Oba Abimbola Owoade has been officially crowned the 46th Alaafin of Oyo with pomp and pageantry today, April 5 in Oyo State.
The monarch succeeds the late Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, the 45th Alaafin of Oyo, who passed away on April 22, 2022, at the age of 83.
The new Alaafin, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade 1, is 47 years old and hails from the distinguished Owoade-Agunloye royal family in Oyo Town. He is the son of Aremo Aderounmu Iyanda Owoade, Agure Compound, also in the ancient city of Oyo.
Oba Owoade received his secondary education at Baptist High School in Saki, and later pursued a National Diploma in Mechanical Engineering at the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Ogun State, between 1994 and 1997. He continued his studies and obtained a Higher National Diploma at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Oyo State, from 1999 to 2001.
He completed his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program in 2002, serving as a Mechanical Intern/Planner with Nigeria Gas Company. Subsequently, he worked at Oceanic Bank International Plc in Warri as a cashier from 2003 to 2004.
Oba Owoade later furthered his education internationally, earning Bachelor of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Sunderland in 2008 and Northumbria University in 2012. He also became a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) in June 2015.
Before ascending the throne, Oba Owoade held a Planning Engineering position at Oil Reach Company in Glasgow, United Kingdom. He later moved to Canada, where he worked as a Project Coordinator at Manitoba Hydro, one of the largest electric power and natural gas utility providers in the country.
In addition to his engineering career, Oba Owoade is a Nigerian and Canadian entrepreneur, philanthropist, and president of Manitoba Limited, a company that operates in real estate investment and financial services in Manitoba, Canada.
With his extensive experience in both engineering and entrepreneurship, Oba Owoade is set to bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the royal throne as he begins his reign as the Alaafin of Oyo.
