Unidentified women photographed by Henry Crosse with the Royal Niger Company, c. 1886–1895. Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge. It is plausible to identify the woman on the left as Omu Nwagboka, the last Omu of Onicha (Onitsha).
Omu Nwagboka was a prominent and wealthy trader, appointed as Omu in 1884 by Obi Anazonwu, the ruler of Onicha. She wielded significant authority, holding her own ofo (a sacred symbol of leadership and authority) and possibly an abani (a royal Benin-style staff). Nwagboka was also influential in her personal life, purchasing the prestigious Ozo title for her son and securing over ten wives for him.
Her tenure marked a turning point in the struggle for women’s authority in Onicha, as colonial Victorian ideals began to erode women’s traditional roles in leadership. In response, Omu Nwagboka organized and led a powerful women’s protest. Her efforts were so impactful that, after her death in 1888, Obi Anazonwu refrained from appointing another woman to the position of Omu in Onicha.
References:
Crosse, H. (c. 1886–1895). Photograph of unidentified women with the Royal Niger Company. Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge.
Nzegwu, N. (2006). Family matters: Feminist concepts in African philosophy of culture. SUNY Press.
Uchendu, V. C. (1965). The Igbo of Southeast Nigeria. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
Van Allen, J. (1972). “Sitting on a Man”: Colonialism and the lost political institutions of Igbo women. Canadian Journal of African Studies/La Revue Canadienne des Études Africaines, 6(2), 165–181.
Achebe, N. (2011). The female king of colonial Nigeria: Ahebi Ugbabe. Indiana University Press.
Northcote Thomas, N. (1913). Anthropological report on the Ibo-speaking peoples of Nigeria. British Museum.
