Final answer:
Trade had a significant impact on the rise of empires in West Africa, allowing them to gain wealth, influence, and expand their territories.
Step-by-step explanation:
Trade played a significant role in the rise of empires in West Africa. The empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai grew prosperous and powerful due to their control of trade routes and commodities such as gold, salt, ivory, and enslaved people.
The trans-Saharan trade routes connected West Africa to North Africa, Europe, and the Islamic world, allowing these empires to gain wealth, influence, and expand their territories. However, the slave trade and constant warfare associated with it also destabilized certain regions and altered the social structure of African societies.