The Abakwariga and the Economic Transformation of the Jukun, Kingdom of Wukari, ca. 1650-1900

So far studies of Jukun history have concentrated on the divine nature of the political authority in the Wukari Kingdom, or the need to prove or deny any link between Wukari and the Kwararafa Kingdom of the Benue region. One important, untouched theme is economic history and the contributions made by the Abakwariga in sustaining the Wukari Kingdom. Abakwariga is a term used by many people to describe the initial Hausa settlers or their descendants in the Jukun country of central Nigeria. Others give it to the descendants of mixed marriages. Traditionally, while the Jukun were engaged in agriculture and hunting, the Abakwariga concentrated on industries and commerce, and their contribution to the growth of the Wukari Kingdom at the height of its power cannot be underestimated. Bibliogr.