How Yoruba Kingdoms Built Wealth Through Trade

 Yoruba

kingdoms did not get rich by accident. They sat at the perfect crossroads between the forest, the savanna, and the sea, and they turned that geography into a tax and trading machine.

1. Three interlocking trade systems

Oyo in particular positioned its market to serve three systems at once:

one stretched from Nupe and Hausa states to the north; another from the Yoruba forest kingdoms to the east and south; and yet another from coastal port on the Gulf of Guinea  

That made Oyo-Ile the southern emporium of the Trans-Saharan trade, while also acting as a middleman for the Atlantic.  

• North-South Trans-Saharan: Yoruba forest products went north, savanna products came south • East-West forest network: kola nuts from the deep forest, palm oil, ivory, and foodstuffs moved between Yoruba towns • Coastal-Atlantic: After 1500, European goods - firearms, salt, cloth, cowrie shells used as currency - came in through ports like Lagos and Badagry 

Oyo became wealthy off the taxes imposed on its tributaries in addition to taxes on trade products coming in and out.  

2. What each kingdom specialized in

Ile-Ife (c. 1200-1420, the golden age): The spiritual capital was also an industrial center. Archaeology shows a thriving local glass bead industry, including iridescent dichroic beads found as far as the Sahel. Those beads, plus famous bronze and terracotta art, were high-value exports that paid for paved roads and potsherd pavements.  

Oyo Empire (largest Yoruba state, mid-1600s to late 1700s):

• Controlled key trade routes, amassing wealth through commerce in kola nuts, textiles, horses, and later slaves   • Used wealth to build a fast-striking cavalry force - the only Yoruba army that could operate in the open savanna. That cavalry protected caravans and forced tribute from Dahomey and Ewe states. • Ajo or caravans connected "from the Niger to Dahomey, from the coast to the savannah"   

Ijebu - The City of Wealth: With a coastal location, Ijebu became the major trading hub. Led by the Awujale, it built an economy based on trade in goods like salt, ivory, and cloth. Unlike Oyo, Ijebu avoided large wars and chose to build strong trade networks, welcoming European traders by sea. It was the link between inland Yoruba kingdoms and the outside world.  

Other kingdoms added their own: Owu and Egba were middlemen for kola and firearms, Ijesha and Ekiti for forest ironwork and palm products.

3. How the wealth was organized

Yoruba wealth was not just goods - it was institutions:

1. Structured urban markets: Every major town had Oja-Oba (King's Market) next to the palace. The two most important structures in Oyo-Ile were the palace and its market.  

2. The guild system (egbe): Professions - weaving, blacksmithing, dyeing, leatherwork, and trading - were regulated like early trade unions. Guilds set prices, quality standards, and trained apprentices.  

3. Currency and taxation: Cowrie shells from the Indian Ocean via Europeans became the standard currency. Markets collected isakole (tolls) and owo oja (market fees). Tribute from vassals was paid in cowries, cloth, and horses.

4. Reinvestment: Prosperity in Ife was reinvested into urban landscape - well-planned city, drainage, paved roads. In Oyo, trade wealth funded the military and administration, which in turn secured more trade.  

In short, Ife created the spiritual and artistic foundation, Oyo expanded its political and military influence, and Ijebu mastered commercial diplomacy. Together they turned forest products that northerners and Europeans wanted - kola to chew, palm oil to cook, cotton cloth dyed indigo, and high-status glass beads and bronze - into imported horses, salt, guns, and cowrie wealth that built palaces, walls with 17 gates, and cities that lasted for centuries.  

BREAKING: Justice Silvanus of High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, has ordered Jordan Ezenwo Nyesom-Wike, son of the FCT Minister, to produce his American passport in court.

 BREAKING: Justice Silvanus of High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, has ordered Jordan Ezenwo Nyesom-Wike, son of the FCT Minister, to produce his American passport in court. The court made the order following an application by Counsel to the claimants, Hamza Dantani, during the defendant’s defence, in an alleged $2.1 million fraud case. The suit, marked CV/008/2026, was filed by Safwan Garba GY and GY Global Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited against Jordan, who is the son of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. The claimants said they met Jordan in London, where they developed a friendship and after about three months, they met again in Abuja, where they approached him for assistance to facilitate the acquisition of land in the Federal Capital Territory. The claimants claim that Jordan agreed to facilitate the acquisition of 30 hectares of land at Katampe and 30 hectares at Guzape. They alleged that Jordan told them the facilitation fee was $2.1 million, adding that $2 million was for his father, the FCT Minister, while $100,000 was his personal fee. They further alleged that the cash was delivered on September 26, 2025 in the presence of Adamu Sani, Aliyu Sarki, and Sai Wani, while Jordan was accompanied by one Onor Sandy. The claimants said after receiving the money, Jordan neither delivered the land nor returned the money, and instead went incommunicado.

