Efunṣetán Adekemi Aníwúrà (c. 1790– 1874) - Iyalode of Ibadan
She was one of the wealthiest and most influential Yoruba women that ever lived. Her power extended around the political, military, economic and religious spheres of Ibadan.
Her father Ogunrin was a native of Egba Oke-Ona and her mother hailed from Ile-Ife. She was brought up in Abeokuta. She moved to Ibadan in 1860. She was the first woman to set up a flourishing agrarian economy that employed no fewer than 2000 men and women. Her workers mainly worked on multiple farmlands. They produced cash crops, cotton, groundnuts, maize and beef. She also had a vast dairy farm. Around 1850, in reaction to the spread of war and combat in Yorubaland, she introduced infantry military training into the midst of her workers and developed her own private army.
She was a shrewd business woman. Her Efunsetan’s trading exploits saw her export some of her manufactured goods like Kijipa cloths, mats, and traditional cosmetics to America. She also sold slaves and tobacco. Because of Efunsetan’s huge involvement in agriculture, the city depended on her for food. However, this was not the only major contribution Efunsetan brought to the city of Ibadan, she was a huge trader in weapons and ammunition. These helped the Ibadan War effort in the mid to late 19th Century.
Efunsetan became the second Iyalode(Chief of the Womenfolk)of Ibadan in 1867. She was married multiple times and lost her only child during childbirth. This loss caused her to be depressed and made her emotionally unstable later on in life. She became a ruthless despotic leader who was very hard on her slaves.
In May 1874, Aare Ona Kakanfo Latoosa deposed her as Iyalode of Ibadan for politically motivated reasons. It is widely believed that Latoosa felt threatened by Aniwura’s increasing wealth and power, so, on June 30, 1874, he arranged with Kumuyilo — Aniwura’s adopted son and two other slaves to assassinate Aniwura in her sleep.
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