Portuguese remarkable expenditure in the West African
coast during the late 18th – 19th century. The European countries believe that Portuguese had a lot
of potential due to their innovation and discoveries in West Africa and to gain control of the gold
trade in West Africa.
Western Sudan which was under the control of the Muslim (Arabs) in the north along the trans-
Sahara trade was the chief source of gold trade to Europe. Prince Henry was the first man to have
discovered the navigation instrument used in scaling down the Western shores of West Africa. In
the desire to drive the Arabs and have control of both West Africa and Western India, they made
expenditures for the exploration of West African coast between 1416-1500. The first Portuguese
sailor did not go beyond Capernaum because they were afraid to sail through and indeed, was a
turning point in the exploration of West African coast.
In 1435. Gocalves reached a town called Riodow and the island of Andrew. This island had an
advantage of beef commercial for the barbarian merchant zones trading with the people of
Western Sudan. The explorations continued and by 1446 the Portuguese reached the mountain of
Senegal and penetrated the island to the desert of Guinea coast where few Negro slaves were
needed to work in the populated district captured and taken away. The slaves were sold at higher

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prices because slaves were needed to work in the less populated districts in Portugal. This
appeared to be the origin of the trans-Atlantic slave trade which later had tremendous effort on
the history of West Africa. Between 1460 and 1469, the conquered island was developed into a
base called gold coast.
As a result of the discovery of gold in the gold coast, the Portuguese decided to make the gold
coast their permanent base and built a warehouse where they could securely keep their stock (of
slaves). The increasing cost of financing war in Western Europe led to shortage of precious
metals i.e. gold and silver which were the essential mediums of exchange for the European
exploits at that particular period. This was against the interest of the Portuguese who had claimed
monopoly.
In the early 16th century, Western Africa offered little incentives for European commercial
interest because there were few commodities received by Europeans. Among the commodities
traded were, slaves, kola-nuts, pepper, silver and gold, but the market for slaves and kola-nuts
were small, more so, in the 1560s. The French and English began to trade within West Africa,
despite opposition from the Portuguese. As far back as the 15thcentury, the French had shown
interest in the trade of gold coast. The French raided and captured about 200 Portuguese ships
along the coast and showed interest in the trade of pepper, gold and silver.
Trading in Africa was developing gradually especially with the coming of Europeans who
established themselves under the protection of the African chiefs. They used to bring cloths, guns
and other products in order to exchange them with the Africans who in return provided them
with ivory, gold, vegetable, oil and even slaves in the seventeenth century. At that time the
American colonies were looking for free labour force to work in the plantation fields, as a result
they were kidnapped, sold and transferred to the new world. The European settlers were centered
in the coast because moving to the interior would bring danger and diseases to the traders who
were only interested in making profits.
After the abolition of the slave trade in 1807 and the role of the industrial revolution, the
Europeans got involved in legitimate trade. In order to make more profits they needed a vast
knowledge about African continents especially to find a way of transporting the goods from the
interior to the coast on the big rivers. One of the most successful explorers was Mango Park who
went to the Niger, and there was also René Caillé who went to Timbuktu. Then later, the
possibility to navigate on the Congo River was discovered by Henry Morton Stanley, a British

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explorer and journalist whose works impressed King Leopold II of Belgium. In East Africa
Burton, Speke and Grant discovered the source of the Nile. David Livingstone travelled across
central Africa, writing a book titled “Missionary travelers and researchers”, in which he asked
the British government to open the African continent to Christianity in order to suppress the
slave trade. Later on in the nineteenth century the relationship between Europe and Africa started
to change with the attempt of evangelizing the African population. The Europeans sent many
missionary societies who though that their task would be easy because except for Muslims
Africans had no religion but superstitions.
Among the important missionary societies there were the British Anglican Church missionary
society, Western Methodist missionary society and London missionary society. There were also
protestant missionary societies that came from France, Germany, Holland and the United States.
By and large, these missionaries were successful in Sierra Leone, Liberia and South Africa, but
in general they could convert just few African chiefs because the latter considered Christianity as
a threat to their political authority.
The Christian mission was progressing very slowly, and whenever a mission was about to fail the
government intervened in order to make it successful. The role of these missionaries was very
important in introducing the European colonization in Africa.

6.3.2 THE ENGLISH ON THE COAST

The English like other nations participated actively in the West Africa trade. Right from the
beginning of the17th century, their trade spread across the Guinea coast most especially in the
upper Guinea which in the long run was not viable as the trade in gold coast. The royal
adventures trading companies termed in 1616 developed trade with the people of Gambia. The
British also erected their first port in an island in 1618. Then in 1872, the royal African company
took over from the royal adventure and saved up to the Gambia river with the aim of conducting
a careful survey of the river for development of commerce. This led to serious interest in
Gambia and Senegal for trade between the French and the Dutch. The English tend to increase
control over these area and this led to serious war with the French countries. It took about 7
years before the war came to an end therefore, Guinea fell into the hands of the British while the
French had the control of Gorea. The British were not comfortable with their area because they
had internal conflict since America was claiming for independence.

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6.4 SUMMARY
European countries are believed to have had contact with West Africa during the 14thand
15thcenturies. Such relationship expanded to the 21thcentury. The European exploration
continued with the Portuguese as the first Western nation to visit the West African coast. They
were involved in commerce and trade. This appeared to be the origin of the trans-Atlantic slave
trade.
The increase in the cost of finance and the new technology in Europe (industrial revolution)
brought about a new zeal to search for material wealth to develop their market. A lot of
companies were established in West Africa to develop the foreign market and to have control of
the colony on behalf of the Western government.