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IGA Capital eyes $100m-plus solid minerals investment in Ebonyi through partnership with Ifeanyi Odii

byPress Release

September 30, 2026 6:10 pm

Joshua Hawley - Chief Executive Officer, IGA Capital (L) Ifeanyi Odi, the facilitator of the investment

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Dubai-based investment and project finance firm IGA Capital is exploring a potential investment partnership with Ifeanyi Odii that could bring more than $100 million in financing to solid-minerals projects in Ebonyi State beginning in 2027.

The proposed initiative would focus on developing commercially viable mineral assets, processing facilities and related infrastructure, with the broader aim of attracting international capital into Ebonyi’s mining sector.

IGA Capital is led by Joshua Hawley, its Founder and Chief Executive Officer. The globally recognised UAE-based investment and project finance firm provides debt financing and structured capital solutions for major projects across sectors including infrastructure, energy, mining and agribusiness, with financing capacity starting at $100 million for qualifying projects.

Hawley is also identified by the Mining & Critical Minerals Middle East Conference and Expo as the founder and CEO of IGA Capital, with experience in structured finance, project finance and investment banking.

Proposed partnership would depend on Odii taking office

The potential Ebonyi investment is being discussed in the context of Odii’s 2027 governorship bid and his stated plans to attract private and international investment into the state.

Under the proposed framework, IGA Capital would work with Odii’s team and relevant stakeholders to identify viable mineral projects, assess their technical and commercial feasibility and develop financing structures that could be presented to international capital providers.

Odii, the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate in Ebonyi, has said he wants to make the state a preferred investment destination by pursuing economic development and industrialisation, infrastructure development, human-capital development and institutional reforms.

He has specifically identified solid minerals as an area with significant economic potential.

“My administration will establish an institution to coordinate mining activities in the state and work closely with the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals to ensure proper licensing and compliance,” Odii said in an interview with THISDAY. He also said his proposed administration would document and publicize mineral deposits to attract credible investors and increase participation by Ebonyi businesses in the mining value chain.

Hawley: Capital should create jobs and economic value

Hawley has emphasized that IGA Capital’s approach to mining finance extends beyond simply providing capital for extraction.

In a statement prepared for the proposed Ebonyi investment discussions, Hawley said:

“We are coming to Nigeria not simply to identify projects that are profitable on paper, but to find opportunities where our capital can create visible and measurable impact in the lives of people. Ebonyi State has significant potential in solid minerals, and we are prepared to explore investments that can unlock that potential through responsible mining, processing, infrastructure and industrial development.

“Our interest in Ebonyi is closely tied to the leadership and vision of Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii. If he assumes office and provides the leadership, policy direction and investment environment necessary for credible investors to operate, IGA Capital is prepared to work with his administration to develop bankable solid-mineral projects and explore an investment programme that could exceed $100 million from 2027.

“We are particularly interested in projects where deployed capital can generate jobs, develop infrastructure, support local businesses and create value within Ebonyi. Our objective is not simply to extract resources, but to help build an investment ecosystem in which mining, processing, industrialisation and infrastructure development can grow together.”

IGA Capital’s published materials show that the firm has been developing its focus on strategic-minerals financing and works around structures that can include project finance, strategic equity, export-credit financing and other forms of structured capital, depending on the project.

Ebonyi’s mineral potential

The proposed investment comes as Nigeria seeks to attract more international capital into its solid-minerals industry and move from the export of raw minerals toward greater domestic processing and beneficiation.

The Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission identifies salt, limestone, lead, zinc, coal, kaolin and granite among Ebonyi’s mineral resources and highlights opportunities in mining and related industrial activities.

For Ebonyi, the potential development of commercially viable mining projects could extend beyond extraction to include processing, transportation, equipment supply, infrastructure, technical services and local manufacturing.

That could create opportunities for employment and participation by indigenous companies, although the scale of those benefits would depend on the projects ultimately selected, financed and developed.

Investment discussions facilitated by Dotmount Communications

The proposed engagement between IGA Capital and Odii’s team is being facilitated by Anna Ochigbo, Head of Investment and Executive Director of Dotmount Communications, an international communications, strategic advisory and investment-promotion firm that connects governments, businesses and institutional stakeholders with international investors, media platforms and strategic partners.

