Who is Chief Taiwo Olowo?

Chief Taiwo Olowo (c.1781-1901) a.k.a ” Taiwo The Rich Man” was a 19th Century businessman born in Isheri. Taiwo, a son of Oluwole the Olofin of Isheri, came to Lagos in 1848 as an apprentice basket maker. He quickly learnt his trade and was able to establish his own business.

By the 1840s, Taiwo had become a protege of Kosoko, Oba Osinlokun’s son. Kosoko reigned as Oba of Lagos from 1845 to 1851 and, as can be expected, Taiwo leveraged his closeness to Kosoko for mercantile gain, establishing partnerships with European and Brazilian merchants. After Oba Kosoko returned to Lagos, he introduced Taiwo to Governor Glover, the then administrator of Lagos in 1863. Glover liked taiwo very much that he made him his business partner and subsequently made him Baba Isale of Isheri. This paved way for taiwo as he became the patron and representative of the Isheri people. In return, Taiwo enjoyed monopolistic privileges over all others in access to Isheri trade routes and markets, he became even wealthier.

He got baptized in the late 1870s at the Holy Trinity Church in Ebute Ero, taking the name Daniel Conrad Taiwo and also served as an emissary of the British colonial government in Lagos, and was ambassador to the court of the King of Porto Novo.

When he died in Lagos on February 20, 1901, James Johnson (Assistant Bishop of Western Equatorial Africa) officiated his funeral in an impressive funeral service held at Ebute–Ero where he worshipped as a member in life.

His mansion is still located on Marina Street, Lagos Island, and across the street stood his monument erected over his tomb by the Brazilian-Lagosian master builder Senhor Jorge DaCosta in 1905. Its plaques were said to have been forged from the melting of hundreds of copper pennies. The Ìgà Taiwo Olowo which translates to “Palace of Taiwo the Rich Man” on Lagos Island belongs to his descendants.
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