FROM LIVERPOOL STREET TO IKATE SURULERE PALACE: The Olori Risikat Adams story

Nearly 45 years ago, a chance meeting in a shop on Liverpool Street, London, sparked a love story that would ultimately become part of a royal journey. For Olori Risikat Adams, wife of Oba Lateef Adams, the Onikate of Ikate Surulere, that encounter marked the beginning of a marriage founded on faith, humility and unwavering commitment. Together, they have built a family, navigated the demands of royal life, and dedicated themselves to the service of their community.

As Oba Adams prepares to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his coronation on July 23, Olori Risikat has remained a steadfast partner, playing a pivotal role in shaping what is expected to be the monarch’s most ambitious community empowerment initiative. Rather than offering temporary relief, the programme is designed to provide beneficiaries with practical tools and opportunities for lasting economic self-reliance.

In this exclusive interview with The DEFENDER, conducted as part of activities marking the monarch’s 10th coronation anniversary, Olori Risikat Adams reflects on her remarkable love story, life as a queen, the responsibilities of the throne, and the enduring joy of giving back to the community she serves alongside her beloved husband.

I went around the town myself, because I wanted to see firsthand the kind of people who needed help and to be sure it would not turn out to be the kind of empowerment programme that would not really affect the people.

Going back to the very beginning, could you take us down memory lane by focusing on how you and the Onikate of Ikate Surulere met, marking the beginning of your journey to this point?
I met my husband in London, specifically on Liverpool Street. He saw me that day as he was with a friend I was familiar with. Of course, I didn’t know him at all at the time, it was the friend that I already knew so I greeted them and moved on. I had simply gone into a shop to make some purchases and he happened to be there too. So, beyond the pleasantries, we didn’t have any further discussion and I went back to where I was staying. Not long after, someone told me a man was looking for me and that caught me off guard because I was not expecting any visitor on the said day.
It all became even more surprising when I opened the gate to see him, I couldn’t understand how he had even found out where I was staying, but he came to see me. When I opened the door and asked what he wanted, he told me plainly: “You are my wife.” I asked him, “Whose wife?” and as you would expect, I was at an awkward meeting because I found it difficult to process what he told me.
But he insisted that as he saw me that day, God had told him I was meant to be his wife. Later, after I returned to Nigeria, I was living on Glover Road in Ikoyi then and when he showed up at my house again, he kept saying the same thing. That’s really how our journey began, and the journey has been a swell one since then.

From that time and even after his coronation as Onikate of Ikate Surulere, how would you describe the marriage so far?
Life has been good, we are grateful to God for His mercies. We started the journey about 45 years ago and along the line, we also embarked on the journey of kingship and it is ten years already. He is such a good man who is always looking for the good of everybody. Since I got married to him, I have not had any reason to report him to anyone in my family, not even to my father while he was alive. My father loved him dearly; he even supported my father through some personal matters during his lifetime.
And as a father, he is such a good father to his children who does not take the responsibility of fatherhood lightly. I remember once when my children were arriving from London on a late flight, I think the flight was as late as around 2 or 3 in the morning. So, looking at the time, I told him it was too risky to go to the airport at that odd hour and that the children should find a place to rest a bit until the morning. He would not hear of it; he said he would not listen to me but had to go and get his children himself. And off he went and brought them back safely. So, he doesn’t joke with his children and is also a devout Muslim who prays five times daily and has deep faith in God. I believe that’s part of what has shaped the man he is.
I’m genuinely happy being in this position and while it comes with its own pressures, jealousy, and people wishing you ill, we have been to weathered it together so far by God’s grace. As he marks ten years on the throne this July 24th, my prayer is that God gives him many more years, to celebrate fifteen years, twenty more and many more so we can grow old together on the throne.

Some Oloris are known to have been excited about their husbands becoming kings while others have been apprehensive. On which side of the divide do you belong?
I had no issue with it and he knew he had my support whatever he decided. So, I supported him fully. It’s a good thing when people choose someone to lead them. If he weren’t a good man, they wouldn’t have called him in the first place to lead his people. He accepted his fate, and we began that journey together, and that is the foundation everything else was built upon.

Beyond the developmental strides and community efforts in terms of financial and logistics support, guidance, food and clothes. What inspired the idea of a major empowerment programme to mark his tenth anniversary?
I was the one who told my husband that since we were marking ten years, we needed to empower people in a more lasting way, not just give them things to use temporarily. I pushed for work tools that people can actually build their lives with. Things like industrial sewing machines for tailors and equipment for hairdressers, driving machines or freezers for people selling cold drinks who don’t have proper storage. Once you give someone something like that, they can start building from there to support their households, send their children to school and such. With the state of things in Nigeria, many people in the community genuinely need that kind of support.

How did you go about identifying the people who would benefit from this programme?
I went round the town myself, because I wanted to see firsthand the kind of people who needed help and to be sure it would not turn out to be the kind of empowerment programme that would not really affect the people. For instance, I visited a tailoring shop and met a young man there. They said he had completed his apprenticeship for the past three years and had been managing without proper equipment since the time, also because he lost his mother. When I told him we would provide an industrial sewing machine for him, he broke down in tears. That moment confirmed for me how important this kind of gesture is. When you are in a position to touch people’s lives, you shouldn’t hesitate; you should do it, especially when you can afford to. That is why I am grateful to God that we are able to do this.

For many people, there’s often a significant shift in lifestyle when they move from being regular citizens to occupying a position like yours. Looking back over the last ten years, how much has your lifestyle changed?
My life has not changed in that sense, really. Even as a queen, I have stayed close to my old friends, the ones who have always been good to me, including my sister. I have not abandoned them; we still pray together, and they visit me just as I also still visit them. I have not tried to build a whole new circle of friends, because I do not think that kind of life is necessary for me. I try to be warm to everyone I know, and I make it a point to visit people properly when there are occasions to attend. Being in this position doesn’t mean carrying yourself with pride over others, that is not how I was raised. I believe you have to be humble for people to genuinely respect you. That is a value I try to instill in both men and women around me, including myself.

Beyond your role as Olori, do you still run a personal business like Onikate of Ikate Surulere?
Yes, I do. I’ve had a shop for over 40 years. Latris Fabrics, where I sell fabrics and clothing materials, which my husband and I built together over the years. Even after everything that has come with this new phase of our lives, I still run it from home and stay in contact with my customers, many of whom have come to trust my taste in clothing over the years. I still enjoy going through the rigours of going to the market to sort materials and it keeps me occupied. I don’t like sitting idle, so this also helps to keep my mind active.

Do you still cook for your husband or has becoming the Olori and all that comes with it taken that duty away from you?
Not at all. I’m also a good cook, I still cook and take care of my husband’s meals myself. Yes, we have a chef in the house but I am very much in charge of preparing my husband’s meals. This is not only about the duty of a good wife but I am the one who knows what’s good for his health. I look after him closely and follow up on him the way I would a child, reminding him to take his medication, to rest when he needs to, and to eat well. Taking care of him properly is something I take seriously.

What is the favourite meal of the Onikate of Ikate Surulere?
He loves eating a meal of well-cooked beans.