Free Trade in Precolonial Era: Implications for the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area in Cameroon
Keywords:
African Continental Free Trade Area, Precolonial Era, Cameroon, Trade Implementation, Historical Perspectives, Bilateral Trade, Multilateral Trade, Currencies, Trade by Barter, African Currency.
Abstract
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is high on national and international development agendas. For Cameroon to better participate and fast-track this program's implementation, we conducted historical perspectives from the precolonial era using a rigorous qualitative research approach, including one-on-one interviews and focus group discussions in five different regions in Cameroon. We found that trade in Ancient Cameroon was bilateral and multilateral using various currencies and trade by barter. Therefore, there is a need to create an African currency to facilitate the implementation of the AfCFTA, and member states should brainstorm on trade rules that will accelerate AfCFTA implementation.
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References
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Radetzki, M., &Wårell, L. (2020). The Historical Framework. In A Handbook of Primary Commodities in the Global Economy (pp. 6-27). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108886529.002
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Warnier, J. P. (2012). The Grassfields of Cameroon: ancient center or recent periphery?. Africa Today, 58(3), 59-72.
World Bank, (2020). Trade Pact Could Boost Africa’s Income by $450 Billion https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2020/07/27/african-continental-free-trade-area
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Viljoen, A.H., Saayman, A. & Saayman, M., (2019). Examining intra-African tourism: A trade theory perspective, South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences 22(1), a2860.
Debaere, P. &Demiroglu, U., (2003), On the similarity of country endowments, Journal of International Economics 59(1), 101–136.
Wonnacott, R.J. (1996). Free-trade agreements: For better or worse? The American Economic Review, 86(2)62-66.
Mlambo, V. H., Thusi, X., Zubane, S., &Mlambo, D. N. (2022). The African Continental Free Trade Area: Challenges and Possible Successes. Latin American Journal of Trade Policy, 5(12), 75-106.
UNCTAD. (2021). Reaping the potential benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area for inclusive growth. From https://unctad.org/webflyer/economic-development-africa-report-2021. (Retrived 20 March 2021).
Anyanwu, J. C. (2014). Does intra‐African trade reduce youth unemployment in Africa? African Development Review, 26(2), 286-309.
Aswani, S., & Sheppard, P. (2003). The Archaeology and Ethnohistory of Exchange in Precolonial and Colonial Roviana: Gifts, Commodities, and Inalienable Possessions. Current Anthropology, 44(S5), S51–S78. https://doi.org/10.1086/377667
AU, (2023). Powering trade through AfCFTA: https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/february-2023/au-summit-2023-powering-trade-through-afcfta (access:17 February 2023)
Austen, R. A. (1983). The Metamorphoses of Middlemen: The Duala, Europeans, and the Cameroon Hinterland, ca. 1800-ca. 1960. The International Journal of African Historical Studies, 16(1), 1-24.
Barbier J.C., Champaud J.C., Gendreau F. (1983). La région du Moungo au Cameroun, Paris, ORSTROM.
Benneh, G. and DeLancey, . Mark W. (2023). Cameroon. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Cameroon
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77-101.
Britannica: History of Cameroon, Early History: Available at https://www.britannica.com/place/Cameroon/History
Bulmer, M. (1982). The Research Ethics of Pseudo—Patient Studies: A New Look at the Merits of Covert Ethnographic Methods. The Sociological Review, 30(4), 627-646.
Burton, L. M., & Hardaway, C. R. (2012). Low‐income mothers as “other mothers” to their romantic partners' children: Women's co-parenting in multiple partner fertility relationships. Family Process, 51(3), 343-359.
Carr, D., & Springer, K. W. (2010). Advances in families and health research in the 21st century. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72(3), 743-761.
Champaud J., (1983). VillesetCampagnes du Cameroun de l’Ouest, Paris, ORSTROM.
Chirikure, S. (2017). Documenting precolonial trade in Africa. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of African History.http://shcas.shnu.edu.cn/_upload/article/pdf
Chirikure, S. (2017). Documenting precolonial trade in Africa. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of African History.
Dike K.O., (1956). Trade and politics in the Niger Delta, 1830-1885: an introduction to the economic and political history of Nigeria, Oxford, Clarendon Press.
Farahane, M., &Heshmati, A. (2020). Trade and economic growth: theories and evidence from the Southern African Development Community.
Farahane, M., &Heshmati, A. (2020). Trade and economic growth: theories and evidence from the Southern African Development Community.
Fofack, H. (2020). Making the AfCFTA Work for ‘Africa We Want. Brookings Africa Growth Initiative Working Paper, Brookings Institution. https://www. Brookings. edu/wpcontent/uploads/2020/12/20.12.
Fofack, H. (2021). Africa’s 2021 Growth Prospects: A Puzzle of many pieces. The African Export-Import Bank, Cairo, Egypt.
