Oba Ewuare II Biography: Wives, Age, Children, Net Worth, Parents, Religion, Oba Of Benin
Oba Ewuare II is the 40th Oba of Benin, the traditional ruler of the Benin Kingdom in Edo State, Nigeria.
Born Eheneden Erediauwa on October 20, 1953, he is the son of Oba Erediauwa, who reigned from 1979 until 2016. Before ascending the throne, he held the title of Edaiken N’Uselu (Crown Prince).
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He built a diplomatic career as Nigeria’s ambassador to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Angola, and also served in Rome and Albania. Crowned on October 20, 2016, his 63rd birthday, Ewuare II took the name in tribute to Ewuare the Great, the 15th-century warrior king credited with sweeping reforms and the expansion of the kingdom.
His reign has been defined by cultural preservation and the push for the return of the Benin Bronzes taken in the 1897 British expedition. In 2021, the University of Aberdeen approved the repatriation of one of the bronzes, which was handed to a delegation that included his representatives.
He also serves as Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria. At 73 years old, he carries the full royal style Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo.
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| Wiki Facts & About Data | |
| Real Name: | Eheneden Erediauwa |
| Stage Name: | Oba Ewuare II |
| Born: | October 20, 1953 (age 73 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria |
| State Of Origin: | Edo State |
| Nationality: | Nigerian |
| Ethnicity: | Edo (Bini) |
| Education: | Benin Divisional Council Primary School, Edo College, Immaculate Conception College, South Thames College, University of Wales, Cardiff, Rutgers Graduate School, University of London |
| Religion: | Christianity |
| Parents: | Oba Erediauwa, Princess Ikuoyemwen Akenzua |
| Siblings: | Prince Aghatise Erediauwa |
| Spouse: | Queen Iroghama, Princess Iyayiota, Princess Ikpakpa, Queen Aisosa |
| Children: | Ezelekhae Ewuare, Eronmwon Ikuoyemwen Ewuare-Aimiuwu, Obaghator Ewuare, Damarea Liao |
| Occupation: | Oba Of Benin, Former Diplomat, Businessman |
| Net Worth: | $60 million-$65 million |
Early Life & Education
Eheneden Erediauwa, now Oba Ewuare II, was born on October 20, 1953, in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.
His birth date places him under the zodiac sign Libra. He belongs to the Edo (Bini) ethnic group and is a Christian, having been baptized in the Catholic Church as an infant.
His father, Oba Erediauwa, was known before his coronation as Solomon Igbinoghodua Akenzua and reigned as the 39th Oba of Benin from 1979 until 2016.
His mother, Princess Ikuoyemwen Akenzua, died in 1976, when he was still a young man, and he later honored her with the posthumous title of Iyoba (Queen Mother) at his coronation. He grew up in the palace of his grandfather, Oba Akenzua II, where he was groomed in the art and science of royalty. Available reports name no brothers or sisters for him, and he was raised as the royal heir who would become Edaiken N’Uselu.
His education began at Benin Divisional Council Primary School in Benin City. He attended Edo College, Benin City, from 1965 to 1967, and Immaculate Conception College, Benin City, from 1968 to 1970, where he earned his Secondary School Leaving Certificate. The Nigerian Civil War, which broke out in 1967, temporarily interrupted his early schooling.
He then moved to London, where he completed his GCE Advanced Level at South Thames College between 1971 and 1972. He earned a B.Sc. in Economics from the University of Wales, Cardiff, graduating in June 1977, and a Master of Public Administration from Rutgers Graduate School in New Jersey, which he attended from 1979 to 1981. He also enrolled in a doctoral program in International Administration at the University of London but suspended his thesis because of family commitments.
His other training included national service at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in Lagos and a graduate internship at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Career
Ewuare II spent more than three decades in business and diplomacy before taking the throne. From 1987, he held leading positions in the Nigerian business community, especially in oil and gas, and sat on the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and several other company boards.
His diplomatic service followed, and he served as Nigeria’s ambassador to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Angola. His postings also included Rome and Albania.
Back home, he was formally installed as Edaiken N’Uselu (Crown Prince) on March 12, 2016, and succeeded his father, Oba Erediauwa, after his death that April.
He was crowned the 40th Oba of Benin on October 20, 2016, before a crowd of more than 100,000 people, and took the name Ewuare II in honor of Ewuare the Great, the 15th-century king remembered for reforming and expanding the kingdom. His early years on the throne saw him work closely with Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki, and the two pressed for the return of the Benin Bronzes looted in 1897.
Restitution has defined much of his reign. The National Commission for Museums and Monuments received the Okukor, a bronze cockerel, from Jesus College, Cambridge, at a handover ceremony on October 27, 2021, and the University of Aberdeen returned a bronze Oba head the following day.
On February 19, 2022, he received both pieces at the palace in Benin City, calling the return the beginning of the restitution of the artifacts looted in 1897. In March 2023, President Muhammadu Buhari declared in an official government gazette that he was the rightful owner of the Benin Bronzes. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, has since returned two bronzes to him, and he has welcomed returns from institutions in the Netherlands.
Beyond the palace, he serves as Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria, holds the national honor of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR), and has used platforms such as the Catholic Church in Nigeria National Pastoral Congress in 2022 to call for religious tolerance.
One correction to the earlier Early Life & Education section: reports name a younger brother, Prince Aghatise Erediauwa, who has represented the family at bronze restitution ceremonies. The line on siblings should read: “He has a younger brother, Prince Aghatise Erediauwa.”
Personal Life
Ewuare II is 73 years old, born on October 20, 1953.
His household follows the royal tradition of Benin, and he has five wives, each holding the title of Oloi N’Erie. By the time of his coronation, he was married to three of them: Queen Iroghama, who carries the title Obazuaye N’Erie and is the mother of his eldest son, Princess Iyayiota, titled Obazuwa N’Erie, and Princess Ikpakpa, titled Ohe N’Erie.
He later married more women, and his fifth and youngest wife is Queen Aisosa. Marriage years for the five unions are not listed in reports, and the royal palace has kept the focus on the queens’ titles and public appearances alongside the Oba at festivals such as the Emoro New Yam Festival. Romantic ties before these marriages are not linked to him in available reports.
His eldest son, Ezelekhae Ewuare, was born on March 7, 1990, to Queen Iroghama and was unveiled as Crown Prince at the palace in 2017. His other children include Eronmwon Ikuoyemwen Ewuare-Aimiuwu, Obaghator Ewuare and a daughter, Damarea Liao, whose place in the family became public in 2024.
In May 2020, he welcomed an infant prince from Queen Iyayota, and in August 2021, he welcomed quadruplets with his fifth wife, Esosa Ewuare.
Net Worth
Ewuare II has a net worth of between $60 million and $65 million, which places him among the wealthiest traditional rulers in Nigeria.
His fortune traces to the royal estates and landholdings attached to the Benin throne, along with the business career he built before his coronation.
From 1987, he held leading positions in the Nigerian business community, especially in oil and gas, and sat on the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
His years as a career diplomat added to a financial base that was already substantial when he succeeded his father, Oba Erediauwa, in 2016. His position as custodian of the Benin Bronzes and host of major cultural events such as the Igue festival also keeps the palace at the center of Edo’s cultural economy.
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