Olayemi Akinwumi writes:
As a result of European imperialism and the Anglo-French Convention of 1898, Borgu was divided between the French and the British. Today it falls within Nigeria in the East and the Republic of Benin in the West. The inhabitants are known as Bariba and Borgawa.
Large-scale iron making in Borgu has to do with the large quantity of iron ore deposits in the region. The soil contained limonite, haematite and gothite. Borgu was also rich in vegetal materials. Two important trees classified as Butyrospermum paradoxum subsp. parkii and prosopis africana were available in large quantities. These trees were cut down and burnt to provide fuel. Prospecting for the ore was not simple. It involved extensive search. The reserve capacity of the field had to be evaluated...[more]