Water bodies and the development of societies and trade networks in the lower Niger region since prehistoric time: History and lessons for economic development

Abstract

Extant research has shown that the emergence of societies/settlements and sustainable trade networks around the lower Niger region can be linked with the availability of water bodies, which provided the necessary ingredients for social and economic development. This is true of societies around the riverain Esan southeast area, their Etsako neighbor, as well as those around Aboh (Agbor), the Onitsha (Anambra). Both oral traditions as well as historical evidence have shown that the water bodies and water transport system provided by the River Niger (also known as Oshimili or Ohimili), as well as other tributaries like Alika, Anam River, among others, aided human and economic development. This paper is therefore an attempt at historicizing how this took place and possible lessons for the modern-day economy and economic development of Nigeria. Data obtained from primary and secondary sources were deployed to carry out the study with an analytical and narrative historical approach. This includes historical, descriptive and analytical approaches based on gathered evidence. The primary source for this research is based on field investigations conducted in the area and surrounding territories. Among other things, the data collection process includes semi-structured interviews with individuals. The research also uses historical documents from the national archives, relying on previous research conducted on issues of trade and economic development, in addition to documentary data taken from newspaper accounts, diaries, letters and verbal reports. The paper is divided into five sections: Introduction, Conceptual Clarification and Historical Background, Geography and development: The Waterways, Settlements and Trade Network.