The Unforgotten Yoruba

Funmilayo Ransome Kuti born 25 October 1900 in Abeokuta, she was a prominent Yoruba woman and an anti-colonial activist, a teacher and a politician. She was described by many as the doyen of women's rights in Nigeria and the Mother of Nigeria. She founded and was the leader of Abeokuta Women's Union on a campaign against arbitrary taxation of women, a pressure group that had over 20,000 membership, the struggle which led to the abdication of the Egba King Oba Ademola II in 1949.



She was also the leader of commoners Peoples Party, and Nigeria Women's Union. The treasurer and president of Western Women Association and the winner of the Lenin Peace Prize.
She was selected to be among notable Nigerian women whose faces would be affixed on a proposed N5000 note before the idea was dropped.
It was claimed that she was the first Nigerian woman to drive a car.
She was sadly thrown out through an upstairs window (2nd floor precisely) when a battalion soldiers invaded Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s house at Ikeja, Lagos, Yorubaland in 1978. She died as a result of injury sustained on 13 April 1978. She was married to Rev. I.O. Ransome-Kuti, and a mother to Professor Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, Musical legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Doctor Beko Kuti and Dolupo.