Out for a ride: The Emir of Kano Alhaji Dr Ado Abdullahi Bayero is attended by aides as he sits on the back of his
vintage Rolls Royce on his way to the Central Mosque in Kano
With their brightly coloured robes,
ornate thrones and legions of flunkeys attending every whim, they seem
every bit the archetypal African kings.
Nigeria's traditional Monarchs may have been stripped of their powers half a century ago, but they appear to have lost little of their regal pomp and splendour as this fascinating series of portraits shows.
Photographer George Osodi
toured the west African country extensively for a series of photographs
entitled 'Kings of Nigeria' which is due to be exhibited at London's
Bermondsey Project in October.
Posing on his ornate throne, Alhaji Dr Ado
Abdullahi Bayero is the current 'Emir of Kano', a position he has held
since 1963. A former ambassador to Senegal he is renowned for his
abundant wealth, which has been amassed by investing in the stock market
and agriculture
Robes of office: HRM Agbogidi Obi James
Ikechukwu Anyasi II, 'The Obi of the Idumuje Unor kingdom', was until
his death earlier this year, the longest reigning African Monarch. He
was crowned king on October 9, 1946 at the age of 22. His robe,
depicting a young Queen Elizabeth, gives a clear nod to the period of
British colonial rule
As a well-known and celebrated
Nigerian photographer, Mr Osodi was granted rare access to the palaces and throne
rooms of these hereditary rulers who now serve as living repositories of Nigeria's enormous cultural heritage.
He told Al-Jazeera: 'There are
frequent clashes among different ethnic groups… Lots of people have lost
trust in their identity. I felt it was important that we see this
diverse culture as a point of unity instead of seeing it as something
that should divide us as a nation.
'The easiest way I could approach
this was to look at the monarchy structure in the country because they
are closer to the people than the governors.'
While
their ancestors ruled over vast tracts of Africa, following the
abolition of the monarchy in 1963 the regional monarchs were stripped of
all their constitutional powers.
But
far from fading into obscurity, they mostly remain popular leaders and
are held in great regard by their hundreds of thousands of loyal
subjects.
And despite
lacking any formal powers they continue to wield considerable influence
and serve as unofficial intermediaries between their subjects and the
Nigerian government.
His Majesty, Wilson Ojakovo Oghoghovwe Oharisi III was made the 'Ovie of
Ughelli' in 1980 and has ruled over the great kingdoms of Ughelli and
Urhoboland for more than 33 years
Alayeluwa Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the current
'Ooni of Ife', relaxes in his throne room. Born in 1930, he has enjoyed
a colourful life first working for his father's business, then with the
Nigerian Tribune newspaper, before attending Northampton College in the
United Kingdom where he studied business management. In 1963 he became
Sales Director of the state-owned National Motor company in the Nigerian
capital Lagos. He later formed a company to distribute Soviet-built
vehicles and equipment in Nigeria
His Royal Majesty Oba Oyetunji Jimoh Olanipekun
Larooyell, the 'Ataoja of Osogbo' in southwest Nigeria. He worked as a
teacher for many years, firstly at a baptist day school. He was crowned
king in 1976 and rules over some 300,000 subjects. He has studied
management in London and is a qualified chartered accountant
Born to rule: Sitting on his golden throne,
Benjamin Ikenchuku Keagborekuzi I is the current 'Dein of Agbor'. Just
two years and four months after his birth in July 1977 he was crowned
king following the the unexpected death of his father. It meant he was
the youngest king anywhere in the world. He is currently the Chancellor
of the University of Ilorin, one of Nigeria's most prestigious
universities
Nigerian Monarchs will be exhibited at The Bermondsey Project, London SE1, between October 10 and October 27.
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