In her role, Ochigbo is coordinating discussions between IGA Capital and Odii’s team, helping to identify potential investment opportunities, facilitate high-level engagement and support the development of a framework for international investment in Ebonyi’s solid-minerals sector.

Nigeria’s President Buhari in fresh scandal

 Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari’s ‘Change Begins with Me’ campaign suffered a setback  on Friday following a newspaper report that the president allegedly plagiarised President Barack Obama in the speech he delivered while launching the project.

The government says the campaign will help curb “widespread act of immorality” by Nigerians.

The report, which detailed how Mr. Buhari allegedly lifted quotes from a 2008 speech by Mr. Obama, came on the heels of another damaging allegation that the ‘Change Begins With Me’ campaign contained elements belonging to another anti-corruption effort, ‘Not in My Country’.

Mr. Buhari on September 8 launched the ‘reorientation’ campaign in Abuja as part of his government’s strategy to make Nigerians eschew “dishonesty, indolence, unbridled corruption and widespread impunity” and embrace daily introspection over their “immoral” conducts.

He also used the occasion to sue for national consensus amongst Nigerians on issues ranging from spirit of service to patriotism.

“We must resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship, pettiness and immaturity that have poisoned our country for so long. Let us summon a new spirit of responsibility, spirit of service, of patriotism and sacrifice, Let us all resolve to pitch in and work hard and look after, not only ourselves but one another.

“What the current problem has taught us is that we cannot have a thriving army of rent seekers and vested interests, while the majority suffers,” Mr. Buhari said.

But facts have emerged indicating Mr. Buhari did not author those quotes.

Adeola Akinremi, a columnist with Lagos-based THISDAY Newspaper, was the first to spot possible instances of plagiarism between Mr. Buhari’s speech and a speech delivered by Mr. Obama when he was first elected in 2008.

In a speech delivered after his victory on November 4, 2008, Mr. Obama said to a crowd of enthusiastic supporters:

“Let’s resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.

“So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other. “Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.”

After highlighting the seeming plagiarism, Mr. Akinremi said the act was “unethical” and lampooned Mr. Buhari for allegedly indulging in it.

“It is immoral to plagiarize other people’s work, but even worse to use dishonesty to launch a campaign about honesty.

“When you use another person’s work without acknowledgement, you have plagiarized. You simply pretend as if it is your own. It is unethical. It makes a mess of the campaign from the start. That is what Buhari has done, nobody will believe in the ‘change begins with me’ campaign, because it was built on lies,” Mr. Akinremi said.

When contacted Friday morning, presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, said he was just becoming aware of the allegation and that the presidency would investigate.

Mr. Akinremi’s column was published a week after associates of Akin Fadeyi, creator of ‘Not In My Country’ accused the Buhari administration of stealing his concept to launch ‘Change Begins with Me.’

The associates said Mr. Fadeyi, a creative artist and former head of communications at Airtel Nigeria, met with the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, in December 2015 to intimate him of ‘Not In My Country,’ an episodic narrative that deploys humour to underscore societal ills and appeal to Nigerians to shun sharp practices.

They said Mr. Mohammed declined interest in the concept, only to turn around to adapt it for ‘Change Begins with Me’ campaign.

But Mr. Mohammed denied the allegations, saying he started ‘Change Begins with Me’ before he was appointed minister.

“We started working on ‘Change Begins with Me’ before the honourable minister was nominated and we’ve been working with the agency that produced the campaign,” Mr. Mohammed’s associate said.

The ‘Change Begins with Me’ campaign had earned Mr. Buhari widespread criticism, with many Nigerians accusing him of shifting blames to them and wondering why they gave him their mandate if he would ultimately saddle them with the duty of effecting the change he promised.

But the government said the campaign became necessary to rally all Nigerians in the effort to cleanse the country of corruption and other malaise plaguing it.

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EFCC wants to steal my money –Patience Jonathan

