The Legacy of Slavery in Eastern Nigeria

Last registered on March 12, 2026
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
The Legacy of Slavery in Eastern Nigeria
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0018077
Initial registration date
March 10, 2026

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
March 12, 2026, 4:35 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
Nigeria
Region
Enugu

Primary Investigator

Name
Neila Kerkebane
Affiliation
University of Chicago
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
James Robinson
PI Affiliation
University of Chicago
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Chima Korieh
PI Affiliation
Marquette University
PI Name
Oluchukwu Nwonovo
PI Affiliation
Enugu State University of Science and Technology
PI Name
Obinna Eze
PI Affiliation
University of Nigeria

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2026-03-10
End date
2026-09-01
Keywords
Behavior
Additional Keywords
slavery, discrimination, informational treatment, norms
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This project studies whether the legacy of slavery continues to shape social life in parts of Eastern Nigeria today. It focuses on whether descendants of historically enslaved groups still face exclusion in areas such as marriage, local leadership, and cultural participation, even when economic differences may be nonexistent. Using surveys and an information experiment, the study examines both where these boundaries persist and whether they can be softened by changing how people think about status, tradition, and belonging.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Eze , Obinna et al. 2026. "The Legacy of Slavery in Eastern Nigeria ." AEA RCT Registry. March 12. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.18077-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2026-03-10
Intervention End Date
2026-05-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Marriage of daughter to an Ohu/Odenigbo man (attitudinal): Response to the question, ``How socially appropriate is it to marry your daughter to an Ohu/Odenigbo man?''

Dictator Game allocation to Ohu/Odenigbo recipient (behavioral): Amount allocated to the Ohu/Odenigbo recipient (0--5{,}000 Naira).
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)

Willingness to marry daughter to an Ohu/Odenigbo man: Response to the question, ``Would you marry your daughter to an Ohu/Odenigbo man?''
Support for an Ohu/Odenigbo becoming Igwe: Response to the question, ``Would you support an Ohu/Odenigbo becoming Igwe in a mixed community?''
Appropriateness of an Ohu/Odenigbo becoming Igwe: Response to the question, ``How socially appropriate is it for an Ohu/Odenigbo to become Igwe in a mixed community?''
Willingness to dance Igede with an Ohu/Odenigbo person: Response to the question, ``Would you dance Igede with an Ohu/Odenigbo person?''
Appropriateness of dancing Igede with an Ohu/Odenigbo person:} Response to the question, ``How socially appropriate is it to dance Igede with an Ohu/Odenigbo person?''
Willingness to marry son to an Ohu/Odenigbo woman:} Response to the question, ``Would you marry your son to an Ohu/Odenigbo woman?''
Appropriateness of marrying son to an Ohu/Odenigbo woman:} Response to the question, ``How socially appropriate is it to marry your son to an Ohu/Odenigbo woman?''
Wedding Fund allocation to mixed-group couple fund:} Amount allocated to the fund supporting mixed-group couples.
Wedding Fund discrimination gap:} Difference between the amount allocated to the mixed-group couple fund and the amount allocated to the same-group couple fund.
Dictator Game discrimination gap: Difference between the amount allocated to the Ohu/Odenigbo recipient and the amount allocated to the Amadi/Ikenga recipient.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We survey respondents from mixed communities and randomly assign them to one of three groups: a control group, a group that receives information about the historical status of the Igwe/Eze institution, or a group that receives information emphasizing cultural integration. After the information treatment, we measure attitudes and behavior related to inclusion of descendants of historically enslaved groups, including views on marriage, leadership, and a small incentivized allocation task.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization was done using R code.
Randomization Unit
Individual level randomization
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
23 autonomous mixed communities (minimum), up to 39 communities if backup communities are activated based on sampling numbers.
Sample size: planned number of observations
2,052 individuals total: 1,620 Amadi/Ikenga respondents in the experiment and 432 Ohu/Odenigbo respondents in the non-experimental sample
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Control: 540 individuals
Eze Status treatment: 540 individuals
Cultural Integration treatment: 540 individuals
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
The legacy of slavery: the case of the Ohu system
IRB Approval Date
2025-12-04
IRB Approval Number
IRB23-1566
Analysis Plan

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