Humuani Alaga
Nigerian feminist, activist and entrepreneur
About Humuani Alaga
Lived 1900 – 1993. Humuani Alaga was a Nigerian women's rights activist, trade unionist, activist and entrepreneur.
Humuani Amoke Alaga, popularly known as Mama Humuani Alaga (ca. 1900 – 1993 ) was a Nigerian activist and indigenous entrepreneur in the textile business. She was also referred to as a Muminaat who encouraged and influenced women to be active citizens. In 1938, she led protesters to demand equal pay and better working condition for women. In 1958, she founded the Isabatudeen Women's Society with 11 other women. In 1959, she co-founded the National Council of Women's Societies.
Early life Alaga was born around 1900 in Ibadan into the family of Alfa Aliu Adisa Alaga, a Muslim cleric and trader, and Asimowu Oladoyinbo Ladebo Anigbalawo, a textile and bead trader. In 1958, after being refused entry for her daughter into a Christian school, she founded, with eleven other women, a society which took the name of Isabatudeen Society (IS). At the heart of its program was a project to create a secondary school for girls. She founded Isabatudeen Girls' Grammar School.
Activism The Women Cotton Trade Union protested in 1938 against the Lebanese traders who were acting as middlemen in the textile business and were making huge profits. The protest was led by Alaga as she was against the Lebanese traders operating at some places in Ibadan that was meant for the local traders. This later led to the creation of the National Council of Women's Societies (NCWS) in 1959. In 1953, she led the Ibadan African Textile Association to protest against the relocation of Dugbe market. The protesters went bare-footed and bare-headed to the king's palace and demanded that the location of the market remained unchanged. She also led market women to the Governor's place to protest against the killing of protesters by soldiers in 1978.
She also advocated for equal pay for all during a visit to the State Governor.
Death Alaga died on 29 January 1993 in Ibadan.
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Important facts
People in Humuani Alaga's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Humuani Alaga's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Humuani Alaga?
Nigerian feminist, activist and entrepreneur
When was Humuani Alaga born?
Humuani Alaga was born in 1900 in Ibadan.
When did Humuani Alaga die?
Humuani Alaga died on 29 January 1993 in Ibadan.
What was Humuani Alaga's occupation?
Humuani Alaga was a women's rights activist, trade unionist, activist and entrepreneur.
What nationality was Humuani Alaga?
Humuani Alaga was Nigerian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Humuani Alaga. https://biography.guide/humuani-alaga/
MLA: "Humuani Alaga." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/humuani-alaga/.
Chicago: "Humuani Alaga." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/humuani-alaga/.
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