Ooni Adeyeye: the all-encompassing monarch

Afolabi Gambari

Awise in Yoruba translates “it shall be as it is said”.
In light of the foregoing, it was said that well before the birth of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Dr.
Adeyeye Enitan Babatunde Ogunwusi, Ojaja II 50 years ago on October 17 1974, it was
predicted that “a child of prominence will be born who will impact the lives of mankind”. The
exact day of Thursday and time that the child would be born at 1pm were also predicted. All
these came to pass as the child of destiny was born into the family of Ropo and Margaret
Ogunwusi of the Ojaja ruling Compound of the Giesi ruling house of Ile-Ife.
 
It was also said that his grandfather, Pa Joseph Olagbaju Adewole Ogunwusi Jnr, immediately
named the new born child Adeyeye, which translates “a crown befitting a king”, and began to
call him “Adeyeye Ooni” till he passed away.
Ooni Adeyeye practically exuded confidence from birth, a rare trait that has served him till date
as he rides from grace to grace on the throne of his forefathers. It is the confidence that made him
an exceptional academic onward becoming an astute entrepreneur of the turnaround genre who
believes that impossibility is nothing. His foray into Engineering, Procurement and Construction
(EPC) in Nigeria and overseas in a sojourn of over twelve years saw him being actively
participating in the building of over 2,500 housing units with various partners within the last 20
years. 
His Imperial Majesty’s business acumen has stood him out as a constant achiever. Aside playing
a major role in facilitating trade between the United Arab Emirates (Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone
Development) and the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Nigeria Investment Promotion
Commission (NIPC), he also established and helped to bolster other trade relationships through
the Association for International Business (AIB) with presence in over 200 member countries.
In 2002, he led the Federal Government delegation to Canada to promote strategic alliances
through a partnership with the Ondo State government on solid mineral potential, eventually
leading to the formation of the Amalgamated Mining and Exploration Company Limited which
is wholly owned by the government of Ondo State. He also facilitated the development of
Sparkwest Steel Galvanizing Plant, the only such plant in Nigeria, National Iron Ore Mining
Company Limited and Jakura Mines resuscitation projects, both of which later became the major
limestone purveyors to the Obajana Cement Plant in Kogi State.
He has marketing as one of his core strengths, little wonder he was involved in the trading and
marketing of commodities as the main facilitator for Dangote Group’s break into the “up-country
supply chain consortium” between 1996 and 1999. Among others, he traded for Dohagro Allied,
Global Apex, Olam, Clemco, Stallion Group and Milan Group; all around the same period, in
addition to facilitating the biggest Lead and Aluminum recycling plant set up in Nigeria by the
National Steel Company of India in Ota, Ogun State.

As the initiator of Essential Homes, a real estate product launched in January 2014, Ooni
Adeyeye delivered affordable upscale homes to middle and low income earners, with the first
phase which was started in February 2014 fully delivered within a year; earning vast public trust
that further led to the huge market demand and acceptability of the Essential Homes brand.
It is in credence to business expertise that he is the founder and Managing Director of Gran
Imperio Group, the holding company of his Real Estate and Construction, Manufacturing,
Facilities Management, Leisure and Tourism companies in Nigeria, and is a Director on the
Board of Imperial Homes Mortgage Bank Limited, as well as a Director at Fina Trust
Microfinance Bank Limited.
In June 2018, Ooni Adeyeye, then only two years and six months on the throne, embarked on a
ten-day historical visit to Brazil to strengthen the cultural ties between both countries,
particularly between the blacks in Brazil and Yorubas in Nigeria with a view to using cultural
heritage to harness an economic partnership that would be mutually beneficial. In addition, the
trip strategically enabled the monarch to showcase tourism potential of Nigeria to attract
Brazilians to the country under the diaspora programme.
While in Brazil, he visited Salvador de Bahia to declare the City of Bahia as the spiritual capital
of all Yorubas in the Americas. He also visited Rio de Janeiro to present a message on religious
tolerance and peace at the State Parliament, after which he met with the business community.
Before he left Brazil, he delivered lectures on culture at some universities in the country. As a
demonstration of his elevated status as Nigeria’s foremost cultural ambassador, Ooni Adeyeye
visited Uganda in 2023 and was a special guest of President Yoweri Museveni whom he
impressed with the culture from the cradle of Yoruba’s civilisation during his week-long stay in
the East African country while also discussing business relations between Nigeria and Uganda.
At the World Travel Market (WTM) held in London in November 2023, Ooni Adeyeye
supported the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), whose National
President, Mrs. Susan Akporiaye, described the support as a great honour to Nigeria and its
diverse cultural tourism heritage, saying the world was excited to meet one of the icons of
Nigeria’s revered traditional institution.
The feats already attained by Ooni Adeyeye in the last nine years are gargantuan in all
ramifications. As he clocks the Golden Age of 50 on October 17 2024, he can only be energised
to attain more in various areas of development that would not only put Ile-Ife firmly on the world
map but would also boost Nigeria’s image wherever he ventures to across the world.
Ooni Adeyeye’s philanthropic ideals are also phenomenal, especially in the area of community
development. Without government intervention, he has electrified several communities within
the last twenty years, with his creativity and vision transforming particularly the
Inagbe Island into a tourist haven with world class relaxation and recreational facilities while
ultimately targeting boosting the GDP of the country through tourism.  
As a people’s man, Ooni Adeyeye enjoys camaraderie with his workers from whom he also
enjoys tremendous confidence and trust. Aside having over 450 direct employees and over 3,000

indirect employees across his various companies, he also sponsors numerous less privileged
children and youths in Ile-Ife and Lagos, while his care for widows reverberates across the
country.
Recently, he hosted the executives of Kanu Heart Foundation (KHF), led by its founder and
former Nigeria international, Nwankwo Kanu, at his palace in Ile-Ife where he donated ten plots
of land to the foundation with a view to having the KHF’s corporate headquarters sited in the
ancient town. He said he had followed the activities of the foundation since inception in 2000
and it was his wish to support its efforts at catering to children with heart defects.
Indeed, from December 7, 2015 when he was coronated till date, Ooni Adeyeye has brought his
class to bear on the Ile-Ife town with the number of visitors he has attracted from far and near,
involving business, education, agriculture, health, social service, entertainment, sports, estate
management, oil & gas, hospitality, culture, tourism and transport, among others.