Erediauwa (22 June 1923 – April 2016) was the thirty-eighth

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 ...

, traditional ruler of the

Edo people The Edo people, also referred to as the Benin City, Benin people, are an Edoid languages, Edoid-speaking Ethnicity, ethnic group. They are prominently native to seven Edo South Senatorial District, southern Local government areas of Nigeria, loc ...

Benin City Benin City serves as the Capital city, capital and largest Metropolitan area, metropolitan centre of Edo State, situated in Nigeria, southern Nigeria. It ranks as the List of Nigerian cities by population, fourth-most populous city in Niger ...

Edo State Edo State, Edo, officially known as Edo State, is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South, South-South Geopolitical zones of Nigeria, geopolitical zone of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As of 2024, the state was ranked as the List of Ni ...

, Nigeria. Formerly known as Prince Solomon Akenzua, Oba Erediauwa's full title was ''His Royal Majesty Omo n'Oba n'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Erediauwa I''. He was succeeded by

Ewuare II Ewuare II (born 20 October 1953) was crowned the Oba of Benin on 20 October 2016. He is the 40th Oba, a title created for the Head of State (Emperor) of the Benin Empire at some time between 1180 and 1300. Education Eheneden Erediauwa, as he wa ...

. Oba Erediauwa took on the title and duties as traditional head of state and rightful heir of the

Benin Empire The Kingdom of Benin, also known as Great Benin, is a traditional kingdom in southern Nigeria. It has no historical relation to the modern republic of Benin, which was known as Dahomey from the 17th century until 1975. The Kingdom of Benin's c ...

when he was crowned, succeeding his father, Oba

Akenzua II Ọmọ n'Ọba n'Ẹdo Uku Akpọlọkpọlọ, Akenzua II (7 January 1899 – 11 June 1978) was the thirty-seventh Oba of Benin reigning from 1933 until his death in 1978. Biography Akenzua II was enthroned as Oba of Benin in April 1933 fo ...

, in a ceremony held in Benin City, Nigeria, on 23 March 1979.

Biography

Erediauwa was born on 22 June 1923, son of Oba

. Before being crowned he was known as Prince Solomon Aiseokhuoba Igbinoghodua Akenzua. He attended

Government College, Ibadan Government College Ibadan (founded 28 February 1929) is a boys' secondary school located on the hills of Apata Ganga in Ibadan, Nigeria. History The founding fathers of Government College Ibadan were Selwyn MacGregor Grier, Director of Education ...

(1939–1945), then Yaba College, before going to

King's College, Cambridge King's College, formally The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, is a List of colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college lies beside the River Cam and faces ...

to study Law and Administration. He joined the Eastern Nigeria Civil Service in 1957 as a District Officer, later moving to the Federal Civil Service where he retired as Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health in 1973. For a short period he was the regional representative of

Gulf Oil Gulf Oil was a major global oil company in operation from 1901 to 1985. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the Seven Sisters (oil companies), Seven Sisters oil companies. ...

. In 1975, he was appointed Commissioner for Finance in

Bendel State The Mid-Western Region was a division of Nigeria from 1963 to 1991, from 1976 being known as the Bendel state. It was formed in June 1963 from Benin and Delta provinces of the Western Region, and its capital was Benin City. It was renamed a pro ...

during the Military Administration of Major-General

George Agbazika Innih George Agbazika Innih (September 25, 1938 – August 14, 2002) was a Nigerian Army general and statesman. He was the military governor of Bendel and Kwara States. Early years George Agbazika Innih was born on September 25, 1938, at Agenebode, ...

. Ascending to the throne on 23 March 1979, Erediauwa celebrated his 30th anniversary in 2009. During this period, he several times acted as a peacemaker between politicians. For example, he intervened in a dispute between

Abia State Abia is a state in the Southeastern region of Nigeria. The state's capital is Umuahia and its most populous city is Aba. Abia is bordered the west by Imo, east by Cross River, south by Rivers, northwest by Anambra and northeast by Enug ...

governor

Orji Uzor Kalu Orji Uzor Kalu (born 21 April 1960) is a Nigerian politician and businessman who is the senator representing Abia North Senatorial District. He served as governor of Abia State from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. Kalu is the chairman of SLOK Hold ...

and Tony Anenih, Chairman of the People's Democratic Party Board of Trustees, and resolved another face-off involving Anenih and former

Governor

Lucky Igbinedion Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion (born 13 May 1957) is a Nigerian politician who served as the governor of Edo State from 1999 to 2007. Early life Igbinedion was born on 13 May 1957. He is the eldest son of Gabriel Igbinedion. He holds a BSc in ma ...

. Apart from the ceremonial aspects, his 30th anniversary festival was a week long carnival and a showcase of Benin arts and culture, with numerous performances of traditional music and dance, as well as an art exhibition and food fair. His death was announced on 29 April 2016. The statement did not say when and how he died.

Public image

In Benin, the Oba is considered to be the only representative of the supreme deity and is considered a god in his own right. He is believed to be ordained by cosmic consent. This means the people considered him to have the ability to either venerate or curse a community, so although he ruled with respect and kindness for his people, they also feared him. Erediauwa's media-friendly image increased the royal family's engagement with the Benin Kingdom and Nigeria in general. Previously approached with apprehension by the public and media practitioners, the gates of the palace were opened, which normalised communication with the Oba's subjects through a quarterly press conference.

Awards

In October 2022, a Nigerian national honor of Commander Of The

Order Of The Federal Republic The Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) is one of two orders of merit, established by the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1963. It is senior to the Order of the Niger. The highest honours are the Grand Commander in the Order of the Fede ...

(CFR) was conferred on him by President

Muhammadu Buhari Muhammadu Buhari (born 17 December 1942) is a Nigerian politician who served as the president of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023. A retired Nigerian army major general, he was the military head of state of Nigeria from 31 December 1983 to 27 Augu ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Erediauwa 1923 births 2016 deaths Obas of Benin Alumni of King's College, Cambridge Nigerian civil servants Government College, Ibadan alumni 20th-century monarchs in Africa 21st-century monarchs in Africa Akenzua family People from Benin City