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State building in pre-colonial sub-Saharan Africa is a much-neglected subject in historical sociology. This paper, which begins to close that gap accounts for state building and transformation in pre-colonial Yorubaland and highlights slavery, slave-taking, and other distinctive features of the Yoruba states. The paper argues that slavery and slave-taking affected warfare in the Yoruba states with remarkable consequences for the Yoruba state system. Furthermore, the paper applied some aspects of existing analytical approaches in historical sociology and comparative politics to elucidate our understanding of the role and limitations of warfare, slave-taking, and slavery in state development in pre-colonial Yorubaland.

Many scholars have reflected on Ricardo’s comparative advantage theory, but little has been said about Yoruba economic thoughts, especially in the exchange and distribution of articles of trade. Prior to the arrival of the Europeans and their activities in the economy of Yorubaland in the pre-colonial period, communities had traded in local, distant markets and across frontiers with neighbours in exchange for products different to the ones they produced. This happened because different towns had specialised in the production of articles which were environmentally suitable to it. Soil fertility, dictated by environmental factors, was a determining factor in what was produced, as agriculture was essentially the predominant economic activity. Textile industries were also established which equally stimulated long-distance trade as specialised clothes were made for export to neighbouring regions. A number of Yoruba towns have been selected for this analysis. The work presents Yoruba economic thoughts and initiatives, and the activities of the indigenous people in the pre-colonial period in Yorubaland and critically assesses the articles which different towns produced for export to other cities and kingdoms in Yorubaland and beyond. Primary source in form of interviews were conducted, proverbs, and secondary sources such as books and journals were also consulted for this work. The economic thought of the people based on specialising in advantaged goods or what they easily produced and achieved is worth historical investigation as a means of celebrating their economic thoughts in a free market.

Ọsẹ dúdú production and sale constitute a major indigenous business among the Yoruba people. Scholars have noted that the business is capable of boosting the socio-economic status of black soap entrepreneurs and of countries. However, ọsẹ dúdú enterprise has some significant threats and problems that are yet to be researched. This chapter examined the challenges of osẹ dúdú entrepreneurs in Southwest Nigeria. Twenty-six interviews were conducted among indigenous black soap producers and sellers in Ogun, Oyo and Lagos States. Data were analysed in themes. Weather, financial, spiritual, copyright and succession challenges, as well as issues such as a large number of sellers, debt, lack of support, pricing and brand competition, were found to be problems faced by black soap entrepreneurs. This chapter concluded that certain controllable and uncontrollable factors were not only capable of limiting the development of osẹ dúdú business but also have adverse implications for the achievement of the sustainable development goals through the indigenous resource. This chapter suggests that osẹ dúdú business actors such as mechanical engineers, local fabricators, financial institutions, and governmental and non-governmental agencies collaborate with black soap entrepreneurs to ameliorate the challenges of the latter. It is only through this alliance that black soap entrepreneurs can contribute to indigenous business development and the achievement of sustainable development goals in Africa.

The purpose of this chapter is to report on research that examined the perceptions of selected heads of Nigerian libraries about how gossip can assist in the management of libraries of all types. A survey was used to collect data from 40 heads of libraries in the south-west region of Nigeria. The questionnaire contained questions that related to the issues being investigated. The 30 responses (75%) received were processed, analyzed, and the results are presented herein. The study revealed that gossip has indeed helped library management in Nigeria. The heads of libraries reported that they derived some benefits from gossip which helped in decision making. Most respondents agreed that gossip might get out of hand, but said it should be monitored to be used as a positive tool in library management. While the study is limited to 30 libraries, it has applications to similar libraries across Nigeria, and even in other countries. This research provides a better understanding of the reasons why library managers and others should pay attention to gossip and to those behind it because of their influence. This study adds to the body of knowledge about gossip in libraries.

Purpose – Flooding has become a recurring phenomenal in most cities in Nigeria. The 26 August 2011 flooding disaster which occurred in Ibadan is only an indication of magnitude of flooding problem in Nigerian cities. This chapter examines the impacts, vulnerability factors and disaster risk management framework in Ibadan metropolis.

Methodology/Approach – The survey design was used for the study and covers eleven local government areas (LGAs) affected by the flood. The study utilized both primary and secondary data. The primary data were obtained by physical observation and in-depth interview of affected households. In-depth interview was also carried out with key officials of State Ministry of Environment and Housing. The study also relies on the data from the Oyo State Government Task Force on Flood Prevention and Management report.

