By Ademola Adesina Afolabi
Distinguished chiefs, family, friends and well-wishers, we welcome to the throne, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, the history-making 44th Olubadan of Ibadan.
Today we gather to celebrate two intertwined milestones: the blessed anniversary of the birth of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, and the solemn joy of his coronation as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland.
It is fitting that we mark the two events together, for the man we honour has always live with the same steady purpose in private life as he now brings to the throne — a life of service, thoughtfulness and constructive action.
The story of Oba Rashidi Ladoja is familiar to many, yet its force remains non-diminished when properly told. A son of Ibadan, the 44th Olubadan brings to kingship the lived knowledge of our streets, markets and shrines.
As a former senator and governor of Oyo State, and as a successful businessman, he learned how public institutions and private enterprise must work in concert for communities to thrive. He is not a ruler who governs from abstract; he rules from experience —experience of management, of negotiation, of responsibility, and of humility before the people he serves.
Allow me to speak plainly about the qualities that make Oba Ladoja both beloved and respected. He is prudent: decisions are not made for applause but for effect, calibrated to sustain institutions and protect futures. He is diligent: every promise is pursued with patience and persistence, every plan followed through with personal attention.
Oba Ladoja is delightful in manner -warm, approachable; a man who can listen, yet he commands respect, not by posture, but by the integrity of his actions. These are the marks of a leader who knows that the dignity of the crown is built on service rather than spectacle.
Treatise on leadership, culture and legacy
•Leadership by example: The career of Oba Ladoja teaches that leadership is a daily practice. As governor and senator, he showed that governance requires both vision and the capacity for steady implementation. As the Olubadan, that lesson is magnified: the throne is not merely ceremonial but a vessel through which the values of prudence, discipline and foresight can be conveyed to a generation in need of steadying hands.
•Culture as living stewardship: To be an Ibadan aborigine is to carry a particular custodianship of language, proverb and communal memory. Oba Ladoja embodies that role. He understands that traditions are not museum pieces but living guides. Under his watch, culture must be protected, not by isolation, but by making it relevant, via educating youth, promoting native arts and ensuring that modern development does not erase ancestral knowledge.
•Nation-building through example: The true measure of a national figure is the ripples of impact beyond local borders. Oba Ladoja’s influence as governor, senator and businessman demonstrates how principled governance and ethical entrepreneurship can strengthen the social contract. He shows that regional leadership, when exercised with openness and competence, can contribute to a more cohesive and prosperous nation.
Impact and hope
Look around Ibadan and you see signs of a life spent building strategic roads of policy that make commerce possible, institutions that survive transitions, businesses that provide jobs and training. But perhaps the deeper impact of Oba Ladoja is less visible: the restoration of confidence in leadership, the quiet mentorship of younger politicians and entrepreneurs, the standard he sets for civic responsibility. Those are gifts that last beyond any single term in office.
On this birthday and coronation day, we do not merely celebrate years or titles: We celebrate a continuing commitment; a covenant between a monarch and his people to preserve dignity, advance prosperity and teach wisdom by example. We pledge to support the efforts of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Ladoja, to marry tradition with progress; to make Ibadan a model of cultural vibrancy and responsible development.
Prayer and blessing
May the Almighty grant Oba Rashidi Ladoja long life, sound health and the clarity of mind to pursue justice with mercy.
May the of the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland reign strengthen bonds among our people, deepen respect for our heritage, and accelerate the welfare of Ibadan and the broader nation. May his counsel be sought and heeded; may his footsteps lead to peace and progress.
Conclusion
Happy birthday, Your Imperial Majesty, and congratulations on your coronation. You have carried many responsibilities with honour. Now, as Olubadan, you carry the hopes of millions who look to Ibadan as a beacon. We rejoice in your life and recommit ourselves to the shared work of building a future worthy of the past you so carefully steward.
Long live, the Olubadan!!! Long live Oba Rashidi Ladoja!!!
Mogaji Ademola Adesina Afolabi writes from Oyo Alaafin.
