The Oba of Lagos, also known as the Eleko of Eko, is the traditional ruler ( Oba) of

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

. The Oba is a ceremonial Yoruba

sovereign ''Sovereign'' is a title that can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to ...

with no political power, but is sought as a counsel or sponsor by politicians who seek support from the residents of Lagos, the financial heart of

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

and the largest city in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

. The Oba has appeared in tourism advertisements on behalf of the city, often stating "You've gotta go to Lagos", among various other ceremonial roles. The current Oba of Lagos is

Rilwan Akiolu Rilwan Babatunde Osuolale Aremu Akiolu (born 29 October 1943) is the incumbent Oba of Lagos. Career After high school he served for 32 years in the Nigeria Police Force, entering the force in 1970. He served in various capacities, was promoted t ...

, who has held the title since 2003.

History

All Obas of Lagos trace their lineage to Ashipa - an Awori, a war captain of the

Oba of Benin The Oba of Benin is the traditional ruler and the custodian of the culture of the Edo people and all Edoid people. The then Kingdom of Benin (not to be confused with the modern-day and unrelated Republic of Benin, which was then known as Daho ...

. Ashipa was rewarded with the title of the ''Oloriogun'' (''War leader'') and he received the Oba of Benin's sanction to govern Lagos on his behalf. Ashipa received a sword and royal drum as symbols of his authority from the Oba of Benin on his mission to Lagos. Additionally, the

deployed a group of Benin officers charged with preserving Benin's interests in Lagos. These officers, led by

Eletu Odibo The Eletu Odibo of Lagos is the traditional nobleman that has historically served as the principal kingmaker of the Oba of Lagos. As head of the ''Akarigbere'' class of chiefs, the Eletu Odibo also serves as the prime minister of the Oba. History T ...

, were the initial members of the ''Akarigbere'' class of Lagos White Cap Chiefs. Prior to the arrival of the British, the Oba of Benin had "the undisputed right to crown or confirm the individual whom the people of Lagos elect dto be their King". Tributes continue to flow the way of Benin from Lagos island for many years until around the year 1830 when Lagos stopped it. By this time, the status of Lagos as an independent power in its own right had risen tremendously and it had become too strong to be attacked. The King of Benin therefore had to be content with occasional gifts which were no longer given as obligatory tribute, but rather, as an act of historical sentiment. The defeat of Oba

Kosoko Kosoko (died 1872) was a member of the Ologun Kutere Lagos Royal Family who reigned as Oba of Lagos from 1845 to 1851. His father was Oba Osinlokun and his siblings were Idewu Ojulari (who was Oba from 1829 to 1834/35), Olufunmi, Odunsi, Lad ...

by British forces on 28 December 1851, in what is now known as the

Bombardment of Lagos The Reduction of Lagos or Bombardment of Lagos was a British naval operation in late 1851 that involved the Royal Navy bombarding Lagos (in present-day Nigeria) under the justification of suppressing the Atlantic slave trade and deposing the King ...

Reduction of Lagos The Reduction of Lagos or Bombardment of Lagos was a British naval operation in late 1851 that involved the Royal Navy bombarding Lagos (in present-day Nigeria) under the justification of suppressing the Atlantic slave trade and deposing the King ...

, or locally as Ogun Ahoyaya or Ogun Agidingbi (literally meaning "boiling cannons"), eventually put an end to all forms of tributary (sentimential or official) and Lagos' former allegiance to the Oba of Benin. Kosoko was therefore the last Lagos Oba to engage in any form of sentimental gifting from the people of Lagos to the Oba of Benin. Oba

Akitoye Akitoye (died September 2, 1853), sometimes wrongly referred to as Akintoye, reigned twice as Oba of Lagos; first, from 1841 to 1845, and a second time, from 1851 to 1853. His father was Oba Ologun Kutere and his siblings were Obas Osinlokun ...

, who was re-installed to the throne by the British, "seized the opportunity of his restoration under British protection to repudiate his former allegiance" to Benin and rebuffed subsequent tribute requests from the Oba of Benin. Previous rulers of Lagos have used the titles of Ologun (derived from Oloriogun), Eleko and, most recently, Oba of Lagos.

The Royal Seat

The official residence of the king, since 1630, is

Iga Idunganran Iga Idunganran is the Official Residence of the Oba of Lagos, situated on Lagos Island. It is also a tourist attraction. History Dating back to the 15th century, the Lagos Island was originally owned by the island's first inhabitant Chief Aro ...

, a castle renovated by the Portuguese over the course of close to a century. It is today a very popular tourist site.

History

The Royal Seat

List of Obas of Lagos

House of Ashipa - (Ashipa dynasty)

House of Alagbigba (Alaagba) - Ologunkutere dynasty

See also

References

Further reading