EMBAR

Author:
Opara, Uche A. Ph.D , Nwokorie Chinyere Queen
Department of History and Diplomatic Studies AlvanIkoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria

DOI: doi.org/10.58924/rjhss.v5.iss4.p1

Published Date: 12-Sep, 2026

Keywords: Trade, Trust, Economic Integration, Inter-Group Relations, Ethnic Boundaries, Colonial Nigeria.

Abstract:
This study examines trade, trust and economic integration across ethnic boundaries in colonial Nigeria between 1900 and 1967. It investigates how commercial interactions among diverse ethnic communities contributed to the development of regional markets, strengthened economic relationships and facilitated the movement of goods, capital, labour and entrepreneurial skills. The study specifically examines the nature of inter-group trade networks; explores the role of trust, reciprocity and social relationships in sustaining economic exchanges; and assesses the contribution of inter-group commerce to wider economic integration in colonial Nigeria. The study adopts a historical research methodology based exclusively on secondary and documentary sources, including published books, scholarly journal articles, government publications, newspapers, statistical reports, biographies and relevant existing studies. The study argues that economic relationships across ethnic boundaries were sustained not merely by market forces but also by networks of trust, reciprocity, credit and social obligation. It further demonstrates that inter-group commercial activities helped connect previously differentiated local economies and contributed to the emergence of broader regional markets. The study recommends greater scholarly attention to indigenous commercial institutions and inter-group economic networks in reconstructing Nigeria’s economic history.

References: