oba

American  

[aw-buh] / ˈɔ bə /

noun

1. a hereditary tribal ruler among various peoples in the Benin region of western Africa.

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oba British  

/ ˈɔːbɑː, -bə /

noun

1. (in W Africa) a Yoruba chief or ruler

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Etymology

Origin of oba

First recorded in 1900–05, oba is from the Edo word ɔ́bá

Example Sentences

Antonio Obá’s painting of a monk-like horseman at Mendes Wood DM, his copper-hued cloak glimmering under a turquoise sky while his gaze pierces the viewer, is a small master class in paint-handling and color theory.

From The Wall Street Journal

That's the case of Waheed Shafe Omo Oba, a minibus driver in the country's biggest city.

From Barron's

And it seems the administration of the new governor, a close ally of the local traditional ruler, known as the Oba, may want more of a stake in the project.

From BBC

The protesters on Sunday, for example, were demanding that the museum be placed under the control of Oba Ewuare II.

From BBC

But the waters were muddied two years ago after the federal government announced that the Oba would be the rightful owner and custodian of any returned bronzes - and the palace pushed for a museum under the royal family's direct control, against the wishes of Obaseki, the former governor.

From BBC