Richard Beale Blaize
Richard Beale Blaize (Nuwamba 22, 1845 - Satumba 21, 1904) ɗan kasuwa ne ɗan Najeriya-Sierra Leone, mawallafin jarida, mai kuɗi, kuma baƙar fata ɗan asalin Saliyo da Najeriya.

Ƙuruciya 
An haifi Richard Olamilege Blaize a Freetown, Saliyo, ga dangin Creole na ’yantattun bayi na asalin Yarbawa. Iyayensa sune Ojelabi Olapajuokun (wanda daga baya ya dauki sunan John Blaize) da Maria Blaize.   Sa’ad da yake ƙarami, ya halarci makarantar mishan kuma an rene shi a tafarkin Kirista. Ya fara aiki a matsayin koyan na'urar buga takardu a Freetown amma ba da daɗewa ba ya bar ƙasar zuwa Lagos Colony a shekarar 1862.

Sana'ar kasuwanci da gwagwarmayar siyasa

Kasuwanci 
Bayan ya isa Legas a shekarar 1862, Blaize ya yi aiki a matsayin mai printer Robert Campbell, editan Anglo-American.  Daga nan sai ya bar print don ciniki da shigo da kayayyaki. A cikin ciniki kuwa, mahalarta taron sun yi yawa, musamman na Legas; Yawancin 'yan kasuwa sun fi mu'amala da musayar kaya tare da masu fitar da kayayyaki kuma wasu kaɗan sun shiga fitar da su zuwa ketare.  ’Yan kasuwa da dama sun mallaki injinan tuhume-tuhume, wadanda aka yi amfani da su wajen ratsa kogin Neja don siyan kayayyaki daga kungiyoyi na ketaren kogin, wasu ma sun yi takama da cewa sun nuna wa sarakunan yadda ake ratsa rafin. Blaize na daga cikin 'yan kasuwan Legas da suka yi nasara sosai a harkar kasuwanci; shi mai shigo da kaya ne, sannan kuma yana yin kasuwanci a fadin kasar Nijar. Duk da cewa rugujewar tsarin fafatawa a gasa ya haifar da kamfanoni da yawa na 'yan asalin da ba su taimaka da rinjayen masu mallakar su kaɗai ba, Blaize ya bunƙasa a tsakiyar gasa mai ƙarfi kuma ya zama ɗaya daga cikin 'yan Afirka ta yamma mafi arziki a zamaninsa.  An sanya shi a cikin Ƙungiyar Kasuwancin Legas ta Turai da aka kafa a shekarar 1888 kuma yana kan Hukumar Kasuwanci ta 1898 a Legas.

Harkar siyasa 
Ya kasance babban memba na Royal African Society a cikin rabin na biyu na karni na sha tara. Ya kasance a lokuta daban-daban, mawallafin jarida. Ya shiga kasuwancin buga labarai a cikin shekarar 1880, tare da ƙaddamar da The Lagos Times and Gold Coast Colony Advertiser.  Takardar ta kawo wa Mista Mojola Agbebi, wanda daga baya ya zama fitaccen mutum kuma ya shahara da ra'ayinsa kan kishin kasa na al'adu.  Duk da haka, rayuwar jaridar ta kasance a takaice, ta nade a cikin shekarar 1883. Daga nan sai John Payne Jackson, dan gudun hijirar Laberiya wanda ya so ya sake kirkiro da Times. Bayan da yawa da zazzagewa, Blaize ta yarda ta buga wani sabon raggi: Times Weekly Times. Ta hanyar jaridun sa, ya taka rawar gani wajen neman karin ilimi, samar da wakilci ga ’yan Afirka a Legas, mulkin kai, sannan ya yi yunkurin raba Legas Colony da Gold Coast Colony wanda daga baya ya rabu a shekarar 1886.

An nuna tasirin siyasar Blaize a Legas Colony a cikin shekarar 1901 a lokacin takarar kujerar Legas. Bayan da Gwamna William MacGregor ya ki amincewa da kowane daya daga cikin ‘yan takarar da ke hamayya da shi (Oduntan da Ajose Dawudu) na Obaship, daya daga cikin masu rike da sarautar (Yesufu Omo-Oba) ya gabatar da Eshugbayi Eleko ga Blaize, ita kuma Blaize, ta gabatar da Eshugbayi Eleko. Gwamna MacGregor, wanda ya amince da Eleko a matsayin Oba na Legas.

Rayuwa ta sirri 
Blaize ya auri Emily Cole a shekarar 1871 kuma ma'auratan sun haifi 'ya'ya 6  ciki har da Charlotte Olajumoke, wanda a cikin shekarar 1902, ta auri Dr. Orisadipe Obasa. Emily Cole ya mutu a shekara ta 1895.

Mutuwa,  da taimakon jama'a 
A cikin shekarar 1890s an kiyasta ƙimar kuɗin Blaize ya kai kusan £150,000.  Blaize ya ba da gudummawar £500 don tunawa da Mary Kingsley zuwa Makarantar Liverpool na Magungunan Tropical.  Lokacin da ya mutu a cikin shekarar 1904, ya ba da kyautar £ 3,000 don kafa Cibiyar tunawa da Blaize a Abeokuta, wacce aka buɗe a shekarar 1909  kuma ya yi aiki sosai a cikin shekarar 1970s.  Blaize an ci gaba da danganta shi da Freetown, wurin haihuwarsa, yana ba da kyautar £500 ga Asibitin Kirista na Gimbiya a can.  Blaize ya bar wani kadara mai daraja £60,000 ga yaransa.  Daya daga cikin zuriyarsa ita ce 'yar Najeriya mai yin gyaran fuska Lola Maja.

Manazarta