Arigho (c. 1121 – c. 1125) was the thirtieth ogiso (king) of Igodomigodo, an early kingdom that later became part of the Benin Empire. Born into an urban, commercial household and trained in metalwork and trade, he was familiar with the kingdom's monetary systems before his accession. Arigho took the throne amid the Great Famine and high inflation and responded with fiscal rather than military measures, most notably the controversial Igho Arigho ("double-payment") taxation scheme and the appointment of royal officials to enforce it. The policy enlarged the royal treasury and helped moderate prices and re-engage nobles, but its effects were undercut by the contemporaneous Osogan crisis and disruptions to trade.

Arigho's reign lasted four years until he died in 1125. He left a treasury stored in the Uye Ihiron ("seven deeps"). He was succeeded by his only surviving son, Owodo. The kingdom continued to experience instability during this period. Historians recognise Arigho for his economic policies during the Ogiso period, which are considered a significant point in precolonial West African economic history.

Arigho was the son of Ogiso Obioye, the twenty-ninth ruler during the Ogiso era of Igodomigodo (modern-day Benin Kingdom).^[a][2] His upbringing was influenced by his grandfather, Ogiso Oduwa, who began as an ironsmith and later expanded into brass-smithing, accumulating wealth through craftsmanship and trade.^[3] Unlike his father, who was raised in a rural farming community, Arigho grew up in an urban, commercial environment.^[4] From a young age, Arigho was involved in trade and financial management through his grandfather's business activities.^[3] He became familiar with the kingdom's economic systems and currency circulation. Instead of pursuing agriculture like his father, he learned metalwork, specialising in iron and brass craftsmanship. He also traded items such as camwood beads, palm-nut beads, and cowrie shells as currency, which were valued in Igodomigodo. His name, Arigho—meaning "money eater" or "money changer"—reflected his engagement in trade and wealth management.^[4]

During his formative years, Arigho associated with the Ughoron, the royal historians and artists of the kingdom, who preserved the histories of past rulers through oral traditions and artistic representations. Through interactions with them, Arigho learned about the administration of the kingdom.^[4] He engaged in discussions about governance and state affairs, experiences that influenced his later leadership.^[4] Upon his ascension to the throne, Arigho faced economic challenges. The kingdom was already in economic turmoil due to a severe famine that had begun at the end of Oduwa's reign.^[2] Many citizens had migrated to other regions in search of food, and inflation had reduced the value of money.^[5] Arigho proposed financial interventions to address the crisis.^[6] His understanding of trade and currency circulation was central when he later introduced his financial policy known as Igho Arigho ('Arigho's money').^[5]

The famine had continued for several years, leading to food shortages and affecting the population.^[2] As king, Arigho sought to address the economic decline using financial mechanisms instead of agricultural reforms.^[6] He believed that reducing the currency in circulation would encourage productivity.^[5] This strategy represented an economic policy during the Ogiso period.^[7]

In 1121 AD, following the death of his father Ogiso Obioye, Arigho ascended to the throne of Igodomigodo.^[2][8] His coronation took place amid the Great Famine, a prolonged crisis that caused widespread starvation and prompted many people to migrate beyond the kingdom in search of relief.^[9]

Concluding that military force alone could not restore royal control, given limited resources and the risk of internal conflict, Arigho pursued economic measures to stabilise the realm and rebuild the monarchy’s finances.^[5][7] He moved to restructure the kingdom's fiscal framework and introduced the controversial taxation scheme known as the Igho Arigho ("double payment" system).^[6][7] These financial reforms shaped Igodomigodo's social and political landscape and—over the course of his roughly four-year reign—presented significant challenges in both implementation and political consolidation.^[7][5]

Under the Igho Arigho decree, buyers were required to pay twice the listed price for purchases; the extra payment was collected for the king's treasury and kept in designated shrine-houses (Ogua-Edion).^[10] To enforce the scheme, Arigho appointed royal officials known as the Avbiogbe ('royal information ministry') to oversee transactions and tax collection.^[5] These officers inspected markets and trading zones, resolved disputes, and dealt with violations; sellers who failed to collect the second payment faced penalties, and officials caught embezzling the king's share were obliged to repay double the amount stolen.^[10] Large sums of cowries raised under the policy were deposited in the royal treasury (Aza Igho) and the shrine-houses reserved for the king's funds.^[11][10]

