At court with the kings of Africa: Nigeria's regional monarchs still live in royal splendour (although they lost any power 50 years ago)

With their brightly coloured robes, ornate thrones and legions of flunkeys attending every whim, they seem every bit the archetypal African kings.
Nigeria's traditional Monarchs may have been stripped of their powers half a century ago, but they appear to have lost little of their regal pomp and splendour as this fascinating series of portraits shows.
Photographer George Osodi toured the west African country extensively for a series of photographs entitled 'Kings of Nigeria' which is due to be exhibited at London's Bermondsey Project in October.

Posing on his ornate throne, Alhaji Dr Ado Abdullahi Bayero is the current 'Emir of Kano', a position he has held since 1963. A former ambassador to Senegal he is renowned for his abundant wealth, which has been amassed by investing in the stock market and agriculture

Robes of office: HRM Agbogidi Obi James Ikechukwu Anyasi II, 'The Obi of the Idumuje Unor kingdom', was until his death earlier this year, the longest reigning African Monarch. He was crowned king on October 9, 1946 at the age of 22. His robe, depicting a young Queen Elizabeth, gives a clear nod to the period of British colonial rule

Out for a ride: The Emir of Kano Alhaji Dr Ado Abdullahi Bayero is attended by aides as he sits on the back of his vintage Rolls Royce on his way to the Central Mosque in Kano

As a well-known and celebrated Nigerian photographer, Mr Osodi was granted rare access to the palaces and throne rooms of these hereditary rulers who now serve as living repositories of Nigeria's enormous cultural heritage.
He told Al-Jazeera: 'There are frequent clashes among different ethnic groups… Lots of people have lost trust in their identity. I felt it was important that we see this diverse culture as a point of unity instead of seeing it as something that should divide us as a nation.

 

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'The easiest way I could approach this was to look at the monarchy structure in the country because they are closer to the people than the governors.'
While their ancestors ruled over vast tracts of Africa, following the abolition of the monarchy in 1963 the regional monarchs were stripped of all their constitutional powers.
But far from fading into obscurity, they mostly remain popular leaders and are held in great regard by their hundreds of thousands of loyal subjects.
And despite lacking any formal powers they continue to wield considerable influence and serve as unofficial intermediaries between their subjects and the Nigerian government.

His Majesty, Wilson Ojakovo Oghoghovwe Oharisi III was made the 'Ovie of Ughelli' in 1980 and has ruled over the great kingdoms of Ughelli and Urhoboland for more than 33 years

                       

Alayeluwa Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the current 'Ooni of Ife', relaxes in his throne room.  Born in 1930, he has enjoyed a colourful life first working for his father's business, then with the Nigerian Tribune newspaper, before attending Northampton College in the United Kingdom where he studied business management. In 1963 he became Sales Director of the state-owned National Motor company in the Nigerian capital Lagos. He later formed a company to distribute Soviet-built vehicles and equipment in Nigeria