Rui de Sequeira
As one of Fernão Gomes' captains, Rui de Sequeira played a significant role in the Portuguese exploration of the West African coast beyond Cape Verde. He charted new routes, documented the coastal features, and initiated contacts with local rulers, including the Oba of the Benin Empire. He reputedly named the area around the modern-day city of Lagos in Nigeria Lago de Curamo ('Lake of Healing'), although the name may also derive from the Portuguese maritime town, which was the main starting point for Portuguese expeditions down the African coast.
A second Portuguese explorer, navigator, and cartographer born into a noble Portuguese family, Ruy de Sequeira (c. 1460 – c. 1530) played a significant role in Vasco da Gama's historic voyage to India in 1497, piloting da Gama's squadron through uncharted waters and helping to establish trading posts along the African and Indian coasts that facilitated the lucrative spice trade and solidified Portugal's position as a major maritime power.
Sequeira continued to serve as a distinguished navigator and cartographer after the voyage, participating in subsequent expeditions to the East and producing detailed maps that became invaluable resources for Portuguese navigators and merchants.
Links to add:
Cape Verde.
Oba
Benin Empire
Lagos, Nigeria
Lagos, Portugal