Removing surplus currency from circulation produced measurable effects: inflation eased and prices stabilised, and many people shifted back toward farming for subsistence rather than market purchases.^[7][12] As economic conditions improved, nobles who had withdrawn from palace affairs began to re-engage with the court.^[11] The taxation scheme enlarged the royal treasury and strengthened the palace’s capacity to exert economic control; Arigho's use of taxation to regulate currency circulation is noted in accounts of the Ogiso period.^[7][11]

Although Ogiso Arigho implemented economic reforms, his reign faced significant challenges, notably the emergence of the Osogan crisis.^[13] The term Osogan referred to mysterious, man-eating creatures that, according to oral traditions, appeared during the final years of his rule and caused widespread fear. These Osogan were believed to be humans transformed into supernatural beings who preyed upon people at the height of the famine. They were said to knock down their victims, crush them completely, and swallow them whole. Their reported presence added to the hardships already caused by food scarcity and economic instability.^[14]

Reports of the most prominent Osogan came from Okedo, a densely forested slope near the Ikpoba River, situated along a key trade route between Eyaennugie and the river. This area was crucial for merchants travelling to Ekiogiso ("Ogiso market"), the kingdom's main commercial hub, later nicknamed Agbado.^[b] The name Agbado derives from a fearful traders' saying: A gbado, ai gba yo ("we trade together, but we do not return together"). The reported presence of the Osogan at Okedo disrupted access to the market, affecting economic activity and isolating communities.^[14] Fear spread, and fewer traders were willing to travel through the area. Those who did reach the marketplace often returned with accounts of merchants disappearing or being harmed, and consequently, the bustling Ekiogiso market lost prominence.^[15]

The economic repercussions of the Osogan crisis led to abandoned trade routes and a slowdown in commercial activities, reversing some of the economic gains achieved through Arigho's tax reforms. Distributing food became more challenging, exacerbating the famine's impact on the population. As public fear intensified, rumours circulated that the Osogan had been summoned by supernatural means to punish the kingdom for its economic policies.^[15] Some believed that the Igho Arigho taxation system, which had drained money from circulation, had provoked divine retribution.^[7]

Arigho implemented measures to address public fear, deploying royal guards and hunters to patrol Okedo in an effort to locate and eliminate the reported Osogan. Despite these efforts, no captures were made. Priests and diviners were consulted, and rituals were conducted in an attempt to counter the perceived supernatural threat.^[15] Arigho ordered purification ceremonies to restore order and reassure the populace.^[15] By the time of Arigho's death c. 1125, the Osogan crisis remained unresolved. Although food production had begun to improve and inflation had stabilised, concerns about the reported creatures persisted.^[15]

Upon his death in c. 1125, Arigho was buried near the royal treasury. In keeping with tradition, the wealth accumulated through Igho Arigho was designated as "untouchable money", reserved exclusively for the reigning monarch.^[11] This treasure was reportedly stored in the Uye Ihiron ("seven deeps"), each containing approximately 200 million cowries, totalling 1.4 billion cowries.^[11] This accumulation of wealth was notable in Igodomigodo's history, highlighting Arigho's financial policies during the Ogiso era.^[11][7]

Arigho had fourteen children—seven sons and seven daughters—but only one son, Owodo, and one daughter, Iduzode, survived him. The Edionnisen, the council of nobles responsible for selecting the next Ogiso, chose Owodo as his successor. Owodo was a direct heir, and the transition proceeded smoothly compared to previous successions that involved distant or contested claimants.^[11] The ongoing fear of the Osogan continued to disrupt trade, affecting economic recovery.^[15] As Arigho's successor, Owodo inherited the royal treasury and the task of addressing the economic and social issues that had arisen.^[11]

• Ọmọregie, Osarẹn Solomon Boniface (1997). Great Benin: The age of Ogiso Reform (1050–1130 AD). Neraso Publishers. ISBN 978-2734-47-0. OCLC 634055155.
• Parks, Clint (19 October 2023). "The Kingdom of Benin". National Geographic Society. ISSN 0027-9358. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
• Ogundiran, Akinwumi (2005). Precolonial Nigeria: Essays in Honor of Toyin Falola. Africa Research and Publications. ISBN 978-1-59221-218-7.
• Egharevba, Jacob Uwadiae (1973). Concise Lives of the Famous Iyases of Benin. Kraus Reprint. OCLC 25943755.