Who is Lakunle?

Lakunle is the schoolteacher, who wishes to marry Sidi. He is the representative in the play for the forces of modernity and progress: he believes that the traditional customs of the village are outdated and offensive and would like to see Ilujinle become more modern like the capital city of Lagos. One of the customs Lakunle is most opposed to is the tradition of men having to pay a bride-price in order to get married. Lakunle dislikes the idea because he feels it indicates that his wife would be his possession rather than his equal. For this reason, he refuses to pay the bride-price and marry Sidi while she is still willing to marry him, ultimately losing his chance to marry her.