The Former First Lady, Patience Jonathan, yesterday accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of using mercenaries in court to plead guilty on her behalf. She said the anti-graft agency was plotting to steal her “hard-earned” $15million (about N6.3billion)
She was reacting to the guilty as charged plea by four companies arraigned with a former aide to her husband, Waripamo Dudafa at a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos yesterday.
In a statement issued by her media aide, Chima Osuji, the former First Lady picked holes in the authenticity of the representatives of the four companies who pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of money laundering at the Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Babs Kuewumi.
The first, second and third defendants told the court through their counsel that their clients were challenging the validity of the representatives of Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited; Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Limited; Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited; and Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited on the basis that they failed to produce a letter of authority to represent the companies as required under section 477 (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
The companies are facing a 15-count second amended charge along with Dudafa. While Dudafa and the two others pleaded not guilty, the fourth to seventh defendants whose authenticity as the true representatives of the company was challenged proceeded to curiously plead guilty and admit culpability before the court.
The EFCC has since frozen the companies’ accounts with Skye Bank, while Mrs Jonathan has sued the commission and the bank, laying claims to the accounts.
The former First Lady alleged that the EFCC presented four unknown people as representatives of the companies, all of who did not show letters authorising them by their respective boards to represent them in the case. “This is a clear evidence of the desperation of the prosecution to pull down the former First Lady and confiscate her hard-earned money,” he quipped.
Osuji stated: “It  is an irony. it was the former First Lady who went to court for the repatriation of her confiscated money when she realised that the EFCC and its co-travellers were playing politics with this issue after she  had come out publicly to say that the said money belongs to her and that she has all evidence to prove the sources of her money. Up till this very moment, EFCC has refused to interrogate or invite her for questioning.”
He said: “The biggest twist in court on Thursday (yesterday) was that the fourth to seventh defendants pleaded guilty to all the 15-count charge. It is clear that these unknown faces were agents of the EFCC, who have been stage-managed and tutored to come to court to complicate the case as a strategy to confiscate her money.”
The aide reiterated the  respect of his boss for  the sanctity and integrity of the judiciary as the bastion of hope for every citizen of the country.
He, however, expressed disappointment that Mrs. Jonathan’s well-earned image was being maligned in the court of public opinion through the “tissues of lies being churned out by the EFCC in respect of the matter.
“Mrs Jonathan is not a director, shareholder, promoter and/or participant in any of the four companies now under trial, and that she was the sole signatory to all the said accounts, contrary to the fabrication that she used her driver and cook as proxies,” Osuji said.
Finally, he said Mrs Jonathan has denied ever receiving any monies from any unknown sources into her accounts and that the accounts were opened in order to facilitate her travel overseas particularly for medical treatment, sundry purchase for herself and her late mother Mrs. Charity Oba (Mama Sisi).
Meanwhile, Mrs. Jonathan, had recently filed a suit before the court, claiming ownership of the fund traced to the companies. The N200 million suit instituted by Patience over the fund was filed against the EFCC.
Dudafa, who is a former Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to Jonathan, appeared before the court alongside seven others by the EFCC.
When the case was called yesterday,  Friday David, Agbor Obaro, Fredrick Dioghowori and Taiwo Ebenezer   appeared as counsel representing the four companies.
When the charge was read, the first, second and third accused pleaded not guilty to all counts. The four companies represented by individuals, however, pleaded guilty as charged by the commission.
Responding to the plea of the companies, Rotimi Oyedepo, prayed for a short time for review of the facts, adding that he would not waste the time.
Justice Kuewumi, however, declined the prosecution’s request, adding that he would adjourn to a further date.
Meanwhile, a lawyer representing the second and third accused, Messrs Tochukwu Onyiuke, and Joseph Okebiemen, informed the court of a bail application filed on behalf of their clients, adding that same has not been opposed.
They urged the court to admit the accused to bail on liberal terms.
Counsel representing the first accused, Mr. Gboyega Oyewole, also said his client was already on bail on existing conditions granted by a brother judge, and urged the court to allow his client enjoy same bail standing.
To this request of counsel, Justice Kuewumi did not grant the bail to the first accused, and ordered him to file a formal application before the court.
The court, however, granted bail to the second and third accused for N250 million each  with one surety in like sum.
The judge said the sureties must be owners of landed properties in Lagos, and if a public servant, such surety must produce a letter of introduction from his employer. The judge also ordered the surties to submit evidence of tax clearance.
He adjourned the case to September 27 for continuation and ordered the accused to be remanded in prison custody pending perfection of their bail.
In the amended charge, the EFCC alleged that the accused had between November  13, 2013, and June 2015, used the different companies to commit the offences.
The accused were alleged to have conspired to retain over 15 million dollars, which sum they reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of crime.
In a letter to EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, Patience admitted ownership of the money and  said it was meant for her foreign medical bills and other private expenses.
In the letter which her lawyers wrote to the EFCC, she said she was the sole signatory to the accounts.
But in her letter, Patience said she had been operating the accounts in the past without hindrance and was shocked to find she could not use her cards on July 7, 2016.
Earlier, the EFCC had established a prima facie case of money laundering against the ex-First Lady and 10 others.
The  11 suspects would face trial for alleged money laundering if the recommendation of the investigative team is upheld.
The EFCC declared that “preliminary investigation has also indicted Mrs. Patience Jonathan.”
The 10 suspects indicted in the investigation are a former Senior Special Assistant (Domestic/Household and Social Events to the former President), Dr. Dudafa Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel; Damola Bolodeoku; Dipo Oshodi; Theodora Varinik; Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited; Seagate Property Development and Investment Limited; Globus Integrated Services Limited; Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited and Skye Bank Plc.
The 10th suspect, Sompre Omiebi, is said to be on the run.
Repeated calls to Mr. Wilson Uwujaren yesterday night went unanswered.

