Nigeria: Lagos – Tinubu Square

The Tinubu Square (aka Independence Square) is a major central square in the commercial part of the Lagos Island. It is named after Madame Efuntoroye Tinubu, a rich 19th century aristocrat Nigerian woman who wielded massive behind the scenes power in Nigeria as well as amassed huge wealth – basically a Nigerian version of Rockefeller. She started as a tree bark trader but then married a Nigerian king and while staying out of politics, accumulated enormous wealth through trading slaves with Portuguese Europeans. At one point most of the real estate on Lagos Island was her property and she also owned over 360 personal slaves. When Britain abolished slave trade, she secretly circumvented the ban and traded with Brazilians directly sending a steady supply of slaves to the New World. Eventually Britain had enough and sent a naval force to arrest and get her out. This is when she rallied against Britain and for Nigeria’s independence way back in 1856. So today, she is a symbol of anti-colonial struggle for most Nigerians and her monument proudly graces the square in Lagos. Never mind the whole slave trading thing…
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