Strong and intelligent women have held leadership positions in Nigeria and made significant contributions to the country’s history, particularly throughout the pre and post-British colonial periods.
The monarchy system in Nigeria is patriarchal in that only men can ascend to the position of king and ruler of the society, while women are granted subordinate roles.
However, there are exceptions to this norm, as there have been a few female monarchs in Nigeria. Although they are frequently referred to as regents, they perform the same duties as male kings.
They attend councils of kings meetings at the local, state, and federal levels. Even though they are women, these monarchs are required to appear like men because their role is intended to be masculine.
Regency is a circumstance in some Yoruba cultures whereby an interim king, mostly female, is crowned pending the period a male king will be selected.
A regent must be the late king’s daughter. Regents aren’t meant to hold the job for longer than six months, but several have been found to have held it for far longer. Regents are not allowed to get pregnant while in power or get married if they were single when elected. The male regent, however, is thought to be reluctant to abdicate the throne when his term as monarch ends.
Table of Content hide 1top 10 female monarchs in Nigeria’s history 1.11. Amina the Queen of Zaria 1.22. Queen Moremi – Ile-Ife 1.33. King Ahebi Ugbabe 1.44. Ooni Luwo Gbagida 1.55. Orompoto Alaafin of Oyo 1.66. HRM Moyinoluwa Olubunmi Falowo 1.77. HRM Taiwo Oyebola Agbona 1.88. HRM Tinuade Babalola Adejuyiegbe 1.99. HRM Adekemi Omorinbola 1.1010. HRM Tejumade Falade Adeboyetop 10 female monarchs in Nigeria’s history
1. Amina the Queen of Zaria
Amina Mohamud was the Hausa warrior queen of the city-state Zazzau, which is now in Nigeria’s North-West. Her grandfather recognized her early leadership abilities and allowed her to go to state gatherings.
Historians cited her as one of the real rulers of the middle of the sixteenth century.
ALSO READ: 10 most powerful women in the world and history
2. Queen Moremi – Ile-Ife
Queen Moremi was a strong, brave, and beautiful queen who, to solve the issue that her people were experiencing, made a significant sacrifice to the spirit of the River Esimirin to learn more about the power of her country’s adversaries.
She was also renowned as an Ile-Ife native who was both brave and selfless. Ife was under siege due to constant assaults by a nearby tribe, so she bravely decided to throw herself up for captivity. She is supposed to have been captured by the Ugbo as a slave, but thanks to her beauty and Esimirin’s assistance, she was able to marry their king and become their anointed queen. She fled to Ile-Ife after becoming familiar with the tactics of her new husband’s army and revealed this to the Yorubas, who were then able to subsequently defeat them in battle.
3. King Ahebi Ugbabe
King Ahebi Ugbabe was the Eze (king) and Warrant Chief of Enugu-Ezike in Nigeria; she passed away in 1948. She was the only female king in colonial Nigeria. Nwando Achebe describes the effect of her life: “She was a runaway, a sex worker, a headman, a warrant chief, and eventually a female king. She was also a “slave” married to a deity. She was a capable leader of her people and a collaborator who benefited from and worked for Nigeria’s British colonial government.”
With the help of the Attah (ruler) of Igala, who helped Ahebi Ugbabe ascend to the throne of Enugu-Ezike, his power overflowed into Northern Igbo territory and upended the gendered politics of her culture. She performed female masculinities as ruler and surpassed all-male political hierarchy and authority.
ALSO READ: Top 10 female politicians in Nigeria and the world
4. Ooni Luwo Gbagida
The 21st Ooni of Ife, or Ile Ife’s top traditional ruler, was named Ooni Luwoo. After Ooni Giesi’s passing, she was the first and only woman to assume the title of Ooni.
Ooni Luwoo was a stunning woman who was very proud of her appearance and surroundings. Because of this, she ensured that everyone in Ife worked hard to make the town tidy and lovely, including men and women.
She was so affluent and picky that she wouldn’t walk on the ground, and some of the hand-made clay tiles she walked on during her reign are still accessible in some areas of Ife and other Yoruba regions she traveled to.
The Yoruba people viewed her as evil and terrifying, and the local elders thought she was out of control and haughty. The council of obas gathered when her rule ended and resolved never to elect a woman as the Ooni of Ife again.
5. Orompoto Alaafin of Oyo
As the first and only female Alaafin of Oyo, Orompoto—or Orompotoniyun, as she is more often known to have made history. One of the most powerful empires in West Africa, the Oyo Empire, was founded thanks to the Yoruba people’s exceptional organizational and management abilities. Orompoto was in charge of overseeing the Oyo Empire from 1554 to 1562. She was the granddaughter of Alaafin Onigbogi and the daughter of Alaafin Ofinran, both of whom were emperors of the Empire during their respective eras.
6. HRM Moyinoluwa Olubunmi Falowo
She serves as a regent for Ibule in the Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State. She received her degree in microbiology from the Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH). After her father’s passing in April 2019, HRM Falowo was appointed a regent. She is to rule as a monarch until the kingmakers choose a new monarch to handle social issues.
ALSO READ: Top 10 richest women in Nigeria, Africa, world
7. HRM Taiwo Oyebola Agbona
Regent Taiwo Oyebola Agbona was crowned in 2017 to temporarily occupy the throne of her ancestors until the kingmakers select a male king with their ancestors’ guidance. She was crowned since she is the first daughter of the Alaye of Aye, Oba Agbona Orimiri II, who died on May 4, 2017. She completed her studies in medical laboratory science at Achievers University in Owo.
8. HRM Tinuade Babalola Adejuyiegbe
Tinuade Babalola Adejuyigbe is the Oluborapa of Ibroropa in Akoko, Ondo State. She was appointed regent on February 23, 2015, shortly after the death of her father, Oba Emmanuel Ayowole Adejuyigbe.
She was an undergraduate student studying public administration at Adekunle Ajasin University in Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, when she was elected a regent. She received her diploma in 2018 and became the first monarch to complete the one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) requirement in 2019.
9. HRM Adekemi Omorinbola
She is the Asin of Iwara-Oka Akoko, Ondo State, and a traditional ruler. On January 9, 2010, she ascended her father’s throne while still a teenager and a student in secondary school. Even as a monarch, she continued her education and enrolled at Ekiti State University to study psychology.
10. HRM Tejumade Falade Adeboye
She is the Odopetu of the Akure kingdom. Soon after getting married, she rose to the throne. She is also a fashion designer.
ALSO READ: Top 20 most beautiful women in Africa
