By Eric Elezuo
The golden ambience of the Harbour Point Event Centre in Lagos was more than a beehive of activities as the best of the nation’s elites cutting across the traditional institutions, politics, entertainment, entrepreneurship, fintech and more, gathered to honour and celebrate the memory of one of the most cosmopolitan monarchs that ever sat on any traditional stool, 10 years after he left both the throne and the world.
He was His Imperial Majesty Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II CFR, whose family members, friends, the traditional institutions and a whole lots more trooped out enmasse to elevate. It was by every inch the mother of all remembrance and memorial ceremonies. Oba Okunade Sijuwade is the 50th Oni of Ife. He died in 2015.
Led by his immediate successor, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, honours were lavishly bestowed on the late Ooni at the grand memorial event in Lagos marking ten years since the revered monarch’s passing.
The remembrance ceremony, organized by the Sijuwade Royal Family in partnership with the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), brought together an array of royal dignitaries, traditional rulers, diplomats, scholars, and members of the business community, as well as family and friends of the late monarch, and featured among other things a memorial exhibition titled “The Life and Times of Oba Okunade Sijuwade”. The exhibition was a showcase of rare photographs, heirlooms, and artifacts from the Ooni’s reign.
The carefully curated displays were placed at strategic points, as mannequins dressed in royal attire, historical artefacts, and photographs told the story of Oba Sijuwade as a king who redefined traditional leadership in contemporary Africa.
In his speech, Oba Ogunwusi praised the late Sijuwade as a transformational figure who left an indelible mark on Yoruba culture, traditional governance, and national unity.
“Our iconic father – for all the great things. He came, he saw, he conquered, and we’re all the result of his handiwork,” the Ooni noted.
He noted that although the late Ooni’s roots were in Ile‑Ife, Lagos was chosen for the 10th remembrance to allow broader public participation, especially from descendants and associates living across Nigeria and the Diaspora.
“We debated about it amongst the family and we concluded on Lagos,” he added.
Reminiscing on how the legacies of humility, hardwork and honour of her father continue to keep the family going, one of the late Ooni’s daughters, Princess Adenekan Adebunyi, spoke movingly about her father’s character and approach to raising his children.
According to her, “My father was not just a royal figure; he was a father in every sense. He raised us to be strong, independent, and self-sufficient. Education was non-negotiable for him. Today, as we remember him, we also celebrate how he touched countless lives both at home and abroad,” she said.
In his keynote address, the keynote speaker, Professor Jacob Kehinde Olupona, a professor at Harvard University and respected Yoruba scholar, shared personal recollections of Oba Sijuwade’s visit to the Ivy League institution.
“His visit to Harvard was unforgettable. He brought dignity, culture, and royalty into that space. He made us proud to be Yoruba,” Prof. Olupona said. “What made him truly special was his humility, openness to outsiders, and respect for tradition. He elevated the throne beyond imagination.”
Olupona also highlighted Oba Sijuwade’s respect for Yoruba priests and traditional religious institutions, noting the late Ooni’s deep understanding of their significance in governance and spirituality.
Also speaking was the Orangun of Oke-Ila in Osun State, Oba Dokun Abolarin, who described Oba Sijuwade as a role model in both tradition and leadership.
“He was a man of immense wisdom, style, and passion for history. I remember how he once woke me at midnight during a trip to Harvard and told me, ‘If you want to make a difference, you don’t sleep too much.’ That work ethic shaped my journey as a monarch,” Oba Abolarin said.
He described the late Ooni as a bridge-builder who nurtured deep friendships across Nigeria’s ethnic divides, citing his close relationships with the late Emir of Kano and the Obi of Onitsha.
“Kabiyesi was not just about tradition; he believed in the future of Nigeria. He was a nation builder, a cultural icon, and a mentor to many of us who now sit on thrones,” he added.
In his remarks, Prince Akinade Adenekan Adebunyi of the Oshunkola Ruling House in Ife described the late monarch as a man of integrity, influence, and immense style.
“Kabiyesi was truly a king of kings,” he said. “He wasn’t just a royal figure; he was a builder of unity among the Yoruba Obas and across Nigeria. I remember how he played a key role in fostering peace between the North and the South during the political turbulence of President Obasanjo’s time. That’s the kind of leader he was,” he said.
The event was a pot pourri of celebrities and a roll call of classy personalities and policy makers from different sectors of the nation’s socio-economic leaning.
Some of them were the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi; Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; former governors Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State; Chief (Dr) Yemi Ogunbiyi, the Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Mohammed (retd); Orangun of Oke-Ila, Oba Adeokun Abolarin, Dein of Agbor, Ikenchukwu, Tor Tiv, Prof James Ayatse and media icon, Chief Dele Momodu.
Others were former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Emir of Kano, Aminu Bayero; former Ekiti Governor, Kayode Fayemi; former Ondo governor, Segun Mimiko, former Osun governor, Rauf Aregbesola; Fashion Entrepreneur, Seyi Vodi among a host of others.
Oba Sijuwade is widely regarded as a visionary monarch who modernised traditional rulership, promoted cultural diplomacy and championed African unity on the global stage in addition to reconciling royal institutions and promoting inter-ethnic cooperation.
The event also featured a symposium with the theme “Securing and Unifying Nigeria through Traditional Institutions,” delivered by Professor Jacob Olupona of Harvard Divinity School.
A panel discussion, moderated by media scholar Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi, brought together notable voices including, Emir of Lafia Sidi Mohammed, Orangun of Oke-Ila Oba Adeokun Abolarin, Tor Tiv James Ayatse, Dein of Agbor Benjamin Ikenchukwu, former director general of the state security service Kayode Are (Retd) and Chairman, Ovation Media Group, Chief Dele Momodu.
