Silent Protests, Loud Impact: Madam Alimotu Pelewura (1865–1951) and Women’s Activism in Colonial Lagos, Nigeria

Madam Alimotu Pelewura (1865–1951) was a major representative of women’s agency in anti-colonial nationalist struggles against dispossession and oppression in colonial Nigeria. She became emboldened by the needs, yearnings, requirements, and political realities of the period. Her life in Lagos became sine qua non to the understanding of the dynamics of the market and the people within that milieu. In this patriarchal context, market women, including Pelewura, exhibited resilience in their traditional duties. Historically situated readings of the efforts of Iyaloja (Leader of Market Women) Alimotu Pelewura reveal her overcoming challenges imposed by colonial rule and patriarchy besides aligning herself with a major nationalist political party and the traditional aristocracy. Alongside the Lagos Market Women Association (LMWA), she successfully positioned market women to wield influence in Lagos politics, a legacy that has continued through successors like Abibatu Mogaji and Folashade Tinubu-Ojo. Their leadership as Iyaloja highlights the enduring significance of market women as major stakeholders in the contemporary politics and governance of Lagos. This historical evaluation illuminates the profound impact of Pelewura’s efforts in shaping the trajectory of market women’s involvement in the political landscape and reinforces the politics of place in the context of colonial and post-colonial Lagos.