Fuglestad, F. (2018). Continuation. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190876104.003.0018
Gouellain R., (1975. Douala, ville et histoire, Paris, Institut Technologie.
Kamuganga, D. N. (2012). Does intra-Africa regional trade cooperation enhance Africa's export survival? (No. 16/2012). Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies Working Paper.
Kufuor, K. (2021). The African Continental Free Trade Agreement and the importance of a two-level approach to its success.
Kum'aNdumbe.,(2005). Survival strategies of Cameroonian populations in a globalized economy - from the informal sector to the formal sector - How are our populations coping or not? 5-15.
Lewis and Thomas, (2023). "Transatlantic slave trade". Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/transatlantic-slave-trade.
Mark et al. (2010) “Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Cameroon” Historical Dictionaries of Africa, fourth edition, No. 113
Michalopoulos, S., &Papaioannou, E. (2013). Pre-colonial Ethnic Institutions and Contemporary African Development. Econometrica: Journal of the Econometric Society, 81(1), 113. https://doi.org/10.3982/ECTA9613
Ngouo, H. R. (2022). Evaluating the pertinence of foreign languages (German, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Italian) in Cameroon’s education curriculum: need for reform of the curriculum and language in education policy. Journal of the Cameroon Academy of Sciences, 18(1), 361-388.
Nkafu, (2023), Free Trade in Precolonial Cameroon: Historical Perspectives from Traditional Leaders and Elders: https://nkafu.org/free-trade-in-precolonial-cameroon-project/
Obasun, O. (2023). Stimulating Intra-Africa Trade for Economic Growth Through Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) Exploring the Lingering Barriers to Success.
Oka, R., & Kusimba, C. M. (2008). The Archaeology of Trading Systems, Part 1: Towards a New Trade Synthesis. Journal of Archaeological Research, 16(4), 339–395. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41053254
Phiri, M., &Mungomba, N. (2019). Leveraging the BRI for Africa’s Industrialization and Intra-Trade (Opportunities for the AfCFTA).
Radetzki, M., &Wårell, L. (2020). The Historical Framework. In A Handbook of Primary Commodities in the Global Economy (pp. 6-27). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108886529.002
Ralph A. Austen., (1983). The Metamorphoses of Middlemen: The Duala, Europeans, and the Cameroon Hinterland, ca. 1800 - ca. 1960 », in The International Journal of African Historical Studies, 16(1):1-24.
Reczek, C. (2014). Conducting a multi-family member interview study. Family Process, 53(2), 318-335.
Rönnbäck, K. (2018). The Challenge of Studying Inflation in Precolonial Africa. History in Africa, 45, 5-18. doi:10.1017/hia.2017.12
Rose, A. K., Lockwood, B., &Quah, D. (2000). One Money, One Market: The Effect of Common Currencies on Trade. Economic Policy, 15(30), 7-45. https://doi.org/10.2307/1344722
Tagne Kommegne S.C.,(2006). L'imposition des cultures de rente dans le processus de formation de l'Etat au Cameroun (1884-1914) », mémoire de DEA en science politique, Université de Yaoundé 2-Soa.
Warnier J.P., (2014) « L’institution monétaire de la royauté en Afrique centrale », Souffrances paysannes, n°193.
Warnier, J. P. (2012). The Grassfields of Cameroon: ancient center or recent periphery?. Africa Today, 58(3), 59-72.
World Bank, (2020). Trade Pact Could Boost Africa’s Income by $450 Billion https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2020/07/27/african-continental-free-trade-area
AU, (2018). Intra-African Trade Fair: https://au.int/en/newsevents/20181211/intra-african-trade-fair-2018: Access (December, 2018)
Afreximbank, (2023). African trade report 2023: https://www.afreximbank.com/afreximbank-launches-the-african-trade-report-2023/ Access (October, 2023)
Viljoen, A.H., Saayman, A. & Saayman, M., (2019). Examining intra-African tourism: A trade theory perspective, South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences 22(1), a2860.
Debaere, P. &Demiroglu, U., (2003), On the similarity of country endowments, Journal of International Economics 59(1), 101–136.
Wonnacott, R.J. (1996). Free-trade agreements: For better or worse? The American Economic Review, 86(2)62-66.
Mlambo, V. H., Thusi, X., Zubane, S., &Mlambo, D. N. (2022). The African Continental Free Trade Area: Challenges and Possible Successes. Latin American Journal of Trade Policy, 5(12), 75-106.
UNCTAD. (2021). Reaping the potential benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area for inclusive growth. From https://unctad.org/webflyer/economic-development-africa-report-2021. (Retrived 20 March 2021).
Published
2024-07-25
How to Cite
Joachem Meh, B., Valery Ngo, N., Sinsai, R., Asahngwa, C., Kepgang, E., Nantchouang, R., Cedric Kouam, J., & Foretia, D. (2024). Free Trade in Precolonial Era: Implications for the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area in Cameroon. GPH-International Journal of Business Management, 7(06), 127-146. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12819626
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