Egba
Encyclopedia
The Egba are a clan of the Yoruba people
who live in western Nigeria
. Many Egba live in the city of Abeokuta
, capital of Ogun State
.
became independent following the spectacular collapse of Oyo in the first half of the 19th century. Tribal wars with the Dahomey where the Egbas were successful partly due to the protection afforded by the Olumo Rock led to the founding of the city of Abeokuta, which literally means "under the rock".
The Egba nation is made up of the following sub-divisions - the Ake
, Owu, Oke Ona, Gbagura and Ibara, each with its own king. During colonial rule the British recognised the Alake (or King of Ake) as the paramount ruler of the whole clan and their territory, and so, his successor is referred to as the Alake of Egbaland now. The titles of the kings of the aforementioned sub-divisions are therefore Alake of Egbaland, Olowu of Owu, Agura of Gbagura, Oshile of Oke Ona and Olubara of Ibara. It is worthy of note that the original town and settlement of the Egba nation was under and around Olumo rock, which is currently largely under the jurisdiction of the Oke Ona Egba.
Egbaland was not only where Henry Townsend
lived but also boasted of being the home of the first newspaper in Nigeria ("Iwe Irohin"). Its people serve as the first of the many Nigerian nations (until recently, the only of them) to have had an anthem.
Ibe l'agbe bi mi si o
Ibe l'agbe to mi d'agba oo
Ile ominira
Chorus: Maa yo, maa yo, maa yo o; l'Ori Olumo; Maa yo, maa yo, maa yo o; l'Ori Olumo
Abeokuta ilu Egba
Un ko nii gbagbe e re
Un o gbe o l'eke okan mi
Bii ilu odo oya
Emi o f'Abeokuta sogo
Un o duro l'ori Olumo
Maayo l'oruko Egba ooo
Emi omoo Lisabi
E e
Chorus: Maa yo, maa yo, maa yo o; l'Ori Olumo; Maa yo, maa yo, maa yo o; l'Ori Olumo
Emi o maayo l'ori Olumo
Emi o s'ogoo yi l'okan mi
Wipe ilu olokiki o
L'awa Egba n gbe
E e
Chorus: Maa yo, maa yo, maa yo o; l'Ori Olumo; Maa yo, maa yo, maa yo o; l'Ori Olumo
Men *Trouser, kembe/sokoto; *Top
, Buba and Agbada; *cap
, Fila (a beti aja)
Women *Wrapper
, Iro; *Top
, Buba; *Headgear
, Gele; *Others - Ipele - Piece of cloth placed on the shoulder or wrapped around the waist
Food *Lafu, (White Amala) and Ewedu soup;
Drink *Wara
, (Cottage Cheese Drink)
Between 1887-1892, the Egba Chiefs invited him to become the Alake of Abeokuta but his senior brother, Chief Samuel Sowemimo Coker, disallowed him for the fear that most of the Alakes then used to die prematurely.
History told us that all the arrangements he had made in preparation for the enthronement, like all the clothes he had ordered from abroad, were distributed between Oba Adila of Erunwon and the would be Oba Gbadebo 1, Alake of Abeokuta. It was further revealed that the rolls of clothes meant for Alake were laid from Itesi to Ake Palace for the new Alake to tred on to his Palace, after which Aderupoko sent all the rolls of clothes as gift to Oba Gbadebo 1. He then ordered another set of the rolls of clothes for himself. That was why Oba Gbadebo 1 and Chief Isaac Olufusibi Coker used to dress alike, almost everytime.
He was however compensated with the title of the first Oluwo of Abeokuta in 1905 by Oba Gbadebo 1 because he was forced not to accept the throne by his senior brother and he consented.
Whenever the Egba Native Authority was unable to pay their staff, he used to come to the aid of the Authority by paying the staff.
During the war, he recruited his own soldiers and that was why the boundary between Abeokuta and Ibadan (in Bakatari) was taken over by Aderupoko and also the boundary between Remo and Egbas (in Fidiwo) was taken over by Aderupoko to check the advancements of the enemies. That is why up till date, the boundary lands in Fidiwo and Bakatari are still in the possession of his children.
