In the early twentieth century, Lagos served as a centre of mission education, professional development, and political engagement under British colonial rule. Within this environment emerged George Samuel Stone Smith, later publicly recognised as Orisadipe Obasa, a member of the Saro community. Although surviving records do not detail every aspect of his childhood, historical accounts confirm that he received a mission school education in Lagos before travelling to the United Kingdom for medical training, a path increasingly taken by West African elites of his generation.
Upon his return to Lagos, he adopted the name Orisadipe Obasa. While the specific personal reasons for this renaming were not documented in surviving records, official documents, newspapers, and organisational archives from the early 1900s consistently refer to him by this name. From this point onward, all his public, civic, and professional activities appeared under the name Orisadipe Obasa.
The Formation of the People’s Union
In 1908, Obasa, alongside Dr John K. Randle and other Lagos professionals, helped establish the People’s Union. This organisation emerged in response to concerns about water rate proposals and sanitary reforms introduced by the colonial government. The Union provided a platform through which educated residents of Lagos could express community views and engage constructively with colonial administrators.
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The People’s Union adopted a formal approach to civic representation, using petitions, public meetings, and direct communication with the authorities. Records from this period show that Obasa served as the secretary of the organisation. His role placed him at the centre of the Union’s administrative activities, correspondence, and meeting organisation, reflecting the increasing participation of African professionals in civic matters at the time.
Although the People’s Union eventually saw its influence decline as newer organisations emerged, including the Nigerian Youth Movement, it remains one of the earliest well-documented examples of organised political engagement among Lagos’s educated elite.
The Reformed Ogboni Fraternity
In 1914, Obasa contributed to the founding of the Reformed Ogboni Fraternity, working alongside J. A. A. Osholake and other notable Lagos residents. Verified historical records confirm that Obasa served as the first Oluwo, or leader, of the organisation.
The Reformed Ogboni Fraternity did not function as a continuation of the precolonial Ogboni institution. Instead, it was a new fraternal order that incorporated Yoruba cultural symbolism while adopting the structural features of modern voluntary associations. Its formation took place during a period of increased cultural activity in Lagos, marked by published writings, historical documentation, and efforts by educated Africans to preserve aspects of Yoruba tradition within a changing colonial society.
The fraternity grew steadily during the early twentieth century and became one of the most enduring cultural organisations formed during this period. Obasa’s leadership reflects the broader involvement of Lagos elites in the preservation and reinterpretation of cultural identity.
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Cultural Nationalism and Civic Identity
The first decades of the twentieth century are often characterised by historians as a period of cultural nationalism in Lagos. Mission-educated Africans, professional elites, and cultural organisations increasingly documented history, promoted indigenous knowledge, and affirmed African identity within a modern context.
Obasa’s career sits firmly within this historical moment. As a physician trained in Britain, a civic organiser in Lagos, and a cultural leader in the Reformed Ogboni Fraternity, he represented a generation seeking to navigate the intersections of Western education, professional life, and cultural heritage. His activities illustrate how civic participation and cultural expression developed simultaneously in early colonial Lagos.
Legacy in Lagos History
Orisadipe Obasa occupies a documented place in the civic and cultural development of early colonial Lagos. His involvement in the People’s Union and the Reformed Ogboni Fraternity provides insight into the ways African professionals shaped community representation and cultural identity during this transformative period.
While later political movements would take on broader national significance, the work of individuals such as Obasa contributed to the foundations upon which these movements were built. His career demonstrates the role of educated Africans in shaping Lagos’s public life and underscores the significance of cultural organisation in early twentieth-century society.
Author’s Note
This article highlights the contributions of Orisadipe Obasa to civic organisation and cultural expression during a defining period in Lagos history. His work in the People’s Union and the Reformed Ogboni Fraternity shows how educated Africans participated in public life, strengthened community identity, and supported cultural continuity during a changing colonial era.
References
Kristin Mann, Marrying Well: Marriage, Status and Social Change among the Educated Elite in Colonial Lagos.
Ayodeji Olukoju, A History of Lagos.
Patrick Cole, Modern and Traditional Elites in the Politics of Lagos.
J. F. Ade Ajayi, Yoruba and the Growth of African Culture.
