TRADE

Here is an abstract based on your title, using Trade, Religion, and Intergroup relations as the core keywords to structure the study's scope, methodology, and findings.

Abstract
This study examines the intersection of economic activities and religious dynamics in shaping intergroup relations in Nigeria, using a historical case study of Auchi before 1894. Prior to British colonial imposition, indigenous communities in the Niger-Benue confluence and the northern fringes of Edoland engaged in complex socio-political and economic interactions. Adopting a historical and analytical methodology—drawing on qualitative primary sources, including oral traditions, and secondary historical literature—this research explores how commerce and belief systems served as dual engines of integration and friction.

The findings reveal that trade functioned as a primary vehicle for initial intergroup contact, establishing vibrant market networks that linked Auchi with neighboring Nupe, Hausa, and various Etsako communities. Concurrently, the introduction and expansion of Islam during the nineteenth century fundamentally altered the socio-cultural landscape, redefining local identities and restructuring external diplomatic ties.

The study demonstrates that rather than acting in isolation, trade and religion mutually reinforced one another; trade routes facilitated religious diffusion, while shared religious networks subsequently secured and expanded commercial frontiers. Ultimately, this work underscores that pre-colonial intergroup relations in Auchi were characterized by a sophisticated degree of interdependence, offering vital historical insights into the peaceful coexistence and structural adaptations of pre-colonial Nigerian societies.

This study investigated the impact of international trade on macroeconomic performance in Nigeria from 1990 to 2023. The research was motivated by the persistent challenges of overdependence on crude oil exports, trade imbalances, and inconsistent policy outcomes that have impeded Nigeria’s economic growth. Anchored on the Heckscher-Ohlin Theory of Factor Endowment and Adam Smith’s Absolute Advantage Theory, the study examined the dynamic relationship between exports, imports, foreign direct investment (FDI), and inflation as they influence Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate. The study adopted an ex-post facto research design, utilizing secondary data sourced from the World Bank Development Outlook (2024) and the Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin (2023). The Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach was employed to analyze both short-run and long-run relationships among the variables. The Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) unit root test revealed a mixture of I(0) and I(1) variables, confirming the suitability of the ARDL model. The findings showed evidence of long-run cointegration among international trade indicators and Nigeria’s economic growth. The long-run estimates indicated that exports had a positive and statistically significant effect on GDP growth, while imports exerted a negative and significant impact on GDP growth. Foreign direct investment (FDI) was found to be positive but statistically insignificant. Inflation was negative and statistically significant, suggesting that persistent price instability undermines macroeconomic performance. The study concludes that international trade significantly affects Nigeria’s macroeconomic performance. It recommends diversification of the export base beyond oil, improved local manufacturing capacity, better investment policies to attract productive FDI, and effective inflation management to sustain economic growth and stability