DAD SPREADING THE LOVE OF LANGUAGE
A NEW international languages centre is set to open up in a historic Greenock street.
Nigerian dad Olu Durowoju, who moved here five years ago, now wants to bring some African culture to the town.
As dozens of African families settle in Inverclyde, Olu and his wife want to provide access to his home country’s traditions, as well as celebrating other languages.
They are planning to establish a languages and culture centre from a base in William Street.
Businessman Olu, who lives in Wellington Street, said: “There are so many families from Nigeria and other African countries now living in Inverclyde.
“We want this to be a cultural club as well as offering languages.
“It is so important to me to keep our Nigerian languages and customs alive for our children.
“We will be teaching Igbo and Yoruba, as well as European languages.
“We hope it will be a place that people can come to be together.”
Olu was delighted to be offered a spacious premises in William Street across from the Dutch Gable House for their venture.
Now he has plans to transform it into a bustling centre and a hub.
Olu moved to Inverclyde with his wife Verena, daughter Oykinan, 17, and son Tomiwa, 13, in 2017.
He arrived in the UK in 1996 from the city of Ibadan to study sports science.
He has lived in a number of different places in the UK but says that Inverclyde is the first one that has felt like home to him.
The family were welcomed with open arms into the Wellpark Mid Kirk congregation while Oykinan is a promising young tennis player who has dreams of turning pro and is being coached by her dad.