The day’s events culminated in a grand banquet with tributes, music and cultural performances attended by traditional rulers, government officials, diplomats and business leaders.
The after-symposium gathering saw the duo of Evangelist Ebenezer Obey and King Sunny Ade serenading the guests with evergreen songs just as Beejay Sax was on hand with melodious tones.
OBA OKUNADE SIJUWADE (1930 – 2015)
According to accounts obtained from Wikipedia, the life and times of Oba Sijuwade is captured as follows:
Born January 1, 1930, Alayeluwa Oba Okunade Sijuwade CFR, was the 50th traditional ruler (or Ooni) of Ife from December 6, 1980 to his death on July 28, 2015. He reigned for 35 influential years, taking the regnal name Olubuse II. His installation ceremony was attended by the Emir of Kano, Oba of Benin, Amayanabo of Opobo and Olu of Warri, as well as by representatives of the Queen of the United Kingdom.
Sijuwade was born to the ruling House of Sijuwade which is a fraction of the Ogboru ruling house, Ilare, Ile-Ife. His paternal grandfather was Ooni Adelekan Sijuwade – Olubuse I the 46th Ooni of Ife who ruled from 1884 – 1910. While his father was Omo-Oba Adereti Sijuade (1895 – 11 May 1949) and his mother was, Yeyeolori Emilia Ifasesin Sijuwade (nee Osukoti Adugbolu), from the town of Akure. He was a Christian and in November 2009 he attended the annual general meeting of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria accompanied by 17 other traditional rulers. He declared that he was a full member of the church and said all the monarchs who accompanied him would now become members. At his birthday celebration two months later, the Primate of the Anglican Communion described Sijuwade as “a humble monarch, who has the fear of God at heart”.
Oba Okunade Sijuwade or Prince Okunade Sijuwade as he was then called started his elementary education at Igbedin School, Abeokuta from where he proceeded to Abeokuta Grammar School under the governance of the well-known educationalist Reverend I. O. Ransome-Kuti, who was the principal of the school. Upon leaving Abeokuta Grammar School, Oba Okunade Sijuwade transferred to Oduduwa College in Ile-Ife before attending Northampton Technical College in the United Kingdom to study business management.
He worked for three years in his father’s business, then for two years with the Nigerian Tribune, first as a reporter then a sales executive before going to university.By the age of 30, he was a manager in A.G Leventis, a Greek-Nigerian conglomerate. In 1963 he became Sales Director of the state-owned National Motors in Lagos. After spotting a business opportunity during a 1964 visit to the Soviet Union, he formed WAATECO a company to distribute Soviet-built vehicles and equipment in Nigeria, which became the nucleus of a widespread business empire. He also invested in real estate in his hometown of Ile Ife. By the time Sijuwade was crowned Ooni in 1980 he was already a wealthy man.Shortly after becoming the 50th Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade founded Sijuwade Group, which he was the chairman of. The conglomerate operates in several sectors including oil and gas, infrastructure, real estate, industrials, and hospitality. The company holds partnerships with several multinational companies such as Centrica, Equinor (formerly Statoil), CCC, Eser and RCC (Reynolds Construction Company) and has executed over $2 billion worth of contracts and projects in Nigeria.
When Sijuwade became Ooni of Ife in December 1980, he inherited an ongoing dispute over supremacy between the obas of Yorubaland. In 1967 a crisis had been resolved when Chief Obafemi Awolowo was chosen as the leader of the Yoruba. In 1976 the Governor of Oyo State, General David Jemibewon, had decreed that the Ooni of Ife would be the permanent chairman of the State Council of Obas and Chiefs. Other Obas led by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi said the position should rotate. The dispute calmed down when Osun State was carved out of Oyo State in August 1991, but ill will persisted.Towards the end of 2009 a more local dispute between the Ooni, the Awujale of Ijebuland and the Alake of Egbaland was finally resolved. Sijuwade traced the dispute back to a falling out between Obafemi Awolowo and Ladoke Akintola during the Nigerian First Republic, which had led to a division between the traditional rulers.In February 2009, Sijuwade helped mediate in a dispute over land ownership between the communities of Ife and Modakeke, resolved in part through the elevation of the Ogunsua of Modakeke as an Oba. The new Oba, Francis Adedoyin, would be under the headship of Oba Okunade Sijuwade.
Oba Okunade Sijuwade had 4 wives and 20 children in total. His wives were:
- Yeyeluwa Oyetunde Sijuwade, Oba Okunade Sijuwade’s first wife and the first Yeyeluwa of Ife. She was the mother to Prince Adetokunbo Sijuwade.
- Olori Morisola Sijuwade, Oba Okunade Sijuwade’s second wife and the second Yeyeluwa of Ife from 1986 after Yeyeluwa Oyetunde Sijuwade’s death.
- Olori Oladunni Sijuwade, Oba Okunade Sijuwade’s third wife and the daughter of the very popular politician Chief Adedamola Harold-Sodipo.
- Olori Odunola Sijuwade, a princess of Ila-Orangun and the daughter of the revered Ila-Orangun, Oba William Ayeni.
According to Forbes Oba Okunade Sijuwade was the third Richest King in Africa. He also owned several residentials properties in Nigeria and the United Kingdom including Chester Terrace, Grosvenor Square, and a country home in Burnham, Buckinghamshire.
In the 80’s, shortly after Oba Okunade Sijuwade became the Ooni of Ife, he visited President Rajiv Gandhi of India and King Fahd Al Saud of Saudi Arabia at the invitation of both countries to foster friendly relations between them and Nigeria. Few years later as Ooni, he visited Japan to meet Emperor Akihito along with Emir Ado Bayero of Kano.
