In October 1945, the Fifth Pan-African Congress convened at Chorlton-on-Medlock Town Hall in Manchester, England, from 15–21 October. The event brought together activists, trade-unionists, and political figures from Africa, the Caribbean, and the African diaspora, marking a pivotal moment in the global struggle against colonialism. Among those connected to West African networks at the time was Olabisi Alakija Awoonor-Renner, a pioneering Nigerian barrister whose professional achievements and political interests reflected the Congress’s wider calls for African self-determination, equality, and education.
Among West African networks active at the time were Olabisi Modupe Alakija (later Awoonor-Renner) and her husband, Kweku Bankole Awoonor-Renner. Secondary sources report that they attended the Fifth Pan-African Congress, though primary records do not list her as a formal delegate.
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Olabisi Awoonor-Renner: Legal Pioneer
Born in 1923 in Lagos, Nigeria, Olabisi Alakija pursued a career in law at a time when few Nigerian women entered the profession. She trained and qualified as a barrister in England, being called to the Bar at Middle Temple in October 1943. She was the second Nigerian woman to achieve this milestone, following Stella Thomas.
Her legal career positioned her among the early generation of Nigerian women breaking professional and gender barriers. In colonial Nigeria, opportunities for women in professional life were extremely limited. Colonial education largely prepared girls for teaching, clerical work, or domestic roles rather than professions such as law. Nevertheless, women played significant economic and social roles as traders, farmers, and community leaders, exemplified by the 1929 Aba Women’s War and other women-led protests in Lagos.
The Fifth Pan-African Congress
The Congress brought together over 80 delegates representing more than 50 organisations from Africa, the Caribbean, and the diaspora, alongside numerous observers. W. E. B. Du Bois served as International President, with George Padmore as a key organiser. Other prominent participants included Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya), Peter Abrahams (South Africa), and Amy Ashwood Garvey (Jamaica).
The Congress adopted resolutions calling for the end of colonial rule and racial discrimination, political self-government, economic equality, and access to education and employment for African peoples. While there is no verified record of Olabisi Awoonor-Renner delivering a formal paper or speech, secondary sources reporting her attendance suggest she was part of broader networks of educated African women engaging with transnational anti-colonial activism.
Colonial Nigeria and Women’s Education
In 1945, Nigeria remained a British colony undergoing social and economic transformation after World War II. Returning soldiers and a growing nationalist movement heightened expectations for freedom and equality. Leaders such as Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, and Herbert Macaulay shaped the political landscape.
For Nigerian women, access to professional education was limited. Olabisi Alakija’s qualification as a barrister was exceptional and signaled both personal achievement and the gradual expansion of opportunities for women in education and professional life. Her reported presence in international Pan-African networks illustrates the intersection of gender, education, and social progress in this period.
Pan-Africanism and Intellectual Networks
The Fifth Pan-African Congress served as a hub for ideas, strategy, and transnational collaboration. Delegates advocated for political, social, and economic equality, recognising education as central to empowerment and liberation. While Olabisi’s direct contributions at the Congress remain unverified, her professional and intellectual profile aligns with the Congress’s broader goals of advancing African self-determination and social reform.
Family, Networks, and Influence
Olabisi married Bankole Awoonor-Renner in 1944. He was a journalist and political activist engaged in West African nationalist circles. The couple’s reported engagement with Pan-African networks highlights how educated Nigerian women contributed to anti-colonial thought and activism through professional and familial channels. Though her direct influence on Nigerian independence is not fully documented, her legal career and political presence reflect women’s participation in transnational liberation movements.
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Legacy and Contemporary Relevance
Olabisi Alakija Awoonor-Renner’s life highlights the early cohort of Nigerian women entering the legal profession and engaging with international political networks. She exemplifies how women contributed to global anti-colonial struggles, even when historical records underrepresent their roles.
Her story remains relevant today, especially in Nigeria, where gender disparities in education persist in some regions. Modern Pan-Africanist and women’s organisations continue to draw inspiration from the 1945 Congress as a symbol of collective vision for African self-determination and gender-inclusive progress.
Recognising her role enriches the historiography of Nigerian women’s history and situates them within broader narratives of global anti-colonial activism.
References:
Tribune, “When Africa’s Future Came to Manchester,” 15 October 2022.
Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre, “The Fifth Pan-African Congress: Manchester and the Fight for Equality.”
Henry A. N., Evarista A. F., “The Emergence and History of the ‘Gentlewomen of the Bar’ into the Legal Profession in the South West Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria,” Arts Social Sci J, 2017.
“The Fifth Pan-African Congress, 1945.”
“Africa Speaks in Manchester: Pan-Africanism and a Collection Gem.”
