Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti

Nigerian activist who led Aba Women's Riots against colonial taxation

Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (1900-1978) was a foundational figure in Nigeria's independence movement and women's rights. As leader of the Abeokuta Women's Union (1949), she organized the Aba Women's Riots (1946), a mass protest against British colonial taxation policies. This movement involved 10,000+ women disrupting railways and markets, marking one of Africa's largest pre-independence uprisings. Wikipedia profile.

Her advocacy expanded into housing rights and education through the Commoners' People's Party (1950s). Mother of musician Fela Kuti, her legacy connects to modern #EndSARS protests. Recent scholarship emphasizes her role in creating pan-African feminist networks through organizations like the Federation of African Women's Associations (1962). Her autobiography 'My Life' remains a key primary source for Nigerian women's history.