ACADEMIA Letters

Pre-Colonial Trade Centres and Bureaucracy in Nigerian

Civil Service
Ojuge Livian Elizabeth FOLORUNSHO, Department of Sociology, Faculty of the
Social Sciences - University of Ibadan (Ibadan, Nigeria)

ABSTRACT
The social and economic settings in pre-colonial African empires, kingdoms, and chiefdoms
were centered around the non-office-bound trade Centres where commercial activities were
organised. Formal bureaucracy which penetrated Nigeria from the colonial administrators
whose aims of extracting raw materials for their homeland, had little or no consideration for
the growth and development of Nigerian pre-colonial economic trade systems. Scholars have
continually argued that the Nigerian civil service is not achieving the desired result due to
conflicting ideological interests emanating from political actors and bureaucrats. However,
there is need to investigate certain inherent pre -colonial trade features and values of tran-
sited behaviour that are influencing effective use of bureaucracy in the civil service for goal
attainment. Thus this paper theoretically examined the transfer of certain market squares char-
acteristics of pre-colonial trade systems which seems to be preventing the bureaucratic tools
to drive the effective implementation of policies for the development of the state.

Keywords: Market Squares, Bureaucracy, Nigerian Civil Service, Policy Implementation,

Development

Academia Letters, January 2022 ©2022 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: Ojuge Livian Elizabeth FOLORUNSHO, jobethfol@gmail.com

Citation: Folorunsho, O.L.E. (2022). Pre-Colonial Trade Centres and Bureaucracy in Nigerian Civil Service.
Academia Letters, Article 4547. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL4547.

1
INTRODUCTION AND THE CRUX
Traditional pre-colonial economic system of Africa and specifically Nigeria, were organised
around farming settings in other to meet up with the subsistence needs of its members. Sub-
sequently, the partition of Africa and the attendant economic activities of the colonial masters
created a formal bureaucratic workplace which was different from the traditional market set-
tings of the pre-colonial times (Archer, 1995; Hopkins, 1976). Bureaucracy now pilots the
entire process of governance in Nigeria and a big link exists between its use and its influence
on development of the state.
However, another thought line challenges the effective use of bureaucracy by employees
of the state. Reasons backing this arguments are related to pre-colonial African trade carry
-over practices into the service. These practices such as celebrations of religious activities like
prayer sessions, celebration of festivals, partying, settling of disputes amidst trading activities
in the then markets; were quite distinct from modern day bureaucracy and capable of altering
work processes and procedures and slow down employees performance (Olaoba and Ojo,
2013; Hart, 2005).

CONCEPTUALISING PRE-COLONIAL TRADE CENTRES IN

NIGERIA: REPRODUCED IN OPERATIONAL BUREAUCRACY
IN THE CIVIL SERVICE.
Trading in non-office-bound, open trade centres, including market squares, in Africa (Nige-
ria), was the order of the day in pre-colonial times. This topic has attracted both earlier and
recent scholars globally; however exchange and subsistence living activities were and are still
integral part of man’s economic interactions both in the pre colonial and post colonial Africa.
In pre-colonial African and specifically Nigerian societies, the marketing activities were usu-
ally organised in open lands which formed the centrality that radiates the activities of com-
munal life. Though trading activities took place in these open fields, it was an avenue of unity
and social interactions. The non-office-bound flexible environment provided free movement
but they also served as a place for other celebrations- for social gatherings, disputes resolu-
tions, charting points, and even gossips. In pre-colonial times, trading was largely gender
controlled (the men farm the goods, the women and children market them). Goods were ex-
changed for goods and/or cowries in these market, that were not only trade centers but places
of socialisation (Olaoba and Ojo, 2013;Hart, 2005, Hopkins, 1976).
Pre-Colonial Trade Centres were also characterised by trading in open markets with stalls.

Academia Letters, January 2022 ©2022 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: Ojuge Livian Elizabeth FOLORUNSHO, jobethfol@gmail.com

Citation: Folorunsho, O.L.E. (2022). Pre-Colonial Trade Centres and Bureaucracy in Nigerian Civil Service.
Academia Letters, Article 4547. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL4547.

2
The stalls in these markets were segmented in sections and divisions with informal work struc-
tures to manage the diverse affairs of the people and their interactions in the markets, Market
trading locations were situated along the creeks, lagoons and centers of towns. Foodstuff
items like yams, garri, cassava, palm oil, groundnuts, as well as utensils like pots, wood-
works, metal works, calabashes, clothes and mats were brought out for sales in these places.
The pre colonial markets especially in the Yoruba land were populated by women traders who
were administered by the leadership of the market- ‘Iyaloja” who were usually installed by
the high chief ‘Idejo’. The ‘Iyalojas’ imposed certain levies and market dues on traders for
the management of the markets (Olaoba and Ojo, 2013; Onyeonoru, 2003).
The colonial intrusion into the then Nigeria pre - colonial market space distorted the na-
ture, social and political structure of the people. The bureaucratic structures of these admin-
istrators were office-bound with designated officers to perform different duties and responsi-
bilities quite distinct from the open markets arrangements. Pre-colonial market features are
still presented in interrelationships side by side the formal work structures and with some
representatives feature of the old open market . A symbiotic relationship within the bureau-
cratic operators and the old markets features are very much vivid (Azqaku, 2019; Gray and
Birminghan, 1970). Therefore, a firm hold unto the past pre-colonial flexible work styles by
civil servants , who still maintain their jobs as civil servants seems to be, contrary to the civil
service rules and regulations (Hopkins,1976 )

