The Bimbia Slave Trade Route represents a haunting trail that once connected parts of southeastern Nigeria to the coastal slave ports of present-day Cameroon. Though Bimbia itself lies within Cameroonian territory, the route’s significance spills across borders with origins tracing back to the Efik and other communities in Cross River State.
Throughout the 17th to 19th centuries, captured individuals from Nigeria’s hinterlands were force-marched through dense forests and rugged terrain toward Bimbia’s coastal outposts. From towns like Calabar, Oban, and Ikom, slaves were collected, chained, and herded southeastward, often under brutal conditions. Many perished along the route; those who survived were eventually loaded onto European ships at the Bimbia port, destined for plantations in the Americas and the Caribbean.
The Efik people, particularly in Calabar, were instrumental in the slave supply chain. Through strategic alliances with British and Portuguese traders, they profited immensely, serving as intermediaries between the inland raiders and the coastal exporters. The Bimbia connection allowed for additional trade routes and expanded the reach of this grim enterprise beyond Nigeria’s shores.
Today, remnants of the Bimbia Slave Trade Route can still be traced through oral history, worn footpaths, and the crumbling ruins of anchorage sites. Though not widely preserved or commemorated, the route is an enduring testament to the interlinked histories of Nigeria and Cameroon, two nations whose shared colonial and slave-trade past continues to shape their cultural memory.
