The Yoruba King Ooni of Ife visited Toronto, Canada in August of 2019 on a 10 day stay. The King was here in our city, on a mission to connect continental Africans in Canada and the African diaspora including Caribbean nationals living here in Canada, to Africa with the intention of forming alliances for productive business collaborations.

As a member of the media team who was tasked with helping to make the King's visit a success, I was honoured to meet the King in person.

I was also truly honoured to have had the opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation with the King. During this conversation, I found the Yoruba King Ooni of Ife to be delightfully approachable and very easy to converse with. He was impressively humble in his approach and demeanour and was most likeable. The King's visit was truly memorable and one that I will not forgot.

On this your 50th anniversary of life, Yoruba King Ooni of Ife, I pray that Olodumare will bless you with a long and prosperous life and with continued wisdom to guide our people forward. I am grateful for the day you were born. May your sons and daughters be loved in the land. May The Ancestors rejoice at your name. May Divine Blessings follow you always. Ashe!