BUREAUCRACY AND THE FORMAL WORKPLACE

Work has remained a vital part of man’s existence from time immemorial. In the quest of
devising methods of doing work efficiently, man has explored various ways to achieve its pur-
pose for work benefits (Castellani, L. 2018. Hart, 2005; Weber, 1978 ). Pointedly, Weber
(1978), formulated the bureaucratic structure as an employee performance work tool at that
period of the emergence of the new workplace in the 19th century; at the period of the Indus-
trial Revolution when there were dearth of professionals and methodologies to manage both
employees and work procedures Six characteristics of the bureaucratic design was spelt - out
by Weber -adherence to rules and regulation, hierarchical authority responsibility chain lines,
formal selection of employees’, tasks specialisation and division of labour, impersonality and
career orientation strategy (Mulder, 2017; Taiwo, 2009; Weber 1978). Weber, (1978) empha-
sised that his tools was ideal, inevitable and rational. Significantly, historical backgrounds
of British and Nigeria formal bureaucracies differs in their orientations and operations; and
consequently follows a trend of events in its development in each circumstance (Goldsmith,
1999; Aluko and Adesopo 2004).

Academia Letters, January 2022 ©2022 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: Ojuge Livian Elizabeth FOLORUNSHO, jobethfol@gmail.com

Citation: Folorunsho, O.L.E. (2022). Pre-Colonial Trade Centres and Bureaucracy in Nigerian Civil Service.
Academia Letters, Article 4547. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL4547.

3
THEORETICAL DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
Giddens (1976) defines social practice as a continuous practical activities that span through
space and time in a social system, be it an industry, organisation or at a more encompassing
large society; in an overlapping sometimes contradictory and precarious manner. These prac-
tices manifests in peoples actions, activities and most times choices. Although in a particular
social system, strategic plans assists in weighing the strengths and weaknesses of the system
in other to achieve a balance in the system’s structure. Moreover, behavioural activities of
members of a social group can disrupt achievement of the set plans or checks and balances
and vis a vis..
Gidden’s (1976) structuration theory outlines people’s behaviour in an active historic pro-
cess of a social system. Behavioural features of these historic processes could transit from one
part of a social system to another part similar to the historic pattern of behaviour movement;
of people from the informal pre colonial markets characteristics, to the Nigerian formal bu-
reaucratic civil service. Structuration takes place when people in a social system draw from
the rules and resources of a system and unconsciously reproduce them through their behaviour
and interactions in the historic processes of that social system.
Structuration theory allows structural continuity and also deliberate innovative changes
just like the language of a people permits creation of new words and usages of words, chang-
ing to meet the need of circumstances. In the case of the civil service, some of these social
activities have positive influences but also contain transited behavioural patterns that does not
promote the efficient achievement of the civil service goals and thereby impacts on develop-
mental projects (kester, 2008). Taiwo, (2009), submitted that:

The typical African worker grew up and was socialised in a context that bore little
relevance to a similarity with the impersonality characterising weberian thesis.
So that having been nurtured by and within a system that provided in written
rules but customs which guide not only the way individuals conduct themselves
while performing particular roles than allocation of such roles, given the strong
attachment to cultural values, the African is proned to exhibit his orientation in
this new workplace context. This role ascription rather than allocation by merit
becomes the basic differentiating characteristics (Taiwo: Ninalowo edited, 2009:
p102)

The economic trade system of a typical Nigerian worker in pre-colonial era, was non-
office bound and operated in open expanse of land where people met to sell their products
gotten from their farms or home based workshops. These market were operated with oral

Academia Letters, January 2022 ©2022 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: Ojuge Livian Elizabeth FOLORUNSHO, jobethfol@gmail.com

Citation: Folorunsho, O.L.E. (2022). Pre-Colonial Trade Centres and Bureaucracy in Nigerian Civil Service.
Academia Letters, Article 4547. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL4547.

4
based norms and these market locations served multiple functions. Individuals were indepen-
dent and were personally accountable for their different trade concerns. This was in contrast
to the capitalist market structure of the colonial invaders (Olaoba and Ojo, 2016). Certain
past social positions can shape actors behaviour and therefore the outcomes are reflected in
the society (Archer, 1995; Giddens,1976). The structural settings of hierarchical placements
creates responsibilities that leaders are accountable to; but hierarchical positions alone may
not define leaders behaviour but family associations, moral and political affiliations do have
a part to play in their actions (Bhasker, R. 1989;Bourdieu, 1990).

Academia Letters, January 2022 ©2022 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: Ojuge Livian Elizabeth FOLORUNSHO, jobethfol@gmail.com

Citation: Folorunsho, O.L.E. (2022). Pre-Colonial Trade Centres and Bureaucracy in Nigerian Civil Service.
Academia Letters, Article 4547. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL4547.

5
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Academia Letters, Article 4547. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL4547.

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Academia Letters, January 2022 ©2022 by the author — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Corresponding Author: Ojuge Livian Elizabeth FOLORUNSHO, jobethfol@gmail.com

Citation: Folorunsho, O.L.E. (2022). Pre-Colonial Trade Centres and Bureaucracy in Nigerian Civil Service.
Academia Letters, Article 4547. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL4547.