ECONOMY OF UGEP
People: Ugep (Umor) / Yakurr
Region: Yakurr Local Government Area, Cross River State, Nigeria
Subject: Traditional Economy, Agriculture, Trade, Labour, and Economic Development
Author: Knight Alex Ofem
1. Introduction
The economy of a community encompasses the systems through which people produce, distribute, exchange, and consume goods and services. Among the people of Ugep, traditionally known as Umor, economic life historically developed around agriculture, land, family organization, natural resources, craft production, and trade.
Before the colonial period, agriculture formed the foundation of the Ugep economy. It was supported by customary land-tenure arrangements, locally produced farming implements, cooperative labour systems, and the extended family structure.
Economic activities were not limited to farming. Hunting, fishing, gathering of forest products, craft production, palm-oil processing, and local trade also contributed to household livelihoods and communal prosperity.
2. Agriculture
Agriculture was, and remains, one of the principal economic activities of the Yakurr people.
Traditional farming was largely dependent on human labour and locally produced implements. Agricultural activities included land preparation, planting, weeding, harvesting, processing, and storage.
Crops cultivated included yam, cocoyam, water yam, maize, pepper, okra, and other food and cash crops suited to the local environment.
Agriculture provided food for households, supplied products for exchange, and supported the growth and development of the community.
3. Labour and the Extended Family
Labour was an important factor in the traditional economy of Ugep. Much of the agricultural workforce was provided through the extended family system.
The extended family unit, known as the Eto, constituted an important social and economic institution. Large households, which could include several generations as well as wives and children, provided substantial labour for farming and other domestic and economic activities.
The organization of labour through family structures enabled households to cultivate larger areas of farmland and undertake demanding agricultural activities collectively.
4. Land Tenure and the Kepun
Traditional land ownership and allocation were organized through family and lineage institutions.
The Kepun, representing paternal family units, exercised customary authority over family lands and participated in the allocation of farmland to individual households.
Land was therefore regarded not simply as an economic resource but also as an important ancestral and communal asset. Its use was governed by customary rules concerning inheritance, occupation, cultivation, and family responsibilities.
5. Cooperative Labour and Kojene
During periods of intensive agricultural activity, particularly planting, weeding, and harvesting, members of the community organized themselves into cooperative labour groups.
One traditional system of cooperative labour was known as Kojene. Under this arrangement, groups worked on one person's farm and subsequently moved to the farms of other members according to an agreed rotational system.
Kojene reduced the burden on individual households and strengthened cooperation, mutual assistance, and social relationships within the community.
6. Forest Resources
The surrounding forest environment provided an important source of food, raw materials, and income.
Products traditionally obtained from the forest and surrounding vegetation included palm kernels, palm oil, mushrooms, snails, wild honey, and forest vines and ropes.
Palm products were particularly important to the local economy. Palm oil was used for household consumption and trade, while palm kernels could be processed into palm-kernel oil and pomade.
The collection and processing of forest resources therefore complemented agricultural production and provided additional sources of livelihood.
7. Fishing and Hunting
Fishing and hunting were also significant components of the traditional economy.
Fishing provided households with fish for consumption and, where surplus was available, for exchange or sale. Hunting supplied meat and other animal products and formed part of the traditional knowledge associated with the surrounding environment.
Together with farming and gathering, these activities contributed to the diversification and resilience of household livelihoods.
8. Traditional Manufacturing and Craft Production
Local manufacturing and craft production formed another component of the traditional economy.
Artisans produced practical household and agricultural items, including sleeping mats, woven baskets, storage containers, and other materials used in domestic life.
Such products served both household needs and economic purposes. Storage materials were particularly important for preserving agricultural produce such as pepper, maize, and okra.
Craft production therefore demonstrated the community's ability to transform locally available raw materials into useful goods.
9. Trade and Exchange
Trade was an established feature of the Ugep economy. Exchange took place within the community and between Ugep and neighbouring settlements.
Agricultural and forest products that entered local trade included palm wine, palm oil, yams, cocoyams, water yams, kola nuts, honey, and other food products. Other valuable commodities were also exchanged through local and regional trading networks.
Trade enabled households to obtain goods that were not readily available within their immediate environment and strengthened economic relationships between Ugep and neighbouring communities.
10. Development of Commercial Agriculture
Commercial economic activity expanded during the colonial period as transportation infrastructure and processing facilities developed.
The construction of the Ugep–Ediba road through communal efforts in 1936 improved transportation and created greater opportunities for the movement of agricultural products and people.
The establishment of an early palm-oil mill in Ugep further increased the capacity for palm-oil processing and contributed to the commercial importance of palm products.
These developments marked an important transition from an economy primarily based on subsistence production and local exchange toward greater participation in regional commercial networks.
11. Economic Organization and Community Development
The traditional economy of Ugep was supported by interconnected institutions of family, land ownership, labour cooperation, agriculture, resource use, craft production, and trade.
Economic production was therefore not an isolated individual activity. It was closely connected to family obligations, communal relationships, customary institutions, and the sustainable use of the local environment.
The organization of labour through institutions such as the Eto and Kojene, together with customary land administration through the Kepun, demonstrates the role of social institutions in supporting economic production.
12. Historical Significance
The economic history of Ugep demonstrates that pre-colonial economic life was organized around established systems of production, labour, land management, resource utilization, manufacturing, and exchange.
Rather than being an unstructured subsistence economy, traditional Ugep economic life involved specialized activities, cooperative labour arrangements, customary land administration, processing of agricultural products, craft production, and trade with neighbouring communities.
The subsequent development of roads, processing facilities, and wider commercial networks introduced new economic opportunities and contributed to the transformation of the local economy.
The documentation of these economic practices is therefore important to understanding the historical development, self-sufficiency, social organization, and commercial transformation of Ugep.