In myheritagemypride, an account of historical indigenous enterprise:
...In the nineteenth century and early colonial period the Abribans diversified into the trade of palm produce using towns such as Itu, Calabar, Port Harcourt, Bonny and Opobo as bases. They also developed a strong trade in smuggled gin from Fernando Po. The Abribans later became major dealers in stockfish trading with the United African Company and G.B Ollivant, both companies having been established by the colonialists and virtually holding a monopoly in the produce trade in Eastern parts of Nigeria.More hereThe Abiribans broke this monopoly by incorporating the Abiriba Merchant Company which became a leading firm of produce agents which had the Licensed Buying Agent status (LBA). The Abribans subsequently established trading outposts in the West Coast of Africa in countries such as Cameroon, Togo and Benin which they used to play an important part in reviving the economic fortunes of Aba, Onitsha and other commercial centers in the then East Central State at the end of the Nigerian civil-war, when the Igbo’s were impoverished by the economic policy of the Federal government, as they brought in much needed capital from the aforementioned outposts.
image via MyheritageMyPride
