Why did the British promote palm oil trade in the Niger delta?

The British promoted the palm oil trade in the Niger Delta primarily as a replacement for the slave trade following its abolition in 1807.12

This shift was driven by several key factors:

• Industrial Demand: Britain’s Industrial Revolution created a significant need for vegetable oils, which were used as industrial lubricants and in the manufacture of soap.1
• Economic Viability: The Niger Delta possessed a ready-made system of waterways that made the transport of palm oil—a bulky, low-value commodity—easier and more cost-effective than in other regions.1
• Local Infrastructure: The delta’s city-states were highly competitive and merchant-led, allowing them to adapt quickly to the overseas demand for palm oil.1

While the British ostensibly promoted this trade to end human trafficking, they later discovered that the demand for palm oil actually stimulated an internal slave trade. Enslaved people were frequently used to collect palm fruit, manufacture the oil, and transport it to the coast to trade for European goods, including firearms.2