Far back 1514, there were Edo men in Sao Tome. They were mainly traders and interpreters (faladors) who speak Portuguese and/or dutch. When Ohen-Okun the ambassador from Benin visited Lisbon in 1486. The Portuguese described him as “a man of good speech” (Ruy de Pina).

Oba Esigie was the first Christian King of Benin. He built 3 churches at Ogbelaka, Idunmwunerie, and Akpakpava. He learned to read and write in Portuguese and had a copy of the Roman Catholic catechism. However, he was resisted when tried to make Christianity the state religion.

Oba Orhogbua (the son of Oba Esigie was a Christian prince and, subsequently, a Christian king. Orhogbua was educated either in Lisbon or the Portuguese settled colony of Sao Tome. He was studying to become a priest of the Roman Catholic Church when his father Oba Esigie died.

The local cloth in Benin was cotton. The red silk & coral beads often sent to the Oba of Benin by the Kings of Portugal became the fabric of status & wealth. At a point in time, only the Oba could wear silk and own or gift out a coral bead.

The earliest visits of Edo people to Portugal:

Ohen-Okun (Ruy de Pina) in 1486
Dom Jorge & Dom Antonio in 1514
Pero Barroso in 1514
Esigie sent some envoys to Portugal in 1540
Prince Oyeomasan (Dom Domingos) in 1602