Conference on "Nineteenth-century Post-Abolition Commerce and the Communities of the Lower Niger River Basin (Nigeria)"

To be held at the Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria, June 11-12, 2004.

Being organized jointly by the Department of History, University of Guelph (Canada), with the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Department of History of Central Michigan University (USA) in association with Imo State University (Owerri, Nigeria,) This two-day workshop, to be held on the Imo State University campus from June 11-12, 2004, will bring together scholars in history and related fields to discuss the Nineteenth-century post-abolition commerce and the communities of the lower Niger River basin in the nineteenth century. The conference will focus on local level social, economic and political developments in the communities fringing the basin of the lower Niger River, its tributaries, and the Niger Delta, arising from the effect of or participation in international trade in the 19th century. Presentations are welcome on:

• Biographies of wealthy individuals, famous traders, or families; farmers, canoe operators, and any other professionals whose activities came down in the local peoples? memory as significant, distinctive, important or unusual.
• Historical analyses of traditional rituals, ceremonies, songs, stories, and the general orature alluding to or describing 19th-century commerce-related issues.
• Research reports by advanced graduate students working on any aspect of the subject areas relating to the foregoing themes
• Bibliographic examination of research carried out within and without Nigeria in the past 15 years on the riverine and overland 19th-century commerce (produce and slaves) of the societies of the lower Niger River system.
• Further suggestions on possible topics: transportation networks; intersection of riverine & overland trade; credit; guilds; trade secrets & trade professionals; local, subregional contexts of trade and political power; local production; imports; security & trade; trade practices; and the intersection of gender with any of the above themes/topics.

Additional funding is being sought with the hope of subsidizing the cost of attending the conference for paper presenters from within Nigeria who qualify. On application, junior non-academic sector /independent researchers interested in presenting papers will be considered for such subsidies.

Submit a 500 word abstract via e-mail not later than January 31, 2004.

For further information or to submit a proposal, contact the coordinators: