Chief Abiola Dosumu, the Erelu of Lagos, on Sunday celebrated the timeless contributions of late King Kosoko to the growth of Lagos economy.
Dosumu, during the 2024 edition of King Kosoko Memorial Lecture in Lagos, described late Kosoko as a great achiever who paved the way for others to attain success in the city of Lagos during his reign between 1845 to 1851.
The theme for the lecture was “The Lagos Economy in the Era of King Kosoko: A Tale of Prosperity and the Decline”.
This was organised by the Oloja Elect of Lagos, Prince Abiola Kosoko, one of the descendants of late King Kosoko.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that late King Kosoko was the Oba of Lagos between 1845 and 1851.
His insistence on the slave trade was the pretext for the 1851 British bombardment of Lagos, for which he went into exile in Epe.
The Erelu noted that Kosoko, who was a slave merchant, left beautiful legacies which made the economy of Lagos to thrive as well as other great leaders.
She, however, said this legacy must be upheld for the purpose of posterity while Lagos residents deliberately focus on relaying their stories.
“King Kosoko was not a coward. He was a confident and great king, an achiever who left wonderful legacies.
“We have such beautiful legacies, beautiful heritage left for us by our ancestors but we don’t often tell our stories. We must tell our stories.
“Permit me to say that Lagos is the crucible in which Nigeria was built. Lagos had been there hundreds of years before 1940. We should be proud that our ancestors left the foundation for the prosperity of this great country.
“Just follow the trajectory of the Obas of Lagos; they started trading with the Portuguese long before colonialism came in and our fore fathers were paving way making economic exploits.
“I congratulate the Kosoko family, thank you for keeping the legacies. You are the descendants of a great leader,” she said.
Dosumu advised Lagos indigenes to work on sustaining the legacies of the late monarch through hard work and being proud of those legacies.
“So please, Lagosians, don’t let the world castigate us as lazy and never-do-well people, our ancestors trained us well. Let us rise up to the occasion and live up to that legacy to occupy that position of pride they have put us into.
“We are proud of Kosoko’s achievements. It is not enough when people say Lagos is no man’s land.
“This is because we neglect our rights and the great acumen deposited in us.
“Let us prove that we are achievers, our ancestors are achievers. They paved the way for other achievers who came from other parts of the world to find their golden fish here,” she said.
Earlier, a Historian, Prof. Habeeb Sanni, analysed the economic status of Lagos from the 15th century.
Sanni, Acting Director, Directorate of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship, Lagos State University, said that Lagos economy witnessed a boost since the emergence of oba Akinsemoyin.
He said this was when the economy of Lagos transformed from purely domestic trade to international trade.
He explained that though Akinsemoyin laid the foundation for the upsurge in Lagos economy, Kosoko’s era witnessed an unprecedented boom in Lagos economy.
He said this was accentuated by the volume of slaves exported from the Lagos port during his short reign.
“In an era when the slave trade faced its most difficult challenge, Kosoko and his supporters ensured its sustenance until he was forced out of his stool.
“He displayed his economic capability by diversifying into the new trade in palm oil to the consternation of his enemies who had to annex Kosoko’s booming trade at Orimedu into the Lagos economy.
“The British diversion of the palm oil trade of Orimedu into Lagos signaled the decline of the trade there, more so when King Kosoko had been persuaded to return to Lagos as a private citizen,” he said.
Also speaking, Prof. Adewunmi Falode of the Department of History and International Studies, Lagos State University, described late Kosoko as a fantastic strategist who defeated the British when he was attacked in November 1851.
He said the British were only able to defeat him when they came back in December, same year, due to their sophisticated weapons.
NAN reports that the event also featured a book launch entitled “King Kosoko, His Life, His People and His Settlements” written by the current Oloja Elect of Lagos, Prince Abiola Kosoko. (NAN)
