Shagamu and the crash of Kola nut trade

Socioeconomic and infrastructural developments; insecurity; and changes in social practices have conspired to crash the decades-old South-North kola nut trade from the axis of once-glorious Shagamu. I stepped out of my hotel into the humid heat of the tropical rain forest, walking leisurely along Akarigbo Road towards the oldest section of the North-in-the-South-West settlement. Walking […]

Socioeconomic and infrastructural developments; insecurity; and changes in social practices have conspired to crash the decades-old South-North kola nut trade from the axis of once-glorious Shagamu.

I stepped out of my hotel into the humid heat of the tropical rain forest, walking leisurely along Akarigbo Road towards the oldest section of the North-in-the-South-West settlement.

Walking excitedly towards the flyover which terminated very close to the T-junction leading to Shagon Danbojuwa (Danbojuwa shop), one of the oldest kola nut trading shops, my observations and expectations struggled to establish dependable connections between the cheery tales I gathered about the Shagamu of decades past, and the Shagamu of today.

Between the 1960s and the late 1990s, Shagamu was famous for its high population of Northern Nigerians converging under the name ‘Hausa,’ and for being the most popular focal point and terminus of the South-North kola nut trade, which was largely instrumental to the rapid growth of the settlement’s Northerners-in-the-South population.

The settlement achieved fame over time as an exemplar in explaining the numerous factors underlying North – South migrations and, subsequently, the growth and socioeconomic development of the so-called stranger settlements across the Nigerian society.

The decades-old trade, for which Shagamu earned its name and fame, has drastically plummeted. The robust number of big trucks loading the commodity daily for conveyance to Northern markets in the glorious decades proceeding the 21st century has drastically emaciated to a paltry couple of small-capacity vehicles usually hired after delivering tomatoes, pepper and vegetables to Lagos markets.

In those glorious periods, most Northern locations had their respective Shago (shop) at Shagamu, where the commodity was loaded for conveyance to respective markets accordingly.

Most of these shops have now drowned in the sea of the current ‘adverse’ socioeconomic transformations of the broader Nigerian society, of which Shagamu is an integral part.

The population of Sabo Shagamu seems gradually soaring back, with, markedly, the larger throngs of the Northerners themselves, especially commuter-service motorcycle operators.

This, however, is due notably to such different factors as the growing trade in grains and numerous other types of farm produce to feed the industries in the vicinity of Lagos, into which Shagamu and many other Ogun State towns now seem to fall, in spite of the 1999 crisis which, reportedly, dispersed a great population of the Northerner settlers there to either other South-West towns or back home.

A notable factor in the population growth of Sabo Shagamu is introduced and decided by the North-South migration of a substantial population of youth, not as various labourers in the kola nut trade chain, as of old, but mostly as itinerant traders and menial job handlers.

 

Also, due to the pathetically shrunk kola nut trade, a considerable population of labourers, hitherto engaged in it, but who have stayed put in the settlement in spite of the ‘adversity’ it has been struck with since 1999, has moved to factory work and other trades. 

 

Most of the diehard age-old kola nut traders there have, themselves, diversified to the now increasingly more lucrative farm produce trade and such other microeconomic ventures as operating commercial conveniences and bathrooms, taking the advantage of the soaring population of the homeless youth constituting the Okada riders, commercial load carriers, other itinerant traders and street beggars.

A noticeable population of the original inhabitants and long-time settlers of the town and their progenies have died, dispersed to safer abodes in the South-West region or returned home up North, especially sequel to the 1999 crisis.

Shagamu, once the most glorious South-North kola nut trade terminus, is a beneficiary, or a victim, of the inevitable socioeconomic dynamics of the human society, as dictated by the emerging imperatives and challenges of the changing times.

Over 80 years-old Alhaji Muhtari Abdullahi Maikano is the Sarkin Hausawan Shagamu.

“Shagamu and other kola nut trade locations in Nigeria cannot now guarantee any sufficient supply to meet the demand of Nigeria, so the larger quantity of the commodity supplied to the Nigerian markets is imported from Abidjan  to Agege, from where it is distributed to most Northern markets,” he disclosed, stressing, “the largest quantity of the kola nut now consumed in Nigeria is from Abidjan.”

Alhaji Muhtari said: “In the past, people from Northern Nigeria came here only for kola nut and, to some extent, cattle trade, which was originally the main North-South trade. Kola nut trade gradually overtook the cattle trade in terms of volume, until recently. Kola nut has ceased to be the commodity bringing Northern traders to Shagamu. They now come here mainly for farm produce trade. Kola nut is no more a serious trade factor.

“I am not telling you that kola nut trade has ceased, I don’t foresee it ceasing completely, but it has drastically plummeted. Majority of Northern traders come here not to buy kola nut, but to deliver tomatoes, pepper, onions and all other farm produce grown in the North to our markets. Some of them carry kola nut just to avoid returning to the North with empty vehicles.

“In the past, large trucks transported the commodity from here to the North. That is no longer the case. Now only small-capacity vehicles do so. Money is scarce and the commodity has become too expensive. The amount sufficient for a Northern kola nut trader to fill two or three large trucks with the commodity in the past, is not sufficient to fill a small-capacity vehicle now. Presently, two or three, or even more, traders have to partner to afford one small-capacity vehicle full load of the commodity.

