01/03/2024
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The Egba, a Yoruba group, currently resides in the central regions of Ogun State in southwestern Nigeria. In 1830, they sought refuge and settled in Abeokuta, maintaining formal independence from British rule until 1914.
The Egba are organized into the provinces of Ake, Gbagura, Oke-Ona, and Owu, each led by an oba (king) known as Alake, Agura, Osile, and Olowu, respectively. Political power before 1914 was decentralized, with governance extending to townships and divided among war chiefs, civil chiefs, hunters, and trade chiefs.
Historically, the Egba has been seen as an example of "aborted modernization" in West Africa. Proximity to Lagos made them significant to British consuls and merchants, attracting early missionary attention.
The Egba's unique institutional development was highlighted in their testimony to the West African Lands Committee in 1913, emphasizing the long-standing custom of outright land sale, a practice more prevalent in Egba territory compared to other Yoruba provinces.
Summary from the paper: "LAND ABUNDANCE AND ECONOMIC INSTITUTIONS: EGBA LAND AND SLAVERY, 1830-1914 by JAMES FENSKE"
Photo: Alake of Egba- Oba Gbadebo I , England, 1904 by Langfier, Louis Adolph (1869-1925) Private Collection;
(additional info.: Oba Gbadebo I trip to London on his state visit to King Edward VII)
