Engr. Abduljelyl Adekunle Karheem, MCIArb, MCIOB, МСАВЕ, CEO of Afia Group and Mogaji of Adanla Compound, Ibadan, has called for the prioritisation and preservation of Yoruba culture and tradition.
He made this call in London during the 2025 Ibadan Cultural Festival, an annual event organised by the Ibadan Think Tank Group, a socio-cultural body comprising the Ibadanland Development Association, Oluyole Diamond Sisters, and Oluyole Progressive Union, all under the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII).
As a special guest and one of the group’s founding members, Mogaji Adanla emphasised the need to transmit Yoruba cultural values to younger generations through language, customs, and practices. He described culture as a way of life rooted in Yoruba core values.
Commending the organisers for promoting Yoruba heritage, Adanla donated £5,000 in support of their efforts.
“It is not only our duty to promote and preserve Yoruba heritage, but we must also encourage our children to embrace it. That is our identity,” he stated.
The Ibadan-born business mogul, who is also the Turaki Adinni of Oyo State, urged continued support for Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration.
“I want to implore everyone to keep supporting the Governor Seyi Makinde-led government. Without his encouragement for Ibadan-based entrepreneurs like myself, I might not be in a position to donate this £5,000,” he added.
Earlier, Dr. Oriyomi Hamzat, CEO of Agidigbo FM, praised Mogaji Adanla’s unwavering commitment to the progress of Ibadanland.
“When it comes to Ibadan matters, Mogaji Adanla draws the line, even with close friends, once he senses anyone taking Ibadan for granted,” Hamzat remarked.
