The woman depicted below, adorned with giant ivory anklets (odu) and surrounded by her progeny and attendants, is one of the most notable Igbo figures from the late 19th to early 20th centuries: Ọmụ Okwei of Ọsọmala.
Born in 1872 into royalty, Ọmụ Okwei’s father, Prince Osuna Afụbehọ, was the son of Atamanya Nzedegwu, a mid-19th-century king of Ọsọmala. Her maternal grandfather was Obi Aje, the powerful merchant prince of Abọ, and son of Obi Ọsaị, the King of Abọ during the first European contact in 1830.
Despite her noble lineage, Okwei’s early life was challenging. At just nine years old, she was sent to live with her maternal aunt in Igalaland, where she learned the intricacies of trade and the Igala language—an essential trade language on the Lower Niger at the time. She spent four years there.
At around 15, Okwei started her own trading business in Atanị, selling kolanuts, palm wine, yams, and chickens. In 1887, she met her first husband, Joseph Alagoa, an influential Ịjọ trader from Brass. Despite her family’s disapproval, Okwei married Joseph in 1888, and they had a son, Francis Ossomade Alagoa. The marriage was short-lived, as Joseph was forced out of the Atanị trade by British interests and returned to Brass alone, leaving Okwei to raise their infant son. Joseph Alagoa later became the Amanyanabọ of Brass, a title that was eventually passed down to their son, Francis.
Okwei’s resilience and business acumen helped her thrive as a trader, and she soon established herself as a formidable businesswoman. In 1895, she married Ọpene from Abọ, against her family’s wishes. Despite his noble background, Ọpene lacked a stable livelihood, making him an unsuitable match in the eyes of Okwei’s family. However, her determination led her to marry him regardless, forfeiting a substantial dowry.
Relocating to Ọnịcha to be closer to her husband, Okwei’s business flourished. Ọnịcha was an economic hub at the time, with European firms setting up shop, providing ample business opportunities. Okwei expanded her trade, dealing in foodstuffs, palm oil, and imported goods like tobacco, cotton, gin, and factory-made products from England.
By 1904, she became an agent for the Niger Company. In 1912, she was appointed Eze Otu (Chief of the Ọnịcha Waterside Settlement) and held a position in the native court. By 1918, she had completed her first residential building, a one-storey house.
Okwei’s business alliances were vast, including partnerships with Chief Quaker Bob Manuel of Degema, from whom she purchased gunpowder; Chief Kio Young Jack of Ugwuta, who supplied her with ivory and corals; and British entrepreneurs like J. Cooper of the Niger Company. To solidify these alliances, she strategically arranged marriages between her female domestic workers and these influential men.
During the Great Depression, Okwei diversified her business further, venturing into money lending at high-interest rates and investing in lorries and canoes to transport goods from distant locations such as Degema, Ndoni, Brass, Ugwuta, Warri, Port Harcourt, and Calabar. By the 1930s, she was one of Colonial Nigeria’s wealthiest individuals.
In 1935, Okwei was crowned Ọmụ (Merchant Queen) in her hometown of Ọsọmala. Her coronation was attended by representatives from various ethnic groups, including Hausa, Nupe, Igala, and Abọ, reflecting her widespread influence.
By the time of her death in May 1943, Ọmụ Okwei owned 24 houses in Ọnịcha, including six storey buildings, 25 plots of strategically located land, six canoes, and a car.
~ Adapted from F. Ekejiuba’s “Omu Okwei, the Merchant Queen of Ossomari: a Biographical Sketch.”
