We are using Nigeria culture to promote our image in Brazil —- Otunba Adekunle Aderonmu
Otunba Adekunle Aderonmu is a man of many parts, a visionary leader, and an epitome of humility. He is also a well-known traditionalist to the core, and above all, a God fearing leader who believes in Christianity, Islam and traditional religious
Born on Christmas day of 1964 (December, 25) at Ibadan in the present Lagelu Local Government of Oyo State, Nigeria. He attended many primary schools and finally finished at Ibadan City Council (ICC) primary in 1976. He proceeded to Nawaru-deen Grammar School, Obantoko Abeokuta. He later studied Science and Technology at Ogun State Polytechnic which he successfully completed in 1986. He was later employed by International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) as Laboratory Technician and he later left in 1988 to complete his diploma in Science and Technology in University of Lagos, Abeokuta campus and in 1990 he graduated
He served the nation under NYSC program in 1991. Otunba Adekunle Aderonmu travel to Brazil after he completed his national youth service corps in 1992, he immediately secured admission in University of Sao Paulo, Brazil for a year Portuguese language course and later started his postgraduate degree in Biochemistry , but voluntarily suspended the course after his ideal to establish African Cultural Center in 1999. As a result of low knowledge of the black society in Brazil about Africa and Nigeria principally, Otunba Adekunle Aderonmu started fully to promote Africa in Brazil and around the world in the year 2000
He was a foundation member of African Cultural Center (ACC) when it was formed in 1999 and he was the first president and now the national coordinator
In this exclusive interview with AJIBADE ALABI during his brief stay here in Nigeria this week, Otunba Aderonmu spoke more about his vision and mission to Nigeria in which he was accompanied by two Brazilians—David Merces and Charles Miguel
Let’s get to meet you?
I am from Abeokuta but I am chief in Iworo I am Otunba Oniworo
For how long have you been out of the country?
I have been out of the country for the past 20 years working on how to promote Africa especially Nigeria as a nation that has a lot of things to benefit, for the world look at the continent as a place of troubles political problems, ethnic problems, health problems, economical problems religious problems and any other problems, any negative that you can think of. But our mission is to promote Africa the continent as a whole as a country a continent of opportunities
What is the name of your company?
Our company name is Africa Cultural Centre because our aim is to promote Africa and Nigeria as a whole to showcase the culture we have. Because more than 50 percent of Brazilians are Africans and they will like to know their origin and that is why we that are from Nigeria we that are from Africans working to show the Brazilians the other better side of Nigerians despite the fact that we know that the country is been battered by a lot of false information. When you talk of African today in any part of the world you think of war, and some other bad things about the continent. We are working to change this image everyday with their government over there with one activities or the other, promoting, debating, show casing, just mentioned anything that could promote the image of Nigeria nay Africans
Who are you in conjunction with here in Nigeria?
We are in conjunction with Otunba Festus the publisher of Akede Odua Magazine he is our ambassador here in Nigeria our representative here in Nigeria he has been doing a lot of work here in Nigeria to promote the culture through his newspaper and he has been helping us to link with many important personalities here in Nigeria he has been bringing them to Brazil for them to see and know what can be done to help the course of the project.
Talking of culture do you have anything you have on ground that you want to do now
Yes. And one of the plan is to show the Nigerian and Brazilian in Brazil our culture the importance of culture to them, because they don’t know, they don’t know they are from African they are black people and some of them are ashamed to be associated as an Africans based on the negative news stories and news they do hear about Africans
Do you have any program that you are planning to bring Nigeria in there in Brazil and Nigerian here in Nigeria?
We have understanding cultural exchange that has been going on already which is in conjunction with Otunba Jacob Festus and one of it is what we are doing now, bringing Brazilian people to come and know Nigeria because they have a lot of things to offer us in all aspect of life not only on culture alone, because of our climate identical and if you are there you will see that Brazil is not suppose to be classified as third world nation. Brazil supposed to be rated as first class nation because they have everything in place. And because of our same climatic situation is very similar we believed they have a lot to offer Nigeria in terms of agriculture, in terms of culture in terms of technology, in terms of everything you can think of. All what you we are passing through now, Brazil have passed through it and today they are one of the best
What is the positive impact in Nigeria economy?
The positive impact to Nigeria economy to Brazil will be based majorly on culture, because when you get to Brazil you will discover that half of their population are black descendant, more than fifty percent of Brazil were African descendant, so they were always anxious to know Africa as a whole they always want to know their root, because Japanese among them we always love to see Japan, the European among them will always want to see Portugal, Spanish among them will always be proud to be part of their nation. But the Africans there who are anxious to know about African are always ashamed because of the negative stories they do hear and about Africans, so they want to know their root. But when we started showing them the better side of African the culture they are very proud of it
Blacks in other countries outside Africans do have a date to celebrate their culture. Like the one we have in Canada, London, Germany and even in Scotland. Do you have such a thing in Brazil? Because I remember some years back I was part of the team for Brazil
We have been doing it every year. Like 25th of May is the day that has been declared by united nation as Africans day, so this day we always do our Africans day, we used that day to do lecture and give out awards and also a night show. Thank God you are one of the media that was involved years back. This time around we want to take along with us some selected journalists to Brazil to come and witnessed the event LIVE so they can come back here and tell the story as it was. Many Africans has been given an award on that day, just to encourage and stimulate people that have been helping this continent, physically, educationally and socially so the final day to received award is that day. Though we just finished one this month (November) which we call isese day is the one we used to promote our African culture and religious because they are lot of people who have been practicing African religious there in Brazil. They connect this culture with religious evil; we have to engage Brazilian lawyers to fight this. Today in Brazil there is a law that anybody can practice the religious he or she wishes, that is you have freedom of religious. Today is Brazil if you dare abused anybody of practicing black religious and called it devil you will be charged to court
