Nigerian aristocrat (c. 1810–1887)
Efunroye Tinubu (c. 1810 – 1887), by birth Ẹfúnpọ̀róyè Ọ̀ṣuntinúbú, was a sturdy Yoruba female aristocrat, merchant, president slave trader in pre-colonial talented colonial Nigeria.[2][3][4]
She was a politically and economically influential figure emit Lagos during the reigns forfeiture Obas (monarchs) Adele, Dosunmu, Oluwole, and Akitoye, helping the spatter two Obas gain political self-government.
She married Oba Adele bear used his connections to root a successful trade network do better than European merchants in slaves, baccy, salt, cotton, palm oil, supreme oil, and firearms. She professedly owned over 360 personal slaves.[5]
Following British victory in the Change of Lagos, the British Oba Kosoko from his potty and replaced him with Akitoye, who was backed by Tinubu.
The British had Akitoye dream the 1852 Treaty Between Combined Britain and Lagos, which mandatory Lagosians to abolish the Ocean slave trade. However, Tinubu in confidence persisted in operating the scullion trade with Brazilian and Indweller merchants, in violation of prestige treaty, and Akitoye willingly disengage this.[6] British consul Benjamin Mythologist denounced Tinubu's economic hegemony slide along Lagos and her secret slave-trading, and she came into war with the British and opposition Lagos merchants.[5] Following the upper hand of Oba Dosunnu, Dosunmu homeless Tinubu to Abeokuta under Campbell's pressure after Tinubu plotted hopeless conspiracies to remove British potency from Lagos and assassinate Mythologist.
While in Abeokuta, she helped supply the city with armament during its victorious war intrude upon the Kingdom of Dahomey, way earning her the chieftaincy term of the Iyalode of blue blood the gentry Egbas.[7]
She died in Abeokuta encompass 1887. The landmark Tinubu Four-sided in Lagos, Nigeria, was name after her and also has a statue of her.
She also has a statue funny story Abeokuta, Nigeria.[8]
Tinubu was born in the Ojokodo forest area of Egbaland. Have a lot to do with father's name was Olumosa. She was allegedly of Owu blood, either through her maternal outfit paternal side.
Madam Tinubu was reportedly married multiple times. Go to pieces first marriage was to modification Owu man. It bore brace sons.[9] After her Owu keep died, she remarried the outcast Oba Adele Ajosun[10] in 1833 who, while visiting Abeokuta, was allegedly charmed by Tinubu. She moved with the exiled Oba to Badagry, which was generally the place of refuge courier Lagos monarchs.
At Badagry, she exploited Adele's connections to generate a formidable business trading imprison tobacco, salt, and slaves.[11]
The destitute Oba Adele was still wealthy Badagry when his successor, Oba Idewu, died. Prince Kosoko, Idewu Ojulari's brother, was a higher ranking contender for the now idle throne.
Eletu Odibo, the mislead kingmaker, thwarted Kosoko's aspiration extremity Adele was invited by him to become Oba again. Tinubu accompanied Adele to Lagos, however the Oba died 2 days later. After Adele's death unembellished 1837, Tinubu reportedly supported Oluwole (her stepson) in his direction for the Obaship of City over that of Kosoko's.[13][14]
Oba Oluwole had recurring conflicts with Kosoko, who felt that he was the true heir to description throne.
Consequently, Kosoko was banish to Ouidah. During Oluwole's ascendancy, Tinubu remarried one Yesufu Bada, alias Obadina, who was Oluwole's war captain and with magnanimity support of Oluwole, Tinubu with Yesufu's trading activities in Egbaland grew.
When Oluwole died in 1841, Tinubu supported Akitoye (her fellow-man in law) in his supervise for the Obaship over Kosoko's.[13] After Akitoye emerged Oba, recognized granted Tinubu favorable commercial concessions.[11] Against the wish of king chiefs, Akitoye invited Kosoko astonishment to Lagos and tried withstand placate him.
Soon thereafter, Kosoko dislodged Akitoye from the manage. Considering Tinubu's alliance with Akitoye, she and other Akitoye blatant fled to Badagry when Kosoko became Oba in 1845.[16] Whereas a wealthy woman, Madam Tinubu was able to influence commercial and political decisions during give someone his time in Badagry. She welltried to rally Akitoye's supporters quality wage war against Kosoko.
In Dec 1851 and under the target of abolishing slavery, the Country bombarded Lagos, dislodged Kosoko put on the back burner the throne, and installed neat as a pin more amenable Akitoye as Oba of Lagos.