He was one of the guarantors of the loan of Thirty Thousand Pounds (£30,000.00) for Egbaland for the electrification and supply of pipe-borne water to Abeokuta.
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
who live in western Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. Many Egba live in the city of Abeokuta
Abeokuta
Abeokuta is the largest city and capital of Ogun State in southwest Nigeria and is situated at , on the Ogun River; 64 miles north of Lagos by railway, or 81 miles by water. As of 2005, Abeokuta and the surrounding area had a population of 593,140....
, capital of Ogun State
Ogun State
Ogun State is a state in South-western Nigeria. It borders Lagos State to the South, Oyo and Osun states to the North, Ondo State to the east and the republic of Benin to the west. Abeokuta is the capital and largest city in the state...
.
History
The Egba nation originally under the Oyo empireOyo Empire
The Oyo Empire was a Yoruba empire of what is today southwestern Nigeria. The empire was established before the 14th century and grew to become one of the largest West African states encountered by European explorers. It rose to preeminence through its possession of a powerful cavalry and wealth...
became independent following the spectacular collapse of Oyo in the first half of the 19th century. Tribal wars with the Dahomey where the Egbas were successful partly due to the protection afforded by the Olumo Rock led to the founding of the city of Abeokuta, which literally means "under the rock".
The Egba nation is made up of the following sub-divisions - the Ake
Egba Alake
Egba Alake is one of the four sections of Egbaland, the others being Oke-Ona, Gbagura and the Owu, and is a traditional state which joins with its bordering sections to form something of a High Kingship....
, Owu, Oke Ona, Gbagura and Ibara, each with its own king. During colonial rule the British recognised the Alake (or King of Ake) as the paramount ruler of the whole clan and their territory, and so, his successor is referred to as the Alake of Egbaland now. The titles of the kings of the aforementioned sub-divisions are therefore Alake of Egbaland, Olowu of Owu, Agura of Gbagura, Oshile of Oke Ona and Olubara of Ibara. It is worthy of note that the original town and settlement of the Egba nation was under and around Olumo rock, which is currently largely under the jurisdiction of the Oke Ona Egba.
Egbaland was not only where Henry Townsend
Henry Townsend
Henry Townsend may refer to:*Henry Townsend , early American colonist born in Norwich, Norfolk, England*Henry Townsend , American colonist born in Oyster Bay...
lived but also boasted of being the home of the first newspaper in Nigeria ("Iwe Irohin"). Its people serve as the first of the many Nigerian nations (until recently, the only of them) to have had an anthem.
Egba Anthem
Lori oke o'un peteleIbe l'agbe bi mi si o
Ibe l'agbe to mi d'agba oo
Ile ominira
Chorus: Maa yo, maa yo, maa yo o; l'Ori Olumo; Maa yo, maa yo, maa yo o; l'Ori Olumo
Abeokuta ilu Egba
Un ko nii gbagbe e re
Un o gbe o l'eke okan mi
Bii ilu odo oya
Emi o f'Abeokuta sogo
Un o duro l'ori Olumo
Maayo l'oruko Egba ooo
Emi omoo Lisabi
E e
Chorus: Maa yo, maa yo, maa yo o; l'Ori Olumo; Maa yo, maa yo, maa yo o; l'Ori Olumo
Emi o maayo l'ori Olumo
Emi o s'ogoo yi l'okan mi
Wipe ilu olokiki o
L'awa Egba n gbe
E e
Chorus: Maa yo, maa yo, maa yo o; l'Ori Olumo; Maa yo, maa yo, maa yo o; l'Ori Olumo
People
Traditional AttireMen *Trouser, kembe/sokoto; *Top
Top
A top is a toy that can be spun on an axis, balancing on a point. This motion is produced in the most simple forms of top by twirling the stem using the fingers. More sophisticated tops are spun by by holding the axis firmly while pulling a string or twisting a stick or pushing an auger as shown...
, Buba and Agbada; *cap
Cap
A cap is a form of headgear. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head and have no brim or only a visor. They are typically designed for warmth and, when including a visor, blocking sunlight from the eyes...
, Fila (a beti aja)
Women *Wrapper
Wrapper
Wrapper generally refers to a type of packaging, such as a flat sheet made out of paper, cellophane or plastic to enclose an object.Wrapper may also refer to:* Wrapper , a woman's garment which is worn over nightwear or lingerie...
