Final answer:
The empires of the Western Sudan had motivations for trade such as economic prosperity, cultural exchange, religious conversion, and political dominance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The empires of the Western Sudan, such as Ghana, Mali, and Songhai, were motivated by economic prosperity, cultural exchange, religious conversion, and political dominance in their trade activities. However, religious conversion was not a primary motivation for trade by these empires. While these empires did embrace Islam and promote it through trade connections, religious conversion was not the main reason for engaging in trade.