| Uwa | |
|---|---|
| 25th Ogiso, Monarch of Igodomigodo | |
| Ogiso of Igodomigodo | |
| Reign | c. 1085 – c. 1095 |
| Coronation | c. 1085 |
| Predecessor | Odoligie |
| Successor | Ehenneden |
| Born | Idugbouwa |
| Died | c. 1095 |
| Dynasty | Oriagba dynasty[1] |
| Father | Odoligie |
| Mother | Aiyeki |
Uwa (died c. 1095) was the twenty-fifth ogiso (king) of Igodomigodo, a kingdom that later became part of the Benin Empire, from c. 1085 until his death. He was the son of Ogiso Odoligie and ruled during a period of political transformation shaped by earlier reforms. His reign saw the expansion of the Benin monarchy's influence from the River Oroghodo in the east to the River Ohosu in the west. He ordered the expulsion of the nobleman Ovio, an event that led to migrations towards present-day Delta State in Nigeria.
Unlike his father, who had prioritised military campaigns, Uwa relied on diplomacy and political maneuvering to maintain authority. Trade expanded during his rule, with merchant guilds establishing networks reaching present-day Ghana, Dahomey, and the Niger River basin. Brass casting was introduced to the kingdom in this period, though it did not become widespread until the 13th century. Uwa was succeeded by his son, Ehenneden, who continued efforts to consolidate the kingdom's political and economic structures.
- ^ Ọmọregie 1997a, pp. 16–17, "In ordinary circumstances it would seem to be an exercise in futility because the interests of the Senior Nobles were already fully fixed and the sequence of coronation succession in their group apparently known in advance. Yet Oriagba succeeded in changing the system and in sowing the seed of a dynasty, and of an age, which history has named after him.".