The Erelu Kuti of

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 fo ...

is the traditional aristocrat charged with the bearing of the ritual essence of

Oloye Oba means ″ruler″ in the Yoruba and Bini languages of West Africa. Kings in Yorubaland, a region which is in the modern republics of Benin, Nigeria and Togo, make use of it as a pre-nominal honorific. Examples of Yoruba bearers include Oba ...

Erelu Kuti I, an eighteenth-century

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...

royal who aided in the consolidation of her homeland. Erelu Kuti I was born the daughter of Lagos' paramount

king King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

, and was therefore the sister of his two immediate successors. Subsequently she became the consort of one of Lagos' chiefs, then thereafter a chief in her own right. She finally became Lagos' first

queen mother A queen mother is a former queen, often a queen dowager, who is the mother of the monarch, reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since the early 1560s. It arises in hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarchies in Europe and is also u ...

. Her life was so entwined with the early history of her family's kingdom that her lineal descendants have gone on to serve as the ruling branch of its

royal dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A d ...

A Series Of Excerpts From The Oral Records Of Lagos

It is now believed by scholars of tribal history that due to Akinsemoyin's magnanimity, he did not see the need to perpetuate his branch of the dynasty by having one of his elder daughters serve as regent, pending when the eldest of his subsequent sons would come of age. As a sign of the love he had for his sister, before he died, he instead sanctioned the appointment of Ologun Kutere as his successor. It should be stated at this juncture, however, that a different account of the history of succession has been mooted by some. It states that when Oba Akinsemoyin died, an adult son of Gabarro named Kekere succeeded him. This Kekere was then succeeded by Ologun Kutere. From the official genealogy of the kings of Lagos, however, it is seen that Ologun Kutere replaced Akinsemoyin in 1749. Since then, only the descendants of Ologun Kutere have been occupying the position of Oba of Lagos. The late Oba Oyekan II belonged to one of his descendant families. Now it may be asked how Erelu Kuti came to marry Alagba and what role Akinsemoyin played in the events that led to his sister's marriage. Well, according to the narrative: It is said that as a result of this, the Portuguese came and subsequently aided in the architectural advancement of his kingdom. This was the first contact with Europeans in this part of the world, and it heralded the advent of both Christianity and its attendant ''civilisations''. The Portuguese built Iga Idungaran palace for Oba Akinsemoyin as a gift, a part of which is still in existence and is incorporated into the new palace.

Functions

The Erelu Kuti of Lagos is ranked third in the kingdom's

order of precedence An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance and can be applied to individuals, groups, or organizations. Most often it is used in the context of people by many organizations and governments, for very formal and state o ...

. She serves as regent when the "stool" of the king, or

Oba of Lagos The Oba of Lagos, also known as the Eleko of Eko, is the traditional ruler ( Oba) of Lagos. The Oba is a ceremonial Yoruba sovereign with no political power, but is sought as a counsel or sponsor by politicians who seek support from the resident ...

, is vacant. As part of the coronation ceremonies for a new oba, she also publicly blesses the candidate prior to his installation. For these reasons, she is regarded as the queen mother of the realm.

Incumbent

The current Erelu Kuti of Lagos is

Abiola Dosunmu, a princess of that kingdom. A direct descendant of Oba

Dosunmu Dosunmu (c. 1823 – 1885), referred to in British documents as Docemo, reigned as Oba of Lagos from 1853, when he succeeded his father Oba Akitoye, until his own death in 1885. He was forced to run away to Britain under the threat of force in A ...

, she has held the chieftaincy for more than forty years.

References

{{Reflist Lagos Yoruba royal titles Yoruba words and phrases Women in Nigeria Yoruba politics Noble titles African traditional governments African noble titles

A Series Of Excerpts From The Oral Records Of Lagos

Functions

Incumbent

See also

References