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Mutiat Titilope Oladejo. 2016. Ibadan Market Women and Politics, 1900-1995. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books. 183 pp.
Market networks are extensive in Nigeria, and so has been the participation of such networks in politics since pre-colonial times. This is especially the case with market women in Lagos, Ibadan, Abeokuta, and other cities in southwestern Nigeria. Therefore, this appropriately entitled book is a welcome addition to the growing literature on the subject. The strength of the study lies in its broad chronological examination of the major themes, range of sources used, and a rich empirical data base. The layout and organization of the book is similarly satisfactory, containing a comprehensive list of abbreviations and a glossary of non-English words that facilitates understanding by non-Yoruba speaking readers. The author comes out particularly strong in her discussion of the background to the study, showing the link between the organized interest of market women and politics in 19th century Ibadan and 20th century Lagos. She argues that articles of trade in the 19th century markets of Ibadan were products of local agriculture and manufacture, emphasizing that "almost every woman was a producer and trader" (p. 42). The writer adds that the...