Culture

Igbo People: Pioneers Of Trade, Innovation, And Influence In West Africa

The Europeans, on their first visit to Igboland, saw the industrious nature of the people. The men were mostly farmers, hunters, and fishermen, while the women were farmers and traders.

Igbo People
Igbo People [PHOTO CREDIT: The African History]

The Igbo people are predominantly found in southeast Nigeria. They are the third largest ethnic group in Nigeria, having a population of over 20 million people around the world. Before the Igbo had contact with Europeans, they had lived only in southeast Nigeria, in different acephalous communities. In the present age, the Igbo are highly respected for their achievements in trade, commerce, and all forms of innovation. 

The Igbo are regarded as creative, industrious, and hard-working people. Since the beginning of colonialism in Nigeria, the recognition of the ethnic group moved from republican people living in different agrarian communities to people who are good at trading, commerce, and industry. At the onset of Nigeria’s history, the Igbo people have been at the forefront of championing trade in Nigeria. 

The Europeans, on their first visit to Igboland, saw the industrious nature of the people. The men were mostly farmers, hunters, and fishermen, while the women were farmers and traders. In the ancient Igbo country, it was difficult to see an idle person as people engaged in all forms of economic activities. When Nigeria came under the management of the British, they discovered also that palm oil and kernel production and trading boomed in Igboland. Thus, the people harnessed palm trees to boost their economy. 

Pioneers of Trade, Innovation, and Influence of the Igbo People in West Africa

It is a fact that the Igbo people are industrious, but it is not widely known fact that the industrious nature of the Igbo people began before colonialism. The industrious nature of the people started before colonialism when the Igbo people were mostly farmers and traders. As stated earlier, the first set of Europeans to visit Igboland recorded that they met very industrious people. Olaudah Equiano, in his slave narrative, stated that the Igbo country where he was from worked hard and was organised. 

The Igbo people, aside from being farmers, hunters, and traders, did other occupations to develop their economy. They were blacksmiths, artists, musicians, and so on. The Igbo people had one of the oldest blacksmithing sites in the world, and it was with this blacksmithing they made farming implements and other metalworks. The Igbo are part of the Bantu group of people who were the first to make metal implements. 

Blacksmithing helped improve the agricultural economy of the people, improving their lives and giving them control over neighbouring cultures. This is the reason why a majority of the ancient Igbo were farmers. While they farmed and ate the majority of their farm produce, they sold the remainder in the market. The Igbo people also reared animals for consumption and sale. 

@igbobuigbotv Igbo Men are the best 💕💕💕#viralvideo #igboculture #igbobuigb ♬ original sound – IGBO BU IGBO TV

During slavery, the Igbo also played a part in the slave trade business by being slave suppliers and middlemen, especially by the Aro Confederacy. It is asserted that over 15% of slaves taken from West Africa were taken from the Igbo area. However, with the banning of slavery, the Igbo transitioned to palm oil and kernel production and trading. 

The palm oil and kernel industry boom during colonialism aided a lot of Igbo farmers and traders. The Igbo region became a richer region when compared to other regions in Nigeria. From there, the Igbo people diversified to other forms of modern businesses like transportation, manufacturing, and commercial trading. The region produced the first set of Nigeria’s wealthiest men, and Louis Ojukwu was the richest and most prominent among them. At the point of Nigeria’s independence, the Igbo controlled the business and trading sectors in most regions of Nigeria. 

The Igbo, having a long-term culture of hard work and success, stick with this culture of success that has contributed to the growth of the Igbo people. They have not relented in this culture, and the people continue to wax stronger when it comes to trade, innovation, and business. Through their hard work, business activities, and innovative plans, the Igbo people’s influence is felt all over West Africa and Africa as a whole.

The influence of the Igbo people is felt in all sectors of the economy, from trading to entertainment to literature and academia in general. This is the reason why the Igbo are popular in Africa due to the efforts they have made in the past. They have also created good impacts on the continent. To date, the Igbo are still enterprising, hard-working, innovative, and wealthy. The wealth distribution in Igboland is one of the best in Africa. 

Conclusion 

The Igbo people are pioneers of trade, innovation, and influence in West Africa. They have a long history of being good traders and innovators. The Igbo history of trade and industry can be traced back to pre-colonial times. From then till the present, the Igbo have continued to champion trade, business, and innovation in Nigeria, Africa, and the world. 

Related Articles

Olive Oil In Prayers And Blessings
Culture

How And Why People Use Olive Oil In Prayers And Blessings

Olive oil is considered a very holy symbol or element in Nigeria....

7 Dating Apps Used By The LGBTQ Community In Nigeria
Culture

7 Dating Apps Used By The LGBTQ Community In Nigeria

The LGBTQ community in Nigeria faces unique challenges in navigating both societal...

Igbo Traditional Wedding Igba Nkwu
Culture

Igba Nkwu: Everything To Know About Igbo Traditional Wedding

The Igbo, whose culture and lifestyle are represented in Chinua Achebe’s Things...

Asante People
Culture

The Asante People: Guardians of Ghanaian Tradition And Identity

The Asante people, also known as Ashanti in English, who are part of the...