Group Executive Vice Chairman, SIFAX Group; Dr. Taiwo Afolabi has been honoured with a Yoruba Cultural Award, Irawo Oni by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
The award ceremony was one of the activities of the Ile ‘Ya Omo Oodua festival, a home-coming cultural event designed to reawaken the cultural uniqueness and awareness of the Yoruba people all around the world.
Speaking while conferring the award on Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, the Ooni said the businessman has distinguished himself as a worthy Yoruba role model that has affected lives from far and wide.
He said: “Through his businesses, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi has provided thousands of employment opportunities to deserving Nigerians, thereby contributing his quota to the eradication of unemployment in the country. Aside this, he is a great philanthropist. He has a foundation through which the less privileged in the society are taken care of. These include widows, orphans, among others. He is a great representation of the typical Yoruba, who is industrious, creative, resilience and compassionate. It is on the strength of his personality and contributions to the society that we found him worthy as a recipient of the “Irawo Oni” award.
Speaking after the conferment, Afolabi, who was represented by Major Henry Ajetunmobi (Rtd), Executive Director, SIFAX Haulage & Logistics Limited, said the recognition by the foremost monarch would further spur him to do more for the society.
‘I am highly honoured to be recognized by our father, the Ooni of Ife, whose one-year reign has been phenomenal. I never saw this coming, but I am deeply grateful. This is a challenge to seek more ways of affecting more lives”, he said.
Discussion about this post