Findings – The chapter shows that the 26 August 2011 flood disaster in Ibadan metropolis caused monumental destructions in the city. The continuous construction on flood plains, indiscriminate dumping of refuse, excessive rainfall and deforestation were identified as the main vulnerability factors. The chapter shows that there is no adequate framework for disaster risk management in the city.

Research limitations – About 250 affected households in 11 LGAs were interviewed for the study due to time and budget constraints. This figure is considered meagre considering the number of affected households by the flood disaster. However, the random selection of affected households and key government officials helped to address this limitation.

Originality/value of chapter – The simultaneous identification of impacts, vulnerability factors and disaster risk management framework in the city provides an opportunity for the development of a holistic and proactive disaster risk management strategy in Ibadan metropolis.

The COVID-19 pandemic imposed movement restrictions and limited access to modern medical services, prompting the search for alternative solutions, such as indigenous herbal medicines. In Southwest Nigeria, female herbal producers, often with limited economic resources, play a significant role in herbal medicine production. Despite facing multiple challenges, these producers have demonstrated remarkable creativity in navigating the barriers. However, without deliberate efforts to preserve their creative values, indigenous herbal businesses face the threat of extinction. This chapter investigates the resourcefulness of female herbal producers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Southwest Nigeria and proposes strategies for sustaining their trade. Qualitative data were collected to identify the treatment patterns and trade dynamics among female herbal producers in the region. The findings indicate that movement restrictions during the pandemic disrupted herbal producers' access to treatment materials, yet they managed to meet their communities' health needs. These women often serve as first responders and primary healthcare providers in many local communities in Southwest Nigeria, and collaboration with the government will further enhance their effectiveness. The sustainability of indigenous herbal medicine production and trade by women can become a pathway to promote women's economic empowerment in Nigeria if given the necessary support. The chapter concludes with policy recommendations for sustaining the ingenuity of female herbal producers in Nigeria.

Within relatively short time since its emergence, COVID-19 pandemic has attracted impressive academic attention. This chapter in its modest complement of existing studies focused on artisans' disposition and adherence to preventive measures of coronavirus disease in Osun State, Nigeria. The participants according to its findings demonstrated their knowledge of public health advice for controlling COVID-19 such as maintaining social distancing, using face masks in public spaces and adhering to personal hygiene measures. It further revealed that these artisans sourced for ‘perceived’ alternatives public health measures that their financial situation could accommodate and violated the strict lockdown regulations introduced by the government due to inherent economic rewards from going to their places of works. These thus exposed the poor investment profiles of most African nations as well as unhealthy institutional capacity, which cannot carry people along with government policies. A situation of this nature will have untoward effects on social fabric of the society and overall developmental processes.

This chapter highlights the overwhelming situation of plastic pollution in the Nigerian tourism sector. While plastic waste pollution is detrimental to the ecological system, it also has a direct negative effect on Nigeria's economic sectors including tourism. Approximately, 8% of the world's carbon emissions are caused by tourism-related activities. Tourism activities have contributed enormously to the improper disposal of trash, raw sewage and toxic chemicals into Nigeria's environment. However, there is a lack of comprehensive initiative or policy to curb the gigantic waste pollution in Nigeria, specifically in the Nigerian tourism sector. This has caused more confusion among the consumers and the tourism practitioners. Therefore, this chapter outlines the current situation, the implication for the businesses and the responsibility of the stakeholders.

This chapter presents case studies that explore the structures of indigenous savings group practices in Nigeria. Indigenous savings groups in Nigeria can be categorised as either unstructured, semi-structured or structured. These categorisation of savings groups can follow two patterns, which include Rotating Savings and Credit Associations (ROSCAs) and Accumulated Savings and Credit Associations (ASCAs). Through a qualitative case analysis of savings practices in Nigeria, we observed that the indigenous savings groups have similar goals and orientations, though their operating structures differ. The chapter highlighted the relative theme that cuts across these cases, and insightful recommendations are provided for upscaling and adopting indigenous savings groups in Nigeria and Africa. The chapter also discusses the role of government in facilitating savings and credit disbursement to groups. The implications for business actors and the government are highlighted.