, Iro; *Top
Top
A top is a toy that can be spun on an axis, balancing on a point. This motion is produced in the most simple forms of top by twirling the stem using the fingers. More sophisticated tops are spun by by holding the axis firmly while pulling a string or twisting a stick or pushing an auger as shown...
, Buba; *Headgear
Headgear
Headgear, headwear or headdress is the name given to any element of clothing which is worn on one's head.Headgear serve a variety of purposes:...
, Gele; *Others - Ipele - Piece of cloth placed on the shoulder or wrapped around the waist
Food *Lafu, (White Amala) and Ewedu soup;
Drink *Wara
WARA
WARA may refer to:* Weighted average return on assets, the collective rates of return on the various types of tangible and intangible assets of a company* WARA , a radio station licensed to New Washington, Indiana, United States...
, (Cottage Cheese Drink)
Notable Egba people
- Chief Isaac Olufusibi Coker (Alias "Aderupoko")- The first Oluwo of Egbaland(Itesi, Abeokuta),Chief Isaac Olufusibi Coker, the third son of Mama Sarah Taiwo was a very prosperous farmer and trader. He used to overload the canoes carrying his merchandise from Lagos to Abeokuta via Ogun River. On sighting such overloaded canoe, people will exclaim “Ha! A-da-eru-pa-oko!”, hence, he was nicknamed “Aderupoko”. He became the first Oluwo of Itesi Abeokuta in 1897 after the death of Chief Lokunjobi, the junior brother of Mama Sarah Taiwo. Chief Bajela, the senior brother of Mama Sarah Taiwo was the Oluwo of Itesi, Abeokuta, and was the first to carry the mace of Ogboni (i.e. Edan – Opa ase Ogboni) – staff of authority of Ogboni – from the former Itesi town, Itesi in Abeokuta between 1828 and 1830. Chief Olufusibi Coker was an outstanding philanthropist and was very generous.
Between 1887-1892, the Egba Chiefs invited him to become the Alake of Abeokuta but his senior brother, Chief Samuel Sowemimo Coker, disallowed him for the fear that most of the Alakes then used to die prematurely.
History told us that all the arrangements he had made in preparation for the enthronement, like all the clothes he had ordered from abroad, were distributed between Oba Adila of Erunwon and the would be Oba Gbadebo 1, Alake of Abeokuta. It was further revealed that the rolls of clothes meant for Alake were laid from Itesi to Ake Palace for the new Alake to tred on to his Palace, after which Aderupoko sent all the rolls of clothes as gift to Oba Gbadebo 1. He then ordered another set of the rolls of clothes for himself. That was why Oba Gbadebo 1 and Chief Isaac Olufusibi Coker used to dress alike, almost everytime.
He was however compensated with the title of the first Oluwo of Abeokuta in 1905 by Oba Gbadebo 1 because he was forced not to accept the throne by his senior brother and he consented.
Whenever the Egba Native Authority was unable to pay their staff, he used to come to the aid of the Authority by paying the staff.
During the war, he recruited his own soldiers and that was why the boundary between Abeokuta and Ibadan (in Bakatari) was taken over by Aderupoko and also the boundary between Remo and Egbas (in Fidiwo) was taken over by Aderupoko to check the advancements of the enemies. That is why up till date, the boundary lands in Fidiwo and Bakatari are still in the possession of his children.
He was one of the guarantors of the loan of Thirty Thousand Pounds (£30,000.00) for Egbaland for the electrification and supply of pipe-borne water to Abeokuta.
- Engr. Olabode Olugbenga Elijah- Also known as Geolabious, HisGrace Philosophy and Engineer
- Mofolorunsho Oyebade Lipede- Alake of Egbaland 1972- 2005
- William John CampbellWilliam John CampbellWilliam John Campbell was a Creole mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone of Egba and Ife descent. His family was a prominent one amongst the Creoles in the early 1900s. His mother, Sarah Campbell was a Egba, his father, John Campbell, was an Ife. His brother John William Campbell was a herbalist at...
