Global InformationKwadwo Egyir information
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2023) |
Kwadwo Egyir | |
|---|---|
 Representation of a caboceer facing a European who asks him not to kill the slaves. | |
| Born | circa 1700 |
| Died | March 24, 1779 Cape Coast |
| Nationality | Fante people |
| Occupation(s) | Slave trader, tribal chief |
| Employer | British Empire |
| Children | Philip Quaque |
Kwadwo Egyir, later renamed Brempong Kojo (meaning distinguished Kojo) and later Europeanized as Caboceer Cudjo (meaning chief Cudjo), was born around 1700 in Ekumfi in a Fante chiefdom on the Gold Coast, the village being located in what is now the Ekumfi district of Ghana, and died on March 24, 1779, in Cape Coast. He was a slave trader in the service of the British Gold Coast in Cape Coast.
His commercial, political and diplomatic influence made him one of the most important African figures on the Gold Coast in the 18th century. He created and structured the Oguaa State of Cape Coast, and contributed to the expansion of the British colony through diplomatic and military missions. His political influence was such that he was one of the main players in the council of Fanti chiefs and in diplomatic exchanges with the Ashanti kingdom.
He bequeathed to posterity the foundations of the future Fante confederation and contributed to the development of Cape Coast, the British colonial capital, which in fifty years became the second largest coastal city after Elmina. He created the most important Asafo order, enabling African notables to consolidate their power.