Zaynab Otiti Obanor

Nigerian noblewoman

Queen Zaynab Otiti Obanor is a former Nigerian queen and former wife of Nigerian monarch Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.[2][3] In 2017, she was awarded Humanitarian of The Year by United Nations.[4][5]

Zaynab Otiti Obanor
Born
Kingdom of Benin, Nigeria
NationalityNigerian
Other namesQueen Olori Wuraola Ogunwusi[1]
Alma materThe European School of Economics
OccupationMonarch
Known forFormer spouse of Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi
Websitehttps://www.queenzaynab.com/

Personal life change

Zaynab was born and raised in the ancient royal bronze casters lineage tribe located in ancient Benin Kingdom. In March 2016, Zaynab was married to Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, a traditional ruler of the Yoruba kingdom of Ile-Ife since 2015.[6] In 2017, she filed a divorce with Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi. The divorce was finalized on August, 2017.[7] According to The Premium Times, Nigeria, "Zaynab Otiti-Obanor has congratulated the monarch and his new bride, Naomi Oluwaseyi, on their marriage".[8][9] Zaynab started a fresh life after the separation and released an official statement.[10] The Edo State-born and formal Queen of the Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi delivered a baby girl in Quatar few years after her divorce with the King.[11]

Philanthropy change

Zaynab is also known for her philanthropic works.[12] Zaynab has been working as an ambassador of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which is known for promoting women's and children's rights, health and equity. Notably, she founded The Queen of Ile Ife Foundation (QIIF) and PROJECT SIWAJU to support women and children.[13] In 2017, she attended at spoke at a global campaign Deliver for Good, that promotes gender less Sustainable Development Goals.[14] She has launched several humanitarian & philanthropic initiatives to promote peace and unity across African nations.[15] She founded The Arab African Economic Development Initiative (AAEDI), a primary objective of the non-governmental organization, to advance and strengthen ties between the African nation and the Arab nation through culture and economic initiatives.[16]

Zaynab advocates for the global emancipation of underprivileged communities. The work of the Queen is mainly directed at rural communities, women, and children who have traditionally been left out of large-scale development initiatives. Her commitment to empowering local leaders to uplift communities informs the foundation's methodology and strategy for creating a better future.[1] Archived 2023-07-03 at the Wayback Machine Children in Nigeria who were internally displaced due to the Boko Haram[17] crisis received scholarships from the Queen Zaynab Foundation.[18][2] Archived 2023-07-03 at the Wayback Machine Through its scholarship program, the foundation pays for the education of the majority of the camp's children, some of whom are currently enrolled in other universities.

The Queen Zaynab Foundation, which helps the underprivileged in society, was founded by the former Queen of the Ooni of Ife. Additionally, during the COVID-19 lockdown, Queen Zaynab gave out palliatives, supplies, and money to over 10,000 less fortunate people.[3] Archived 2023-07-03 at the Wayback Machine Since February 2017, she has been rebuilding and funding neighborhood orphanages and training facilities in Lagos and Benin, under the #Forward initiative.

Controversy change

According to Dailypost.ng, "Olori Wuraola has spoken about the reported breakup of their marriage, admitting that she is no longer with her".[19] The news of the divorce went viral on social media. Though, later she come out and debunk the news of her alleged infidelity, she denied any allegations against her. She also hinted that domestic violence could be responsible for the separation.[20][21]

Accolades change

In 2017, she toured to United States, where she was awarded during United Nations Week Humanitarian of The Year, 2017[22][23]

References change

  1. "I am no longer with Ooni, says Olori Wuraola". The Guardian Nigeria Newspaper - Nigeria and World News. 31 August 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  2. Ayodele-Bello, Idris (30 August 2017). "Olori Wuraola confirms marriage crash with Ooni". TODAY.NG. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  3. Augoye, Jayne (30 August 2017). "Olori Wuraola confirms marriage crash with Ooni of Ife". Premium Times Nigeria. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  4. "Queen Zaynab-Otiti Obanor Wins Award". OsunDefender. 25 September 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  5. "Queen Zaynab Awarded 'Humanitarian Of The Year" Award During UN Week". onobello.com. Archived from the original on 31 March 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  6. "Ooni of Ife weds on Saturday, March 12". Encomium Magazine. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  7. Ogunsola, Olutosin (12 August 2018). "Ooni: Marriage not on my mind". TODAY.NG. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  8. Augoye, Jayne (22 October 2018). "Ooni's ex-wife congratulates new queen, monarch". Premium Times Nigeria. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  9. "Ooni's ex-wife, Zaynab-Otiti Obanor, congratulates him on new marriage". Lagosconvo. 22 October 2018. Archived from the original on 31 October 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  10. "I'm starting life afresh after divorcing Ooni – Olori Wuraola". The Eagle Online. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  11. "Zaynab Otiti-Obanor's Indescribable Joy – THISDAYLIVE".
  12. "'Marriage is not the definitive qualifier for women'- HH Zaynab Otiti-Obanor". Motherhood In-Style Magazine. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  13. "Meet Her Majesty Olori (Queen) Wuraola-Zynab Otiti Ogunwusi | Biography, Foundation, Projects & More". Pleasures Magazine. 9 October 2016. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  14. Alabi, Tope (23 September 2017). "Ooni of Ife, Ex-wife arrives New York for a 3 day trip". INFORMATION NIGERIA. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  15. "Queen Zaynab marches on". Vanguard. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  16. Ajumobi, Kemi (2023-06-09). "Zaynab Otiti Obanor, bridging continents through cultural, economic alliances". Businessday NG. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
  17. Oguntoye, Isaac (2020-04-12). "Zaynab Otiti-Obanor lends a helping hand". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
  18. "Laudable Works of Businesswoman, Zaynab Otiti-Obanor - THISDAYLIVE". www.thisdaylive.com. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
  19. Nwachukwu, John Owen (30 August 2017). "Why my marriage with Ooni of Ife crashed - Queen Wuraola speaks out". Daily Post Nigeria. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  20. "Real reason my marriage with Ooni of Ife crashed —Olori Wuraola". Tribune Online. 30 August 2017. Archived from the original on 14 July 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  21. ""Ooni & I Are No More": Olori Wuraola Admits Her Marriage With The King Has Crash". Naija News. 30 August 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  22. "Ooni of Ife's Ex Wife Zaynab-Otiti Obanor Wins Award at the UN". Tori.ng. 25 September 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  23. "Ooni's ex-queen receives award, dedicates it to women 'who refuse to be tamed'". Premium Times ng. Retrieved 22 December 2018.

Other website change