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Capital formation and management among the Muslim Hausa traders of Kano, Nigeria1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 January 2012

Ahmed Beita Yusuf
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Extract

This paper attempts to comment on the various techniques by which Kano Hausa traders and businessmen raise capital and invest it for diverse economic and social returns. Rather than proposing anything new, I will seek mainly to point to areas of needed future research among the Hausa traders. Moreover, although the paper is primarily concerned with the economic behaviour of a particular people, no clear effort is made at quantification, since very little statistics for Kano trade exist at the time of writing.

Résumé

FORMATION DU CAPITAL ET GESTION CHEZ LES MARCHANDS MUSULMANS HAUSA DE KANO, NIGÉRIA

Cet article commente les différentes techniques selon lesquelles les marchands et hommes d'affaires de Kano réunissent des fonds qu'ils investissent pour en tirer des profits économiques et sociaux. Chez les Hausa de Kano, la coutume veut que les transactions économiques soient ménagées par les relations sociales, politiques, religieuses ou familiales. En l'absence de tels liens, il est probable que les transactions économiques dans les sociétés pré-industrielles présenteront un niveau d'intégrité et de confiance réciproque très faible. Les faillites, les manquements aux engagements et les lourdes pertes sont fréquents dans le commerce hausa. Ce que l'on explique habituellement par les dépenses ostentatoires, les partages d'héritage consécutifs à la mort d'un riche propriétaire ou l'abus de confiance de clients ou d'agents.

Il est probable que les sanctions religieuses et morales qui soutiennent les relations contractuelles ont contribué à maintenir pendant des siècles le système économique des Hausa de Kano.

Type
Research Article
Information
Africa , Volume 45 , Issue 2 , April 1975 , pp. 167 - 182
Copyright
Copyright © International African Institute 1975

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