Slow Death for Slavery

'Ending slavery in a Muslim society as large and complex as northern Nigeria was not the simple event it is often assumed to be, but a contentious, often devious process that took over thirty years to complete. In this pioneering study Professors Lovejoy and Hogendorn dissect that process in great detail. They reveal, as never before, the debates and subtle shifts in implementing colonial policies on slavery, and in doing so illuminate as well a crucial, yet still hidden aspect of Nigerian social history. It is thus a work of real importance, one that alters our understanding of early twentieth-century Nigeria and shows how much we need a series of further such detailed studies, both locally and for elsewhere in Africa.' Murray Last, editor of Africa