Poverty, barter and oil

In Equatorial Guinea the discovery and exploitation of oil in 1996 increased its GNP per capita to 10.210$, the highest in Africa. However, in 2014 most of the population still have poverty indicators like those of other countries in the Gulf of Guinea, as well as life expectancy at birth of only 58 years, and a child labour rate of 28%.

The bikuele in the picture is made with welded spear points, which increase in value according to size, although the structure has changed with time. It was used by the fang people to obtain all kinds of objects, domestic animals, raw materials or products imported from Europe like rifles and salt. It was used in some areas almost until independence in 1968.