BREAKING: Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello, attacked in Lokoja

Some aggrieved residents on Friday stoned Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, as he emerged from a mosque where he observed Jumat prayer in Lokoja, the state capital.

It is not proximately clear why the residents carried out the attack against Mr. Bello, but witnesses said the incident occurred at the Lokoja Central Mosque in the old market area of the capital.

A source who confirmed the development to this has said the disgruntled persons also carried few placards while chanting anti-government slogans. The source also said Mr. Bello was pelted with rotten fruits and vegetables.

The police dispersed the crowd with teargas soon afterwards, the source said.

“The situation in this state is even worse than what the residents are doing. The situation is pathetic,” the source said.

An official in the state said that was the second time in two weeks the governor would be so attacked as complaints mount about the depreciating living conditions in the state.

“He recently attended an event in Ankpa, and residents there defied heavy security to stone him,” the official said. “We don’tunderstand what’s going on.”

Kogi State Government spokespersons, Kingsley Fanwo and Gbenga Olorunpomi, could not be reached for comment as at these reports.

Pastor Oyakhilome's Ex Wife, Anita, Bashes False Prophets and Fake Evangelists

Pastor Anita Ebodaghe, the ex wife of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy, has released an article on her blog bashing false prophets and evangelists. 
When people talk about winning souls these days, I feel absolutely concerned for the so-called souls. It looks to me like a lion on a breakfast mission, in search for his hunt; he hides behind the grass for an unwise lamb that would wander away from the herd in search of fresh grass. This will be an easy catch and good feast for the lion’s plate.

When I hear these people talk about winning souls, I feel sorry for the souls who have no idea of what they are getting into. It sometimes sounds to me like blood-thirty people desperate to count the number of innocent, ignorant people who will give their blood to be sucked. These souls are classified, as those who are needy, can undoubtedly gullible in their search for solutions and wanting to identify or belong to a community.

These souls are caught when they are most vulnerable maybe they have lost a loved one, in a bad relationship with their parents or family, in need of healing or desperate for a change. At this point they will give anything and do anything without a second thought.

When caught by the wrong hands, they will start running in a wheel. Initially, the souls will be treated with some measure of care, so they do not detach. This will be short lived to prepare them to be trained as unconscious servants. Once the attachment is built, they would start attending endless meetings till they begin to be unavailable for their loved ones and disassociate from their families over time. These souls will eventually give their energy away and with time they begin to feel tired, unhappy, sick, financially drained and depleted. Unknown to them, this new community and friends maybe superficial. The souls might observe that sweet and bitter method of sucking their blood has gradually robbed them of their self worth. They might realize they have given their energy to somebody else and they are now hanging in the spider's web.

They are tied up with daily and weekly responsibilities but if you look closely, their main leader is seating in a place of convenience by handling brief monthly meetings (not weekly) or occasional gatherings.

When I hear about souls, I have sympathy for those who give their blood to be sucked. They are simply prey to be used as objects in some people's game. Incidentally, some of these souls have become wiser in seeking the opportunity to reap the reaper in his own game, like the buffalo who challenges the tiger.

Mt 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

An aggressive soul winner is hungry like a hunter; he goes with all manner of tools and uses different technique to capture his prey.

Soul winning alone will not take you to heaven; you win a soul by living the God life and your personal interest in bringing somebody to the knowledge of Christ. You have to be in a good frame of mind first, not under fear or compulsion that if you do not win souls you will go to hell. There should be no ulterior motives like getting the soul’s money eventually, you want a position or seeking to be rewarded with treats or awards. There are people who reach out to others daily not for any earthly reward or to direct the souls to their own churches, for benefits or for any selfish reason. These people recommend and make available other authors, ministers and local assemblies for the interest of the soul alone.

Every man should learn to take care of himself first. He should learn to use his initiative and study for himself otherwise he might become somebody’s big catch or ‘meat’. At that point he would have no one to blame.

I have written this for those who have asked me questions on soul winning and their fears.

"And many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." Mat 24:11-14

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people."
2 Tim3:1-5