The European slave trade was a direct block, in removing millions of youth and young adults who are human agents from whom inventiveness springs. Those who remained in areas badly hit by slave-capturing were pre-occupied about their freedom rather than with improvements in production. Besides, even the busiest African in west, central or east africa was concerned more with trade than with production because of the nature of contacts with Europe; and that situation was not conducive to the introduction of technological advances. The most dynamic groups over a great area of Africa became associated with foreign trade- notably, the afro-Portuguese middlemen of upper guinea, the akan market women, the Aro traders of the Bight of Biafra, the mulattos of Angola, the Yao traders of Mozbique and the swahilli and Wanyamwezi of East Africa. The trade which they carried on was in export items like captives and Ivory which did not require the invention of machinery. Apart from that, they were agents for distributing European imports.

Copied from " How Europe underdeveloped Africa " by Walter Roodney from Tanzania. Page 122

Is Biafra a country? I hope is not the one we general call" the old struggle" here in Nigeria




Because Biafra is dead and buried a long time ago

Abdul05:
Is Biafra a country? I hope is not the one we general call" the old struggle" here in Nigeria




Because Biafra is dead and buried a long time ago

I am talking about Aro Confederacy (1690-1902) which controlled trade in the coastal area called the bight of Biafra

Why do Yorubas claim historical superiority over igbos? The difference is that Igbo's built an economic hegemony instead of political empire

While Oyo collapsed in1826 and Benin collapsed in 1870s Aro lasted till 1902 simply because it controlled legitimate trade.

Aro- Anglo war lasted one year (1901-1902)
It was the only ethnic force to survive till 20th century. This was why the Europeans could not enter Igbo hinterlands early enough

At the end of slave trade. Benin collapsed but Aro continued to thrive because of their middlemen role in other commodity trade. Up till today Igbo still believe that economic power will triumph over political power

We know what the Aros did..
Let bygone be bygones..

Rugaria:
We know what the Aros did..
Let bygone be bygones..

Ya. Bye gone will be remembered once in a while. Those who say that Igbo had no pre colonial civilization should be corrected