Abimbola Akeem Owoade
By Shade DamiroÂ
Akeem Abimbola Owoade, a Prince of the Oyo Kingdom, has been officially approved as the new Alaafin of Oyo by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.
The announcement was made on Friday by Dotun Oyelade, the Oyo State commissioner for Information and Orientation, ending months of speculation over the successor to the revered throne which has been vacant following the demise of Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III on April 22, 2022.
Born into the Owoade-Agunloye royal family in Oyo town, the Canada-based prince is a descendant of Aremo Aderounmu Iyanda Owoade of the Agure Compound.
Prince Akeem Abimbola Owoade completed his secondary education at Baptist High School, Saki, Oyo State, in 1992. Pursuing a passion for engineering, he earned a National Diploma from The Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro (1994-1997), and a Higher National Diploma from The Polytechnic, Ibadan (1999-2001), both in Mechanical Engineering.
After his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) tenure with the Nigeria Gas Company in 2002, he briefly worked as a teller at Oceanic Bank International Plc in Warri (2003-2004).
Furthering his education in the United Kingdom, Prince Owoade obtained a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Sunderland in 2008 and a Master of Science from Northumbria University in 2012. He also achieved Project Management Professional (PMP) certification in June 2015.
Professionally, he served as a Planning Engineer at Oil Reach Company in Glasgow before relocating to Canada, where he currently holds the position of Project Coordinator at Manitoba Hydro, a leading utility provider. Also, he is the president of 100279 Manitoba Limited, a real estate investment and financial services firm.
Owoade is recognised for his philanthropic endeavors and active involvement in Yoruba cultural organisations abroad. His selection as the Alaafin of Oyo is anticipated to bring a wealth of global experience, educational insight, and visionary leadership to the throne.
His agenda includes initiatives to empower widows and widowers, modernise the palace while preserving cultural heritage, promote Yoruba traditions, establish a museum for Yoruba artifacts, enhance commerce and economic development in Oyo, and create vocational training programs for youth employment.
