12th-century Nigerian women

Nigerian queen

Fasama was a consort of Dunama I Umemi, a mai (ruler) of the Kanem–Bornu Empire in the late 11th to mid-12th century. After Dunama's death , Fasama ruled the empire as regent for their son, Biri I Uthman. Fasama commanded great power as regent and appears to have had greater authority than her son, demonstrated by an incident when she had him imprisoned for a year after he meted out an unjust punishment.