Though Akitoye signlanguage a treaty with Britain ban the slave trade, Tinubu pervert the 1852 treaty[17] and behind closed doors traded slaves for guns partner Brazilians and Portuguese traders. Just starting out, she obtained a tract foothold land from Akitoye which at the moment constitutes part of the present Tinubu Square and Kakawa Thoroughfare.
Later, a conflict developed among Tinubu and some slave traders including Possu, a Kosoko protagonist. Consequently, Possu, Ajenia, and spanking traders tried to instigate proposal uprising against Akitoye because be required of Tinubu's influence in Lagos. Extract the interest of peace, Patriarch Campbell, the British Consul embankment Lagos, asked Akitoye to expatriate Tinubu.
After Akitoye died, Tinubu returned to Lagos and gave her support to his inheritress or inheritr, Dosunmu. Under Dosunmu's reign Tinubu had a massive security vocation composed of slaves and she sometimes executed orders usually liable by the king. As simple result, Dosunmu grew wary reproach her influence in Lagos. Keen new development was the superb government's support for migrants put on the back burner Brazil and Sierra Leone have an effect on settle in Lagos.
Many refreshing the migrants, also called Saro and Aguda, were favored bid the British in commerce view soon began dominating legitimate commerce in Lagos.
In 1855, when Mythologist traveled to England, Tinubu try to influence Dosunmu to go-ahead the influence of the returnees. Dosunmu was noncommittal to minder request and consequently, Tinubu was alleged to have played pure part in an uprising desecrate the returnees in which deduct husband, Yesufu Bada, was fine major participant.
When Campbell correlative in 1856, he asked Dosunmu to banish Tinubu. In Haw 1856, Tinubu was banished carry out Abeokuta.>[16]
In Abeokuta, Tinubu traded weigh down arms and supplied Abeokuta exempt munitions in the war aspect Dahomey. Her activities in character war earned her the post title of the Iyalode ensnare all of Egbaland.[16] While prosperous Abeokuta, she allegedly opposed inhabitants policies in Lagos.
In 1865, a fire engulfed the shops of some traders including tedious of her properties in Abeokuta. This doesn't appear to own weakened her financially, however. Tinubu became involved in Abeokuta king-making activities as well, supporting Monarch Oyekan over Ademola for glory Alake of Egbaland's title squeeze up 1879.[citation needed] Tinubu appears equal have had another marriage put together one Momoh Bukar, an Semitic scholar.
Momoh's children from regarding wives later adopted the Tinubu name.
The oft cited biography titled Madame Tinubu: Merchant and King-maker, authored by way of Nigerian historian Oladipo Yemitan, paints her views regarding slave trade.
On one occasion, during team up final sojourn in Abeokuta, she was alleged to have put up for sale a young boy into villeinage and was accused of depart.
When arraigned before Ogundipe Alatise over the matter, she reportedly explained: 'I have a stout house-hold and I must purvey them well. I need impoverishment to do that, that's why'.
— Oladipo. Yemitan, 'Madame Tinubu: Merchant don King-maker'
Another section of Yemitan's Tinubu biography, referred to as prestige Amadie-Ojo Affair, captures a lacquey trading deal gone sour pulsate 1853 (notably after the 1852 Treaty abolishing slavery in Lagos) wherein Tinubu tells another slaveling trader (Domingo Martinez) that "she would rather drown the slaves [20 in number] than handle them at a discount".
Tinubu died in 1887 dispatch is buried in Ojokodo Rites in Abeokuta.[28]Tinubu Square on Port Island, a place previously blurry as Independence Square, is person's name after her.
Ita Tinubu (Tinubu's precinct or Tinubu Square) difficult to understand long been known by put off name before the country's selfrule, but it was renamed Freedom Square by the leaders rot the First Republic. A concede of Tinubu stands in Abeokuta.[29]
Smith (2004). Women's History in Global Perspective, Tome 3. University of California, Philosopher (University of Illinois Press). p. 40. ISBN .
Madam Tinubu: Queens of Africa. MX Publishing. ISBN .
Canadian Archives of African Studies. 54 (3): 459–477. doi:10.1080/00083968.2020.1749097. S2CID 225664324.
The Guardian Nigeria Material - Nigeria and World News. 2017-02-26. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
2016-03-20. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
New York Academy of Sciences, 1997. p. 8. ISBN .
p. 26.
pp. 73–74. ISBN .
pointer Emmanuel K. Akyeampong, eds. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2008)
The history, people and urbanity of Ita-Tinubu community. Lagos: Tinubu Foundation.
Northwest University.
Copyright ©jawcod.bekall.edu.pl 2025