“The supply has drastically reduced, while the demand of the soaring population has galloped. Most of the kola nut farms have given way to other structural developments, without new farms being developed. All those farms have gone forever, and opportunities do not exist for renewal. Most of the wards of the settlement used to be kola nut farms. Most of the kola nut farms have given way to houses. This is the cause of the scarcity of the commodity, coupled with its price. This is why trade in the commodity drastically fell.

“A large population of this settlement is constituted now by factory labourers, commercial load carriers and other menial job handlers, not by labourers in the kola nut trade chain. Kola nut trade is giving way to the fast growing volume of cattle and farm produce trade.”

Alhaji Mustapha Ibrahim Kiyawa is a renowned kola nut trader who has diversified to several other commercial ventures.

“I inherited kola nut trade from my parents,” said the Shagamu-born businessman, explaining, however, “but due to the changes in the trade brought about by the times I have diversified to trading in grains like rice, soya beans, beans and maize; and when I did this, I made tremendous achievement and progress in my business.

“The changes that necessitated the diversification affects the larger society, of which Shagamu is a part,” he maintained, adding, “for example, we grew up to see here at Shagamu that not more than 500 meters from this spot (Shagon Danbojuwa), you would see the kola nut trees. This has ceased to be the case. The kola nut farms themselves have become companies. This reality, coupled with the soaring population, has made trade in grains and other forms of farm produce more lucrative than kola nut trade.

“With regard to kola nut trade, at Shagamu, we are now only feeding from the leftover of the past. Because of the growing population, and the establishment of many industries and companies, sequel to the settlement’s proximity to Lagos, the kola nut trade has gradually relocated to other towns in Ogun Ondo and Osun states like Ifo, Ikirun, Ore and Ondo town. They all produce more kola nut than Shagamu now. Shagamu is only basking in its past glory, which it can no longer defend with the quantity of kola nut it produces.

“A large population of those who, hitherto, laboured in the kola nut trade chain has moved to other trades and jobs. Majority of youths who came from the North (‘Yan cirani) now operate Achaba (commuter-service motorcycles) and do other menial jobs, while the original inhabitants and their children (‘Yan kasa) work for the companies around.

“In the time of our parents and grandparents, kola nut trade was the most lucrative thing to engage in. In this time of ours, we believe diversifying to other trades and business ventures is the most realistic and lucrative thing to do, especially because of the advancement in communication technology, which has simplified the conduct of trade and business in all ramifications.

“The insurgency in the Northeast also adversely affected the North-South kola nut trade. Before the insurgency, I, alone, in this shop used to load at least a 1000-capacity vehicle of white kola nut to Maiduguri. Due to the insurgency and the subsequent closure of the trans-border roads to Chad and Cameroon, through which a large quantity of the commodity used to be transported to those countries since four years ago, just a measly quantity of it is transported to Maiduguri and other sections of the Northeast.

“We are only now able to sneak some quantity of the commodity to Cameroon through Mubi (in Adamawa State), facilitated by some of our fellow traders there who were able to escape alive and unhurt from the insurgency to Cameroon. We transport the kola nut to Mubi; they then cross the border to take it and cross back. This is how we conduct the trade between Nigeria and Cameroon now

“I am optimistic, and I can confidently assure you, that with the full restoration of peace and security in the Northeast, the glory of the kola nut trade will be substantially resuscitated. Even the Yoruba farmers of the commodity, who have abandoned their farms far in the forest, will revive them, and if the farms have already been taken over by structural developments, they will source the commodity from Ondo and Osun; and the boom days will substantially return.”

Alhaji Inuwa Garba Sarki is the Ciroma of Shagamu.

“The most serious cause of the drastic fall in the kola nut trade is the rapid development of physical structures like houses and industries. Kola nut farms have all given way to houses and industries due to the rising population and the economic development of the society.

“Yes! The 1999 Shagamu crisis has dispersed the majority of kola nut traders to other kola nut-producing towns in Yoruba land. But it would not be wise of us to plead with them to return. If they return to Shagamu, what will they do? Shagamu cannot guarantee them the sufficient supply of the commodity to facilitate the revival of lucrative trade, which is their mainstay in the settlement. There is virtually nothing we can do about the situation now.”

Ahmed Yusuf is an Abuja-based Financial and Economic Consultant.

“The South-North kola nut trade crashed because, due to the rapid advancement in the spread of Islamic knowledge and practice, a large percentage of the northern consumers of the commodity shifted their preference to date palm. Even at events where the distribution of kola nut was an established practice, date palm and assorted sweets have taken over. This drastically reduced the consumption of the commodity in the region and, subsequently, the demand plummeted, leading to the drastic fall in the trade.

“Another factor of the fall of the trade, specifically from the Shagamu axis, is the refusal of the Shagamu Hausa community kola nut traders to relocate to Ogere, the new settlement that sprang up with the construction of the new Lagos – Ibadan expressway. In this situation, the large trucks that used to transport the commodity in monumental quantities from Shagamu, when they used to pass through the town, now only park at Ogere. So, there are no more large trucks to transport the commodity.”