West Niger Mouth

The western mouths of the Niger Delta open onto a coast of mangrove swamps and branching waterways. Itsekiri and Ijo communities traded along the creeks, where boats could reach settlements far from the open sea. Portuguese merchants visited the Forcados and neighbouring rivers from the late fifteenth century, seeking captives and other goods. The deeper Forcados channel became an important approach to the western delta, drawing commerce away from shallower mouths farther west.