Ooni to host canadian mayor, patrick brown in ile -ife

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi will on Tuesday host the Lord Mayor of the City of Brampton, Patrick Brown in his palace at Ile-Ife, Osun State, which is part of the 3 day working visit of the Mayor to Nigeria.

Penpushing reports that, the Director, Media and Public Affairs, Ooni’s Palace, Moses Olafare made this known in a statement adding that the visit, is coordinated by the House of Oduduwa in conjunction with the Nigeria/Canadian Committee and a Canada based  Non-Governmental Organisation(NGO), Hope4Sure Foundation.

The statement said the Mayor’s working visit to the Kingdom of Ife which is aimed at celebrating and refreshing Nigeria’s brand as the African business and cultural leader is premised by the agelong relationship that exists between the City of Brampton and Diaspora Nigerians.

Penpushing further reports that, during the Mayor’s working visit to the ancient Kingdom of Ife, various economic opportunities in Yorubaland in particular and Nigeria in general will be comprehensively discussed with a view to creating more opportunities internationally.

‘As a result of the Yoruba people’s unique ways of life, gifts from God and enviable human qualities, Ile Ife as the cradle of humanity houses several tourist sites which if well projected to the global community can adequately liberate Nigeria economically’, the statement reads.

The statement further stated that, aside from tourism, investment opportunities will also be discussed during the high-powered meeting in key economic areas like; Agriculture, Mining, Fintech, Healthcare, Education, infrastructure and renewable energy.

Penpushing also reports that, the Chief Executive Officer of the Hope4Sure Foundation, Ms Naomi Olapeju Oke said a three stage initiative has been designed to develop trade and cultural relations between Nigeria and Brampton.

“The first stage will occur in this February 2020, where the City of Brampton’s Mayor’s office will make strategic appearances within Nigeria for her purpose of developing trade and cultural relations between Nigeria and Brampton with a view to increasing cultural ties to for greater business opportunities to be mutually enjoyed by investors and cultural figures from Nigeria and Canada’.

“The second stage is slated for August, 2020 in the City of Brampton to facilitate the desired cultural and economic diplomacy with Nigeria and the City of Brampton and its partners. There will be series of networking opportunities including a trade shows to welcome cultural leaders and investors from Nigeria. The events will be designed to allow participants to discover and solidify opportunities, gainful partnerships and agreements’, she said.

“The third stage of the program will focus on developing cultural exchange programs linking Brampton’s cultural institutions with cities within Nigeria. At this stage, art galleries, education exchange programs and other social linkages will be established”.  Olapeju Oke said.

The statement added that, while in Ile-Ife, the Mayor will be meeting with the Sultan of Sokoto, and Co-Chairman, National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), His Eminence,   Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar who will be with the Ooni on a day working visit to Ile-Ife.

‘The Mayor will also meet the founder of Belema Oil J.V and Belema Aid and Foundation, Mr Tein TS Jack Rich whose Jack-Rich Special Support Initiatives will on Monday be launched for the Southwest. Dr Elizabeth Jack Rich was last week at the Ooni’s palace in Ile-Ife with an assurance that her husband Mr Jack Rich would come and officially unveil Philanthropic agenda for Yorubaland at Ile-Ife being the traditional headquarters of the Yorubas’.

Penpushing recalled that Mayor Brown and Council had On Monday, August 12, 2019 hosted  the Asrole Odua  to a reception at the Brampton City Hall in Ontario, Canada where the African foremost monarch proclaimed Brampton as the African city of Canada with Nigerian National Flag hoisted in front of Brampton City beside the Canadian and Brampton flags in honour of the monarch.

The Mayor in appreciation of the Ooni’s visit, in 2019 promised to visit Nigeria in the first quarter of 2020 with Ile-Ife as his first point of call, stating, “your Majesty, thank you for honour your visit has done to me and the city of Brampton which you have proclaimed to be city of love and city of the Africans in Canada’.

‘I look forward to visiting Nigeria very early come year  2020 for productive collaboration and my first point of call will be Ile-Ife because I have read and heard about the cultural richness of Yoruba people who have you as their overall head”.

Penpushing reports that, expected entourage of the visiting Mayor are; Councillor Charmaine Williams, Mayor’s Director of operations, Frances Bradshaw, Senior Advisors Claudia McKoy and Mr. Sri Vallipuranathan, Senior Advisor to the Mayor of Brampton, Pastor Sunday Adebamiro and Ms Naomi Olapeju-Oke.

Meanwhile,the statement further disclosed that, they will also during the 3-day visit meet with Governors of Lagos and Osun States as well as Federal Government officials.