Even though Nigeria’s economy was based primarily on agriculture in the past and continues to do so now, many people were also involved in manufacturing, commerce, hunting, and fishing. Because Nigerians have access to raw materials, equipment, and skills, indigenous industries comprise a significant segment of the country’s economy and should be seriously included in any comprehensive study of Nigeria’s internal economy.
This study is significant because these businesses generated the necessary service items for people to have tools, weapons, utensils, ornaments, and clothes. For some, the industry was also a significant source of income; for others. They added to their agricultural revenue by producing tools and weapons using materials that were readily available to them. These tools and weaponry allowed them to better control their surroundings and raise their standard of living. But the living conditions have had an impact on some of these industries. The emergence of contemporary industries has, nevertheless, had an impact on a few of these industries.
Types of Industries.
Although it is difficult to pinpoint the precise beginning of industries in the Nigerian region, we do know that some of them are rather old. The manufacturing of salt, leather goods, pottery, metalwork, textiles, saponification, building, and food processing were among the significant industries.
The availability of raw materials, pertinent technology, and market demand for the industries’ output determined the kind and location of indigenous industries. Nigeria is rich in natural resources, including minerals, meat, and vegetables, which served as the foundation for several industries. For instance, clay was used to make pottery and was found in various parts of Nigeria. The raw material needed for smiths was iron ore, and in the northern grasslands, where hides and skin were readily available, leatherwork predominated. Similar to this, wood carving held great significance in southern Nigeria’s forested areas. The introduction and expansion of industries around the nation was also aided by the movement of people and ideas. Nigeria’s industrial distribution reveals that most towns have experts in at least one specific craft. We will investigate a few of these industries in greater detail.
POTTERY.
In Nigeria, pottery was practiced whenever clay was available, making it a widely practiced craft. The earliest pottery artifacts in Nigeria were discovered in a late Stone Age rop rock shelter at Iwo Eleru, near Akure, on the Jos Plateau. The shelter dates to approximately 3000 B.C. and was excavated by Professor D.D. Hartle in 1966. Archaeological evidence from Diama, south of Lake Chad, indicates that the locals produced good pottery in the first millennium B.C., some of which had exquisite decorations.
There were also pieces of the massive pots known as Sao pots in Borno’s oral tradition. The Igbo Ukwu site, which dates to the ninth century A.D., had a lot of shattering and even whole pottery. The most striking of them all had an open mouth and was adorned with chameleon, snake, and ram’s head models, as well as deep channelling and projecting bosses. The pot has handles as well.
When the old Ooni’s burial place, known as Lafegido, was excavated, a potsherd pavement with twelve clay waterpots was discovered. The location was dated to the 12th century A.D. or so. Moreover, pottery dating back more than seven centuries has been unearthed in Benin. Pottery has been prominent in several towns in more recent times. During his 1851–1854, German explorer Henreich Barth discovered that many crafts, like as ceramics, were practiced in Katsina, Air, Sokot, Adamawa, Kano, and Gwandu. Famous for their ceramics were Ife and Owo in Yorubaland and Isiagu and Ibeku in Igboland. Although pottery is still made in many Nigerian villages, there is much less market for it now. Abuja, for instance, has persisted in producing exquisitely adorned ceramics.
Manufacturing of pottery.
Crafting pottery required complex procedures and was typically done by women. To start, the clay was combined and thoroughly processed to get rid of any foreign objects like wood and stones. We added sand and powdered pottery shards to the clay to temper it. This was done with the intention of making it less plastic so that the pot would not split during burning. The next step was gradually adding prepared clay to the pot or maker until the maker reached the desired height. The pot was embellished with patterns or motifs while it was still wet. A few individuals rolled maize husks across the surface to reach the unfired kettle. The Jos Museum’s assortment of pots illustrates the focus on surface embellishment. The pot was decorated, then sun-dried, and finally burnt to an extremely high temperature. After glazing, the pot was prepared for usage or sale.
Nigerian women crafted ceramics in a variety of sizes and shapes for a variety of purposes. Wide-mouthed pots were used for storing and cooking, whereas small-mouthed pots were used to collect water from streams. Some pots were also employed in rituals; in Borno, the “Sao Pots” are thought to have been either red, black, brown, or grey-black in color.
Although the quantity of pots produced by a single person is not tracked statistically, it must have been significant enough to support both local and international pottery trade. For instance, it was reported that Ibeku women had sold their pots in Ntigha, Ngwaland, and other markets. Pots, on the other hand, require more room after completion and are fragile goods. This definitely restricted the markets where pots could be sold to women who could transport them safely in large baskets. Isiagu women’s ceramics were shipped by rail from Afikpo-Road to other railroad towns in what was then Eastern Nigeria during the 1950s.
Leave a Reply