West African kingdoms maintained their power through the

accumulation of wealth and the infusion of new ideas from

the Trans-Saharan trade. The West African Sorko
fishermen began developing trading relationships with
Muslim traders, as reported by the BBC ("The Story"). This
indicates that the exchange of goods and ideas between
West Africa and the Islamic world had already begun, and
that the West African empires were open to new ideas and
trade. As a result, the Trans-Saharan trade played a
significant role in the growth and maintenance of power in
West African kingdoms.Secondly, the growth of Trans-
Saharan trade in West Africa revitalized gold mining,
particularly in modern-day Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal,
where rich veins of gold were discovered (McKay et al.
236). This increased the production and supply of gold,
which became a valuable commodity in the Trans-
Saharan trade networks. Additionally, copper mining in
Mali also played a significant role in trade, as it was traded
for other valuable commodities such as kola, grains, and
meat (British Museum). These trade relationships
contributed to the accumulation of wealth and the
maintenance of power in the region. With the growth of
gold mining in the region, the trade of valuable minerals,
and the exchange of goods through trade networks, West
African kingdoms accumulated wealth and developed
power.Lastly, West Africa's involvement in the Trans-
Saharan trade extended beyond the trading of gold and
salt to include the trade of enslaved individuals who were
used as labor in gold and salt mines (McKay et al. 236).
This expands on the topic sentence by implying that West
Africa's participation in the Trans-Saharan trade included
not only the accumulation of wealth through the trading of
gold and salt but also the use of enslaved people as labor
in gold and salt mines. This suggests that the search for
slaves was important in West Africa's participation in the
Trans-Saharan trade, and it emphasizes West Africa's
control over the trade networks that existed in the region.