JAJA OF OPOBO

1821–1891

West African Mbanaso Okwaraozurumba, who came to be known as Jaja of Opobo, was sold into slavery at the age of 12. He went from paddling trade canoes to becoming the head of one of the royal houses of the Bonny Empire, eventually establishing himself as king of the city-state of Opobo—an international trading hub for palm oil products.

Jaja’s slavers took him to Bonny, a kingdom in southern Nigeria that was organized into “canoe houses.” Each canoe house was a separate trading unit run by a wealthy merchant. Jaja was sold to one canoe house then given as a gift to Chief Alali of the Anna Pepple Royal House. Jaja started paddling trade canoes, traveling to the markets of this river region where he met local businesspeople and European palm oil traders. Jaja worked directly for the chief but also began to develop his own trade in palm oil on the side and eventually earned enough to buy his freedom. When the chief of the Anna Pepple Royal House died, the ambitious Jaja took his place. An astute businessman, Jaja incorporated other canoe houses in the area and increased his number of British trade contacts. Following a dispute with another canoe house, Jaja established the city-state of Opobo in 1869. Subsequently, by continuing to take over other canoe houses and controlling the British merchants’ trade routes, Jaja made Opobo the most prosperous city-state in the area, with a monopoly on the palm oil trade.

Enemies and exile

Jaja’s financial position was further strengthened when he began to export palm oil directly to Great Britain rather than through British traders—though this went against British imperial interests. At the Berlin Conference of 1884—a meeting of European powers to decide which nations would control trade in the African colonies—Britain claimed Opobo as its own. The British accused Jaja of trading illegally and exiled him in 1887 to the Caribbean island of St. Vincent. They allowed him to return three years later, but he died en route. Many people believed that he was poisoned.

Queen Victoria welcomed Jaja to Buckingham Palace in 1887. He was invited to London for trade negotiations before being arrested.