RIVER BENUE AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRADE AND INTERGROUP RELATIONS IN THE BENUE VALLEY SINCE THE PRECOLONIAL PERIOD

Water bodies have played significant roles in human history and culture, hence, their influence on societies cannot be ignored. This is also the case with the River Benue which takes its source from Northern Cameroon and flows over 1,400 Km westward to meet the River Niger as one its largest tributaries. It is true that rivers can act as natural obstacles or even boundaries in some cases, but many societies have mastered the art of harnessing water resources and, since the colonial period, the River Benue has been utilised by the peoples of the Benue Valley including those along its banks and beyond for various purposes including agriculture, fishing, trade, exploration, raids, communication, transportation and cultural transmission. The depth and breadth of the River permitted all year - round travelling for different groups including the early European explorers and missionaries. This paper therefore examines the role played by the River Benue in the development of trade and intergroup relations in the Benue Valley beginning from the precolonial period up to the postcolonial period. The paper relied on the analysis of extant literature and oral interviews as well as archival materials and the methodology is essentially historical. The paper was conceived against the backdrop that an understanding of the dynamics of trade and intergroup relations in the Benue Valley with the River Benue as a medium is important in properly harnessing and managing the resources of the area given the heterogeneous and diverse cultures present in the area.