The Entrepreneur who would be King
In the morning of the 21st Century, the venerable kingmakers of the respected Itsekiri kingdom in Southern Nigeria couldn’t have settled for a more modern cultural shepherd as Olu of Warri-Designate, Prince Tsola Emilo. Opting to crown a personality committed to upholding the ancient customs and traditions of the proud people of Itsekiri, speaks to the wisdom of a kingdom with eyes on modernity.
As it is, the Itsekiri Kingdom will host the world from the 21st of August 2021, when it celebrates the coronation of a new Olu of Warri. The Olu designate, Prince Tsola Emiko will be crowned on that day, making him the 21st Olu from a long dynasty that stretches back hundreds of years.
Prince Tsola Emiko is an iconic entrepreneur with depth and much to offer to a new Nigeria, where justice, equity, merit, a sense of dogged determination, strategic focus and ability for sustainable wealth creation will be the watchwords.
History may record the official announcement of his ascension to the throne as the signpost that signalled the commencement of a new era of sustained prosperity, harmony and progress for the people of the Iwere Kingdom, a place all Itsekiris call home.
Son of the 19th Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atunwase II, Prince Tsola Emiko, the Oludesignate till his grand coronation planned for the 21st of August 2021, was born and bred under the stewardship of the respected Ginuwa Royal House of the Itsekiris and underwent training in the walk of Princes by his late father.
Every important life mission needs specific preparation. Prince Tsola Emiko is Western-educated Masters’ degree holder, who majored in International Studies & Political Science at the Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, USA and also received M.Sc. in Management from the same University. He traces his educational background through the strict boarding school system of the Adesoye College Offa, Kwara State. Before that was the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Primary School Warri, Delta State which he attended.
Back home in Nigeria, he worked in several public and private sector enterprises, ostensibly gaining the foundational knowledge and experience of the vagaries of the Nigerian business environment for what would be his sojourn into the uncertain annals of life as a Nigerian entrepreneur.
The National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), Sahara Energy, Shell Nigeria Closed Pension Fund Administrator (SNCFPA) are some of the companies involved across the Nigerian Oil and Gas industry where Prince Emiko spent his early professional life and from where he made the bold venture into the conceptualization and establishment of his own businesses.
A multi-tasking visioner and entrepreneur par excellence, Prince Emiko owns and operates Noble Energy Ltd, Corral Curators Ltd and is also on the board of a number of companies, including Ocean Marine Security Ltd, Gulf of Guinea Ltd and Vessellink Nig Ltd, to mention a few thriving businesses that are significant employers of labour and contributors to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Prince Emiko, as a businessman, is respected amongst his peers and professional contemporaries alike as a study in the co-mingling of ideas of enterprise building and the application of human capacity development to problemsolving.
A firm believer in the notion that the problems of youth unrest in the Niger Delta can be reduced significantly through an early foundation in STEM education furthered by dedicated access to skill acquisition in the technology, vocational and creative industries, the emerging consensus is that Prince Emiko will translate his experience and world view into long-lasting impact on the lives of his people as he mounts the throne of his ancestors.
The Olu of Warri-designate, Prince Emiko clearly pushes a vision for Itsekiri kingdom which identifies the most singular challenge today as the need to reverse the decline and restore the foundations for development and growth in this great and historic town. He believes that Itsekiri must be restored to its past supremacy by keeping abreast of change whilst upholding and preserving its identity as a people. He also believes that Itsekiri must be part of the mainstream in Nigeria and should maintain and strengthen its ties and links with the world around it.
Today, Itsekiri kingdom faces the challenges of reconciliation and peace, preservation and enhancement of its culture and tradition, community development and self-help, re-focusing the youths towards functional education and gainful economic activity, and generally harnessing it’s resources and energy at home and in diaspora for the good of Itsekiri. Addressing these issues and challenges calls for a leader who possesses a unique combination of attributes which incidentally, Prince Emiko has aplenty.
Prince Tsola Emiko is gentle but firm, resolute and fair. He does not shirk responsibility for his own actions and those of his delegated subordinates. He is blessed with excellent managerial skills as well as local, national and international exposure and connections. He is a man of principles and is open, transparent and diplomatic. Above all, he is well versed in and committed to upholding the ancient customs and traditions of the proud people of Itsekiri.
For being picked by his peoples’ kingmakers as an informed cultural anchor and messenger for his folks in a period of rapid change and willing to spearhead the renewal and modernization of Itsekiri kingdom, Delta State, and Nigeria; for espousing tradition and culture as still relevant tools for building a just society, Prince Tsola Emiko is certainly a new leader that will transform Itsekiri land.