6.5 SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISES

1. Critically assess the contributions of the Europeans in the West African coast during the
18th century.
2. What are the impacts of colonization of West Africa during the 20th century?
3. Western Sudan is seen as the center of market articulation. Discuss.

6.6 RFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS

A. G. Hopkin, An Economic History of West Africa, 1977
Toyin, Folola (eds) Britain and Nigeria: exploitation or development, London, 1987.
J. S. Hogendorn, the origin of groundnut trade in northern Nigeria, 1972.
A. G. Hopkin, An economic history of West Africa, 1977

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SOLUTION TO EXERCISES
TOPIC 1
(a) Explain the reason why the study of West African history is essential.
The discipline of economic history can be defined as the material progress of man and the
society right from its first stage of development.
The study explains the forces that played various roles in man’s struggles to overcome his
environment and make it a better place to live. This is done by examining how man used
the limited resources at his disposal to satisfy his material needs.
It is recognized that man’s basic needs revolve around provision of adequate quantity and
better quantity of food, clothing and shelter.
Economic history therefore is concerned with how man behaves in front of world
contingencies from industry to commerce/trade and agriculture and even social
forwarding, the tentacles of this discipline are noticeable since man used productive
forces to justify his survival function.
The subject matter of economic history is essentially a unique process in historical time.
We cannot hope to understand the present epoch/time unless we have an adequate
amount of historical experience.
(b). Describe the features of West African history.
Some of the features of West Africa Economic history can be identified by the
inhabitants of the set of people and their economic activates.
1. The people of West Africa were Sub-divided into various Negro stocks over the years
there have been greater deals of inter-mingling between these groups .
2. The occupation of the forest region and the Savannah region differs: while the
Savannah reared Cattle, the Forest region were hunters.
3. The climate conditions differ from Northern and the Southern part.
4. Most of the country within West Africa is classified as either English speaking or
French speaking .

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 ECON 108: ECONOMIC HISTORY OF WEST AFRICA (2 UNITS)

TOPIC 2:
(a) Explain the middle Stone Age period?
The Stone Age period was an era when man began to dominate the animal kingdom while the
middle age period was an era where the men are similar to our present generation. They were
found between Jos Plateau and the Lirue Hilt north of present Ghana. These men exist between
35, 000 BC to 15, 000BC.
(B) Describe the Stone Age and its importance to the Nigeria Economy.
(i) It was a time when man understands his emerging environment and lived
in communal society.
(ii) Man’s knowledge enhanced and exposed him to specialization through
cultivation, hunting and gathering of fruit
(iv) Lastly it shed light on where the early man lived and began to practice
agriculture.

TOPIC 3:
Agriculture has been and remains the main stay of the Economy of West
African countries despite certain changes. After the industrial revolution
most governments since independence have adopted a number of policies
to develop the agricultural sector. Some of the revolutionary measures
include:
(i) The continuation with colonial government agricultural policies
particularly export crops production at the expense of food crop.
(ii) Active government participation in production and pricing markets of
agricultural products.
(iii) Reliance on foreign capital technology, especially farm centered imports.
(iv) Establishment of large irrigation schemes.

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TOPIC 4:
1. What was the state of Nigeria Agriculture before the arrival of the Europeans
with West Africa Coast during 18th – 19th Century?
The state of Nigeria Agriculture before the arrival of the European could be
seen as a gradual process of transformation from subsistence mode of
production to cash crop. This subsistence Farming was only meant for the
household consumption. But the arrival of the Europeans changed the
subsistence mode of production to cash, where the food production serves as
raw material and primary to the industrialized nations. Europe introduced
large scale farming activities.
The state of Nigeria before their arrival was seeking to develop, establish and
maintain equilibrium within the community.
2. Mention the factors that led to the development of Agriculture in West Africa
I. Improved technology
II. Enlargement of market
III. Improved methods of seeding
IV. Extension services

TOPIC 5:
Discuss the activities of the craftsmen in the development of industry in West
Africa
i. Before the 200 BC the knowledge of iron work had spread across the
Sahara and the West African Coast, where the people have started the
introduction of potter within various communities. These set of
craftsmen were creative, energetic and indispensable in organizing the
productive base for the growth of the economy. They supply a wide
variety of goods and services by means of apprentice, vocational
training for thousands of younger men and women to enhance the
growth and development of the West African Economy. The
indigenous craftsmen were characterized by low capital formation
which renders the expansion of artisan job.

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ii. Highlight how the activities of local technology of the early men
helped in attaining growth in West Africa
a. Vocational skill empowerment
b. Development of local technology
c. Expansion of crafts development of iron

TOPIC 6
1. Critically assess the contributions of the European on the West African Coast during
the 18th Century?
There was no single mode of production in West Africa but many modes of production
ranging from communal/Lineage tributary, slavery, feudal, long distant trade etc.
However, the arrival of Europeans enhanced the growth and development of the economy
in the West African sub-region. The development of these set can be linked to:
i. Improvement in Agriculture
ii. The use of modern techniques/ technology to improve their communication
network and transportation.
2, What are the impacts of colonization of West Africa state during the 20th century?
i. Depopulation
ii. Slavery
iii. Brain drain
iv. Economy exploitation.
3. Western Sudan is seen as the centre of market articulation. Discuss?
Western Sudan was a link to European market and the West Africa where goods
and services from both Europe and West Africa were exchanged to enhance trade
during the early 20th century.

TUTOR MARKED ASSIGNMENT

1. Discuss the activities of the craftsmen in the development of industry in West
Africa
2. Explain the middle stone age period

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3. Critically assess the contributions of the European in the West Africa Coast
during the 18th Century.
4. Explain the reason why the study of West African history is essential.

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