The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, on Sunday visited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at his residence in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The revered monarch used the opportunity to commend President Tinubu for his ongoing efforts to reposition Nigeria globally and particularly applauded the administration’s plan to overhaul the country’s forest guard security architecture.
Speaking with journalists after his meeting with the president, the Ooni said the visit was both to celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir festival with Tinubu and to share insights from his recent visit to Kazakhstan.
“I’m here to greet Mr. President for the Salah break and also to appreciate all the great things he’s doing for our dear country.
“I went to a country called Kazakhstan and came back with feedback. The good things he’s doing are opening Nigeria up to so many nations that now want to work with us.”
Oba Ogunwusi highlighted how Nigeria’s image is steadily improving under the current administration, especially in the areas of economic stability and foreign direct investment.
He said: “In history, there is no arbitrage again. You bring dollars to Nigeria to do business, and you take it out, no dual exchange between the central bank and the parallel market. The world is watching us as a nation, and we don’t need to leave everything to the government.”
Emphasizing the significance of collaborative governance, the Ooni spoke on the role of traditional rulers in supporting national development efforts.
His words: “We traditional rulers should lead by example, work in tandem with the government, and give hope to our youth. This is another testimony of hope for Nigerian youth.”
On the issue of national security, Oba Ogunwusi praised President Tinubu’s approach and described the proposed restructuring of the forest guard system as a strategic and much-needed development that could bolster investor confidence and sustainable peace across regions.
According to him, “We’re very happy with the Forest Guard structure and the new platform to bring in more police force to continue to comb the entire forest, both in the north and in the south. Once security is addressed, there will be a solid platform for investment to flow into Nigeria.”
Reaffirming his endorsement of Tinubu’s leadership, the monarch described the president as courageous and fully committed to Nigeria’s transformation.
He, therefore, charged all Nigerians to adopt a more optimistic outlook, saying: “It’s about time for all of us in Nigeria to come together and look at Nigeria as a cup half full, not half empty.”
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