Efunroye Tinubu emerged as a prominent female leader in the political and economic spheres of both Abeokuta and Lagos.
Born in Abeokuta in the early 19th century, she had two sons with her first husband, who died shortly after their marriage.
In 1833, she wed Adele, an exiled king of Lagos, and began to gain considerable political and economic power.
The couple relocated to Badagry, where Tinubu established a successful trading business, exchanging enslaved individuals for salt and tobacco with European traders. After Adele regained his throne in 1835, Tinubu returned to Lagos, but he passed away two years later, leading her to marry Yesefu Bada, Adele’s military advisor.
She broadened her trading activities to include palm oil and slaves. During the Yoruba Wars in the 1840s and 1850s, Tinubu significantly increased her wealth by dominating the palm oil and slave trades, as well as selling weapons obtained from European connections.
Tinubu, the trader of enslaved individuals, played an essential role in the conflict against Dahomey and was awarded the prestigious Iyalode title of Egbaland, the highest honor for women in leadership.
Her perspective on slave trading is discussed in her biography, “Madame Tinubu: Merchant and Kingmaker,” authored by Nigerian historian Oladipo Yemitan.
A significant event in her life involved accusations of selling a young boy into slavery, which she refuted.
Additionally, the Amadie-Ojo Affair recounts a failed transaction in the slave trade, where she stated she would prefer to let 20 enslaved people perish rather than accept partial payment for them.
Moreover, she strongly opposed colonial policies in Lagos and played a crucial role in king-making in Abeokuta, supporting Prince Oyekan over Ademola for the title of Alake of Egbaland in 1879.
Nonetheless, her power diminished following an encounter with British Consul Benjamin Campbell, who challenged her economic authority and secret slave trading operations.
Tinubu publicly condemned Campbell for violating Lagos’s sovereignty. In May 1856, after a standoff with British warships, Campbell attempted to have her exiled. Despite her defiance, the might of the British military compelled her return to Abeokuta.
She passed away in 1887, and today, Tinubu Square on Lagos Island is named in her honor. Ironically, after her death, her enslaved individuals inherited her belongings.