Obadan

Benin Empire was "one of the oldest, most developed and most powerful states in the coastal hinterland of West Africa". It grew out of the previous Edo Kingdom of Igodomigodo around the 11th century AD,[5] and lasted until it was annexed by the British Empire in 1897. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the kingdom reached the height of its prosperity, expanding its territory, trading with Europe nations, and creating a remarkable artistic legacy in cast bronze, iron, carved ivory, and other materials. The empire was established around 1440 by Oba Ewuare The Great