THINGS REMEMBERED: Aba Women’s Riot: When Women Rose Against British Oppressive Tax Regime

Towards the end of 1929, the historic Aba Women’s Riot sparked a wave of resistance that swept through southeastern Nigeria. It was not led by men, but by thousands of aggrieved women against the British colonial master, whose tax regime was no longer tolerable.

It was adjudged as one of the fiercest uprisings against colonial rule in Africa.

Historical sources accessed by LEADERSHIP indicate that the protest began in Aba and spread across the Owerri and Calabar provinces. At the heart of the crisis was the British colonial administration’s plan to extend taxation to women, following earlier taxes imposed on men. This move, coupled with the corrupt practices of warrant chiefs, ignited widespread anger among market women, farmers and traders.

Using traditional methods of protest such as “sitting on a man”—a form of collective resistance involving singing, dancing and public shaming—the women mobilised in their thousands. They targeted colonial institutions, including native courts and administrative offices, demanding accountability and justice. Their actions disrupted colonial governance and exposed deep flaws in the indirect rule system.

The colonial authorities responded with force. In several instances, troops opened fire on unarmed protesters, leading to the death of over 50 women, with many others injured. Despite the violence, the protest forced the colonial government to reassess its policies. The proposed taxation of women was abandoned and reforms were introduced to curb the excesses of warrant chiefs.

Historians have drawn extensively on colonial records and scholarly works to document the riot. According to research by Adiele Afigbo, the uprising was not a spontaneous riot but a well-organised movement rooted in indigenous political traditions.

 Similarly, scholars like Judith Van Allen have emphasised the central role of women in shaping resistance and political discourse in colonial Nigeria.