Thanks to these women, we do not pay tax to any British monarch who has no jurisdiction on our God-given corner of this globe.—Ndanyongmong H. Ibanga
Due to the growing need to understand Nigeria’s history holistically, there is an ongoing rediscovery and appreciation for Nigerian women and their vital roles in shaping our history. This process of rediscovery has unveiled the extraordinary extent to which Nigerian women wielded authority across political, economic, and social spheres—far beyond the domestic roles history often confines them to.
For instance, Aderonke Kale broke barriers as the first female Major-General to serve on the side of the government. Madame Nwanyeruwa, on the other hand, boldly opposed the government and sparked a revolution that endured the test of time almost a century later.
While this revolution, known as the Aba Women’s Riot, is taught based on its impact on the government of that era, not much is known about Madame Nwanyeruwa, the woman who ignited the flames.
Nwanyeruwa, the woman who damned the government
Nwanyeruwa, also known as Madame Nwanyeruwa, was an Igbo woman living in colonial Nigeria. At the time, the colonisers paid little attention to the preexisting power distributions and instead installed their own form of rule. In doing so, they stripped the women of the region of many of their traditional rights and freedoms.
In April 1927, the British introduced direct taxation across Nigeria, which was implemented in April 1928 but only affected men. Things changed in September 1929 when Captain J. Cook took over from Mr Weir as the serving district officer of the Bende division.
Noticing that the nominal roll excluded clear details about the wives, children and livestock and thus seemed inadequate for taxing purposes, Cook decided it needed revision. This revision introduced direct taxation for women and inadvertently began the Aba Women’s Riot, also known as Ogu Umunwanyi.
It all started with a dispute between Nwanyeruwa and a man, Mark Emereuwa, who was helping to make a census of the people living in the town controlled by the Warrant chief, Okugo.
On the morning of November 18, Emereuwa arrived at Nwanyereuwa’s house and approached her as her husband, Ojim, had passed away. He instructed the widow to “count her goats, sheep and people.” Nwanyeruwa understood this meant that she would be taxed based on her dependents and possessions. Angered by the implication, she retorted, “Was your widowed mother counted?” to drive home the fact that women didn’t pay taxes in traditional Igbo society. The two had a heated exchange that led to Emeruwa grabbing Nwanyeruwa by the throat in an attempt to choke her.
Rallying women for the first historical display of feminism in Nigeria
Following the dispute, Nwanyeruwa went to the town square to discuss the incident with other women who happened to be holding a meeting to discuss the issue of taxing women. Already dealing with the poverty their husbands and sons were subjected to due to the imposed tax system, the news of women to be added to the chain was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Believing they would be taxed, based on Nwanyeruwa’s account, the Oloko women invited other women (by sending leaves of palm-oil trees) from other areas in the Bende District, as well as from Umuahia and Ngwa who protested at the office of Warrant Chief Okugo, demanding his resignation and calling for a trial.
Nwanyeruwa and the women went to Emeruwa’s compound to protest, eventually driving him out while drawing in larger crowds. They gathered nearly 10,000 women who protested at the office of Warrant Chief Okugo for two months, demanding his resignation and trial. They also demanded the abolition of taxation and the dismantling of the Warrant Chiefs system.
On March 12, 1930, Nwanyeruwa testified against warrant Chief Okugo before the Aba Commission of Inquiry. During the proceedings, she also confronted Emeruwa. News of her bravery quickly spread throughout the grassroots of Igbo land, inspiring many women to join her in the fight against the imposed taxes.
Udo Udoma, the woman who broke a gun
Like Nwanyeruwa, Adiaha Edem Udo Udoma, commonly referred to as Madam Udo Udoma, was one of the key fighters in the Women’s War of 1929. At that time, she was a well-known market leader in Ikot Abasi, present-day Akwa Ibom.
On the 16th of December, 1929, Madam Udo Udoma joined hundreds of women in protest at the Consulate Beach, Egwanga Opobo. The protest turned tragic when the colonial troops opened fire at them using pistols, rifles, and even a machine gun, despite the fact that the women were mostly unarmed, except those who had sticks and stones.
In the chaos that ensued, Madam Udo Udoma is reported to have grabbed a rifle out of the arms of one of the soldiers and broken it in half across her knee.
A statue depicting this moment of immense courage was erected in her honour and can be found at the Women’s War Memorial, Ikot Abasi.
The Legacy of the Women’s War
The protests significantly improved women’s position in society. In some areas, women were able to replace the Warrant Chiefs, and women were also appointed to serve on the Native Courts.
After the Aba Women’s Riot, women’s movements grew strong in Ngwaland. Throughout the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, many events were inspired by the Women’s War, including the Tax Protests of 1938, the Oil Mill Protests of the 1940s in Owerri and Calabar Provinces, and the Tax Revolt in Aba and Onitsha in 1956. Historians have also cited the Aba Women’s Riot as an inspiration for the Women’s protest in Abeokuta led by Funmilayo Ransome Kuti a few years after.
Nwanyeruwa, along with other women of the Oloko village, sparked a movement that inspired women in other Nigerian villages to start their own political movements. Their names remain central to the history of feminism in Nigeria, and have been linked to the rise of African nationalism.
