The technological landscape of human and animal transportation: Cases from Northern Nigeria and Southern Côte d’Ivoire

Abstract

This paper sheds light on a West African technological landscape of the early twentieth century that transcended the boundaries of various West African population groups and natural environments. The conceptual framework of technological landscape employed in this study serves to explore the everyday spaces and details of trade and transport activities of merchants from Northern Nigeria, as well as the engagement of forest dwellers in Côte d’Ivoire in the trade of gold and other natural resources they cultivated, harvested and produced in the forest. Building on archival materials from Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, the paper considers various historical actors who have often been neglected in history of technology narratives but who are certainly relevant in West African (transport) history.