The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan, has revealed that the vast majority of his royal attire, including his spiritual ceremonial garment, is produced within Nigeria....CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING.>>
During a recent media coverage by Symfoni TV, the prominent traditional ruler emphasized his deliberate choice to support domestic industries. “For me on this throne, I made a very conscious effort to buy Nigerian products, and I can tell you boldly that almost 90% of what I’m wearing, including my bànté is made in Nigeria,” the monarch stated.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Ooni shared a memorable anecdote about a project he personally supervised, where he insisted on using exclusively Nigerian-made interior furnishings and electronics. This commitment to local manufacturing caught the attention of Former President Obasanjo, who attended the commissioning ceremony.
“I did one project and I actually led Baba to come and bless the project. And when Baba got there, I told Baba that we didn’t spend $1 on this project,” the Ooni recounted. “Baba was very amazed and couldn’t believe it. Baba got very energized and said, ‘Okay, I’m going to spend more time.’ He said, ‘I was thinking I’ll just spend a few minutes, but I’m so impressed.'”
The Ooni related how during the tour he proudly introduced the local craftspeople responsible for creating everything from the furniture to the electronics. “I told Baba about the chair, everything, the people that made it, I brought all of them out, including the TV, the AC, everything made in Nigeria, assembled, made in Nigeria, and that’s the truth,” he explained.
He noted that the event took an unexpected turn when one of the locally-made chairs collapsed while they were seated and that The former president responded with characteristic humor, saying: “Kabiyesi said, ‘Don’t worry, it’s made in Nigeria.'”
Despite this mishap, the Ooni stated that he learned a valuable lesson about persistence. “I was angry, but he was able to calm me down, that don’t worry, we will get there,” the traditional ruler reflected. “This is pure patronage. If everybody can be bold enough to patronize what is our own, the chair that got broken today, you will improve on it and take it to another level.”
Through his public advocacy, the Ooni continues to champion Nigerian manufacturing and craftsmanship, highlighting the importance of domestic patronage for national development.
(Start Watching The Video From Minute 8:46)
