JAJA OF OPOBO
1821–1891
West African Mbanaso Okwaraozurumba, who came to be known as Jaja of Opobo, was sold into slavery at the age of 12. He went from paddling trade canoes to becoming the head of one of the royal houses of the Bonny Empire, eventually establishing himself as king of the city-state of Opobo—an international trading hub for palm oil products.
Jaja’s slavers took him to Bonny, a kingdom in southern Nigeria that was organized into “canoe houses.” Each canoe house was a separate trading unit run by a wealthy merchant. Jaja was sold to one canoe house then given as a gift to Chief Alali of ...
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