- Nigerian Egba through his mother, Sarah Campbell, was a mayor/councilor in Freetown, Sierra Leone - Lisabi - 19th century warrior
- Olusegun Obasanjo, President of NigeriaPresident of NigeriaThe President of Nigeria is the Head of State and head of the national executive. Officially styled President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The current President of Nigeria is Goodluck Jonathan.-History:On October 1, 1960, Nigeria gained...
from 1999 to 2007 - Fela KutiFela KutiFela Anikulapo Kuti , or simply Fela , was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.-Biography:...
, Musician and activist - Olukoye Ransome-Kuti, physician
- Adeoye Lambo, Psychiatrist and scholar
- Peter Olakeinde Sogbesan, Eminent Pioneering civil-servant.
- Prince Bola Ajibola, former Chief Justice of the Federation, former Judge, International Court of Justice
- Saburi BiobakuSaburi BiobakuSaburi Oladeni Biobaku was a Nigerian scholar and historian who was among a set of Yoruba historians who followed the pioneering effort of Samuel Johnson in setting the foundations of Yoruba historiography and creating reference notes of indigenous African historical literature.He was a former...
, historian - Chief Peter Olakeinde Sogbesan, Pioneering Civil Servant and Super Perm Sec
- F. R. A. Williams, Lawyer
- Christopher Olaseinde Adeoye, Physician and Professor
- Adebowale Babatunde Lipede,Physician,Philanthropist
- Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi, Musician
- Wole SoyinkaWole SoyinkaAkinwande Oluwole "Wole" Soyinka is a Nigerian writer, poet and playwright. He was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature, where he was recognised as a man "who in a wide cultural perspective and with poetic overtones fashions the drama of existence", and became the first African in Africa and...
, Author of Literature - Akinola Adewale Victor, data processing officer
- Moshood Kasimawo Abiola-MKO, Businessman and politician
- Adekoyejo Moses Majekodunmi, Doctor, former Minister of Health, former Administrator of Western Region (1962)
- Fola AdeolaFola AdeolaTajudeen Afolabi Adeola was born in January 1954 to the Adeola household as the 5th of 17 children. His father worked as a bank clerk to cater for their large family. His mother used to send him and his brothers to the streets to hawk wares to supplement the family income...
, Foremost Banker - Chief Ernest Sonekan, Chairman Interim National Government after the annulled June 12, 1993 election
- Chief Justice Adetokunbo AdemolaAdetokunbo AdemolaAdetokunbo Adegboyega Ademola, KBE, GCON was a Nigerian jurist, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, and son of King Ladapo Ademola II, paramount leader as the Alake of the Egba clan of Nigeria....
, 1st Chief Judge of the Federation - Dr. Adebisi Philips Sunday Adewole, PhD
- Justice George Oladeinde Sowemimo, Jurist, Former Chief Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
- Ransome Kuti, Founder and first Chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers
- Chief Simeon Adebo, Distinguished Administrator and one time Nigerian Parmanent representative to United nations
- Samuel Funmilade Onipede, Ph.D University Lecturer in the United States.
- Chief Isacc Oluwole Delano (author, developed Yoruba dictionary)
- Chief Judge I. B. Delano (One time Chief Judge of Ogun State)
- Chief Dr. Opeki Fabunmi Sowunmi (Ifa Priest, Consultant, Lecturer, Author) Oluwo Ifa. (1920–2003)
- Olufela Anikulapo(Ransome Kuti) - Afrobeat Musician
- Jimi Solanke - Playwright, Actor,Singer
- Dimeji Sabur Bankole - Politician
- Chief Alani Bankole - Businessman tycoon & Politician
- Chief Julius Taiwo Morolari - Banker
- Yussuf Olatunji(Baba L'egba) - Musician
- Chief Toye Coker {Senior Advocate of Nigeria}
- Simeon Adewole Ademolake - Politician (First Elected Christian Democratic Councillor in UK)
- Chief Adegunle Soetan OBE - Aro of the Egbas - eminent lawyer
- Alhaji Fatai Akanmu Gbemisola-(Business Mogul in Tyre and Petroleum Major Dealer in Nigeria)
- Dr Sefiu Alao Adekunle (Musician)
- Queen Isimot Abake Abiola (Omo Opeki) (Musician)