The Pre Colonial Economic History Akwanga Division

Development before the advent of British colonial rule was averagely stable contrary to the Hamitic hypothesis that postulates the darkness and backwardness of sub-Sahara Africa. During the pre-colonial period Akwanga Division like other Nigeria societies were organized economically, politically and socially. Crops production has been a major occupation among the people of Akwanga Division before colonial rule, consequently making the area a major theater of cash crop production during that period. Existing works on the area are limited to cultural, political and social history. This research seeks to explore the pre-colonial economic History of Akwanga division. The work focuses on the economic changes that occurred spanning between the pre-colonial to the colonial period. This research is qualitative in nature and the historical method of data collection and analysis is employed to achieve the aims and objectives of this research. The researcher consulted primary and such as published books, reputable Journal articles from recognized databases, seminar papers, working papers, workshop proceedings, magazines, Ph.D. Theses and Masters Dissertations that are relevant to the subject matter. This research argues that the people of Akwanga division and other societies in Nigerian depended on agriculture, blacksmithing, carving, hunting and gathering, soap marking, salt making, the barter system of exchange and long-distance trade for consumption and commercial purposes (internal and long-distance trade). The formal subjugation of the area intensified the imposition of the colonial policies that promoted cash crop production and export under the dictates of colonial officials and their Lebanese and African Agents. Cash crop production and export in Nigeria was carried out based on unequal exchange. Europeans controlled 80%, their agents 10% and rural farmers 10%, which was close to nothing. This demonstrates that the colonial economy was highly beneficial to the Europeans and detrimental to the people of Akwanga division. Labour during this period was extremely cheap and not flexible enough to overhaul the economy improve per capita income and standards of living. European merchants did not provide an enabling environment for the factors of production and the key drivers of economic development to drive forward and expand production and increase employment and an income generation mechanism for the people of the study area.