09/02/2025
Always remember the Spirit of Unity and Resilience of the Egba people - Adeniji Temitope.
In 1851, King Gezo of Dahomey led an attack against the Egba people. Which is now popularly know as Egba-Dahomey war of 1861. Why did he attacked?
Let's take a quick look back in history...
Before 1800, slave trade was one of the main sources of income for some African states. Many of these states made immense wealth by selling their own people to the Europeans. Note: Let no one tell you that slavery in Africa was solely a result of invasions; it was part of the system that African leaders participated in. However, much changed after the Berlin Conference of 1884.
A publication from the department of History and Diplomatic Studies TASUED, led by Prof. R.O. Ajetumobi and Professor Yolunfun critically examined life during the slave trade era, and stated that "it was a fair trade between African leaders and the Europeans."
Unfortunately, the abolition of the slave trade in the early 1800s created economic stagnation for several African societies. For Dahomey, slave trade had been their main source of income but after the abolition "..lesser ship visited their coasy..". A publication by the department of History and Diplomatic Studies, TASUED, by Professor Yolunfun and Ibironke Dominion Adigun Ida mentioned that King Gezo tried to transition to an oil palm plantation, but it was unsuccessful due to the infertile soil in the region. This left Dahomey in a tough economic position.
In response to this, King Gezo decided to conquer the Yoruba empire, which had fertile land and other resources that could help rejuvenate Dahomey’s economy. In 1851, the Dahomey army attacked the Egba. The Egba were initially caught off guard but later united to resist the invasion. This eventually led to the Dahomey people being pushed out of the Egba territory, with the confrontation spreading to other parts of the Yoruba lands, including Egbado.
The Egba people demonstrated a remarkable spirit of resilience and unity in response to King Gezo of Dahomey's attack in 1851. Their ability to organize and fight back revealed a deep sense of community strength and commitment to preserving their culture and heritage.
Despite the surprise attack, the Egba people did not succumb to the invaders. Instead, they showed unity and determination, pushing the Dahomey forces out of their territory and defending other parts of the Yoruba lands, including Egbado.
Lesson: Whether you are an Ègbá descendants or not, unity is very essential.
I'm Proudly Ọmọ Ègbá😍😍😍
By Adeniji Temitope (NIJIOFLIFE) B.A Ed in History and Diplomatic Studies.
