Alli Balogun
Entrepreneur, Nobleman & Philanthropist
He was born in Lagos in 1850; the seventh child of Makanjuola, an Ibiga of King Eshilokun, the eighth king of Lagos, (1813 - 1829), father of Prince Kosoko, who became the 12th king of Lagos (1845-1851).
#Yoruba
Entrepreneur, Nobleman & Philanthropist
He was born in Lagos in 1850; the seventh child of Makanjuola, an Ibiga of King Eshilokun, the eighth king of Lagos, (1813 - 1829), father of Prince Kosoko, who became the 12th king of Lagos (1845-1851).
#Yoruba
Alli Oloko (so styled because he owned a fleet of trading canoes), was from youth in the trading line under his father, who was a keen slave dealer.
On the death of his father, who had turned to legitimate trade with Ejirin and other markets, Alli inherited all his stock-in-trade and canoes. Through his astute business acumen, he won the confidence of his father's trading partners.
He had started business in a small way in iron bands (Oja Agba) trade, and he attended Ikorodu markets to sell his wares.
He began business on his own with livestock cattle trade and afterward turned his full attention to palm produce which he supplied to the German firms of Witt & Busch, G.L. Gaiser, as well as local firms, Z.A. Williams, R.B. Blaize, and other merchants.
A shrewd businessman, Alli Balogun extended his trading activities as new lines opened before him. With his barracoon business, he combined trading in imported goods and made a great success in gunpowder trade, being one of the best-trusted customers of the German Houses, ...
...Witt & Busch and G.L. Gaiser. He was also reported to be a successful man in the money-lending business, and his shrewd commonsense can be properly appraised from the fact that almost alone of his generation and succeeding traders, ...
...he was the least hit by the ups and downs of the produce trade and the great slump which swept the world after the 1st World War of 1914 - 1918.
In those days, successful non-Christian merchants formed themselves into "Society of the rich" - Egbe Olowo, their President was late Fasheke Olukolu (President of the Native Traders Guild). Among them were Seidu Olowu, Kasunmu Giwa, ...
...Sumonu Adesanya, Oso Longe, Thomas Kiyanmi(Jnr.), Jinadu Kabiowu, and Brimah Akilagun, who became Chief Onilegbale in 1906; Alli Balogun being the youngest of the set.
Early success brought Alli Balogun into prominence, and he was in the front rank of Moslem leaders from a comparatively early age, taking active parts in native affairs like his other co-religionists. When Governor William McGregor formed a Native Affairs Council in 1900, ...
...Alli Balogun, along with Chief Imam Ibrahim Nofiu were included as members, with the Governor as President, and Oba Eshugbayi Eleko as his vice president.
Alli Oloko fell into disfavor with his religious fellowmen over his role in the Water Rate agitation of the first two decades of the last century. He had, along with the Jalalailu section of the Moslems, ...
... including Chief Imam Ibrahim Nofiu, opposed the payment of Water Rate, but after subtle official persuasion, both of them surrendered to the payment of the tax.
Alli was a foundation member of the People's Union, a political body formed by Drs. John Randle and Orisadipe Obasa to fight the payment of water rate, and one of its most formidable opponents.
But when the government, in 1916, forced the issue of payment of water rate, on pain of imprisonment, and forfeiture of private properties to the government, the resistance failed
While Alli Balogun and Chief Imam Ibrahim beat a retreat, the majority of the Moslems felt a sense of betrayal, which caused a deep division in the rank of Moslem leadership, and even deeper cleavage in the rank and file members of the mosque.
This division was, however, dovetailed into the political issue the government has, in its attempt to curb the political influence of Oba Eshugbayi Eleko over public affairs.
In a swift reaction, the Moslem Jamat community of Lagos Central Mosque appointed another influential Moslem leader, Sheikh Abibu Oko, the Balogun of the Lagos Moslems; ...
... a title that Alli Balogun had been using as a courtesy title, even before the death of Sumanu Okete in 1903, the officially installed Balogun of Lagos Moslems.
It may be mentioned here, that Sheikh Abibu Oki was the third Balogun of Lagos Moslems, after Balogun Sumonu Okete, who was Balogun of Moslems, from 1891, until his death in 1903, since when the title was vacant.
The 1st Balogun of Lagos Moslems was Sheikh Alli, son of Alfa Usman, a koranic priest from Sokoto, who was a private priest to King Akitoye of Lagos, and who died in Lagos in 1881.
The issue of the control of the Lagos Central Mosque was taken to Court, where the Court gave judgment in favor of the Jamats, ...
...and Alli Balogun decided to build another central mosque known as Wasinmi mosque a stone throw away from the Lagos Central Mosque, which was commissioned in 1929, two years before his death in 1931
Source: Proudly Yoruba
