46 Years in Enugu as Oba Alhaji Abdulazeez Adebayo Olateju, The Oba Yoruba in Enugu, Shares His Journey of Integration, Language Mastery, and Deep Love for Igboland

…Says “Igboland Is Good, That’s Why I Brought My Relatives”

In an exclusive interview, Oba Alhaji Abdulazeez Adebayo Olateju, popularly known as The Oba Yoruba in Enugu, opened up about his extraordinary journey of settling in Enugu 46 years ago, in 1979, and how he became deeply rooted in Igboland through culture, language, and community ties.

Interviewer: Where are you from, sir?

Oba: I am from Ede, in Osun State.

Oba Olateju recalled how his relocation from Osun to Enugu shaped his destiny. Despite arriving as a fully grown adult, he quickly adapted to life in the East and immersed himself in the cultural and political environment of the time.

Interviewer: You speak Igbo so fluently. Where did you learn it from?

Oba (responding in Igbo): I learned the language here in Enugu. God gave me the gift of understanding languages and the ear to hear. Many people often wonder if I was born or schooled here, but that’s not the case. I was already an adult, fully grown when I relocated to Enugu from Osun. I even voted during the era of Jim Nwobodo and later for Shehu Shagari.

His fluency in Igbo has made him widely accepted as “one of their own” by the people of Enugu and beyond.

Interviewer: I also learned you speak Hausa. Did you learn it here too?

Oba (replying in Hausa): Yes, I speak and understand Hausa fluently but I have never lived in the North. I picked it up here in Enugu, just by listening to people around me.

This rare linguistic gift, he explained, has been a bridge that connects him easily with diverse ethnic communities across Nigeria.

Reflecting on his long stay, Oba Olateju emphasized the love and acceptance he has received:

Oba: Everywhere I go in Igboland, people take me as one of their own. My grandmother who once tried to discourage me from settling here in Igboland but before she passed in 2012 was very happy and always thanking God for leading me to Igboland. I kept bringing all my relatives here and today they are all doing well because Igboland is good to us.

Oba Olateju’s life story is a remarkable example of Nigeria’s strength in cultural integration. From his roots in Osun to his 46 years in Enugu, his fluency in Igbo and Hausa, coupled with his deep love for Igboland, underscores the possibility of unity, coexistence, and shared prosperity in a diverse nation.