Jacob U. Egharevba

Who is Jacob U. Egharevba?

Jacob U. Egharevba was a Bini historian and traditional chief. After witnessing the 1914 crowning of Prince Aiguobasinmwin as the Oba of Benin, Egharevba realized how many of his people's traditions would be lost without a written record to complement the oral tradition, and determined to document his culture as thoroughly as possible. Egharevba set about interviewing older men who had survived from the 19th century in order to record the oldest form of the tales and traditions as possible. In 1944, he was made the first curator of the Benin Museum in Benin City, Nigeria.