Mayor Of Brampton In Canada To Visit Ooni Of Ife In Nigeria, Meets With Osun, Lagos Governors
Segun Akanni, Toronto, Canada 
The Arole Oodua & Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II will on Tuesday, February 11, 2020 play host to Mr Patrick Brown, the Lord Mayor of the City of Brampton, Canada at his Ile-Oodua Palace in Ile-Ife as the Mayor is on a 3-day working visit to Nigeria coordinated by the House of Oduduwa in conjunction with the Nigeria/Canadian Committee and a Cadada based NGO, Hope4Sure Foundation.
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.
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.
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.
The CEO 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 he 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.
“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.
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 & 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.
Mayor Brown and Council had On Monday, August 12, 2019 hosted Ooni Ogunwusi 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 king.
In appreciation of the Ooni’s visit, Mayor Patrick Brown promised to visit Nigeria in the first quarter of 2020 with Ile-Ife as his first point of call.
“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”.
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. They will also during the 3-day visit meet with governors of Lagos and Osun states as well as federal government officials.
