Olu’s 5th Anniversary: Olori Atuwatse III Unveils Bold Vision for Women, Culture, Human Capital Development

Sylvester Idowu in Warri 

Olori Atuwatse III, Queen Consort Warri Kingdom, has said the last five years of her tenure alongside her husband, His Royal Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Olu of Warri, have been devoted to building human capacity, empowering women, preserving Itsekiri culture and creating stronger connections among Itsekiris at home and in the diaspora.

The Olori, who spoke to journalists at her residence in Warri weekend, as part of activities marking the Olu’s fifth coronation anniversary, said the progress recorded in the kingdom’s women empowerment programmes had become one of the most gratifying aspects of her royal responsibilities.

According to her, the elevation of women within the Warri Kingdom has become increasingly visible, with women, particularly wives of chiefs, becoming more confident, recognised and willing to take ownership of their voices and responsibilities.

“Seeing how the women in the kingdom have become more naturally elevated, I always give the stories of how the chiefs’ wives have now become more esteemed in many ways and more recognised,” she said.

She stated that women were increasingly moving beyond seeking permission to participate in community affairs to becoming active owners of their voices and initiatives.

“I really love the esteem of women in the kingdom, and I’m really thankful for that,” she said, adding that: “Leadership has taught me to enlarge my heart.”

Reflecting on the challenges and lessons of her five-year journey as Olori, Queen Ashley said she would rather describe the experience as a period of learning than as a series of challenges.

She identified understanding human nature, managing differences and learning to appreciate the strengths of different people as some of the most important lessons she had acquired.

“I think it would be what I used to learn leadership. It is understanding the dynamics of human nature and the differences in different people and just learning how to enlarge my heart to love every person and pick out the strengths from people and discard the weaknesses,” she said.

The Olori, a lawyer, author and founder of ‘Women-focused initiatives’, explained that her royal position had provided her with a platform to convert privilege into service, particularly through initiatives targeted at women, education, skills development and access to opportunities.

She said she regarded herself primarily as a mother serving the people entrusted to her care rather than simply as a queen.

“I’m a mother more than any queen,” she declared, explaining that her approach to service was built around two key principles,  agency and access.

According to her, the first objective was to help people, especially women regain control over their lives and overcome what she described as a “learned sense of helplessness”.

The second was to provide access to skills, networks, finance and other resources required to transform aspirations into sustainable livelihoods.

She said the philosophy underpins programmes such as ‘Women Aligning Women’, operated under ‘Elevate Africa’, and ‘Establish Her’, operated under the ‘Royal Iwere Foundation’.

The Olori disclosed that findings from their engagement with women in the community had shown that women constituted a significant proportion of household breadwinners, particularly among women aged between 18 and 35.

She said about eight out of 10 women engaged through the initiative were breadwinners supporting several dependants.

“That meant we had to begin to see how we can establish our women by working with the whole woman, not just giving her skills or access to finance, but actually looking to raise the whole woman,” she explained.

She said the programme therefore begins with developing the mindset of participants, helping them understand leadership, identify their leadership styles and build confidence before introducing business and entrepreneurship components.

The Olori also placed strong emphasis on the preservation of Itsekiri language and culture, describing the Itsekiri people as a “micro minority” whose cultural heritage must be deliberately protected against the pressures of modernisation and globalisation.

“We Itsekiris, we’re a micro minority. So inside the minority, we are a minority. And so it’s important to preserve our culture, to preserve our language,” she said.

According to her, the rapid erosion of indigenous languages across communities, including among larger ethnic groups, makes the preservation of Itsekiri language an urgent responsibility.

She disclosed that a language competition was introduced around the period of the Olu’s coronation anniversary to encourage children from communities across the kingdom and those in the diaspora to learn and speak Itsekiri.

On her relationship with the Olu and how they manage the demands of royal duties, public expectations and family life, Queen Ashley said the strength of their family remains the foundation of everything they do.

She stressed that before their identities as king and queen, they were husband and wife and regarded their relationship as a partnership that required deliberate nurturing.

“That is our foundation, the strong family unit behind the closed door is our primary foundation. We are first husband and wife. We are first a strong unit together, and we take those duties very seriously. We take our bond and our connection very seriously,” she said.

She said their relationship and responsibilities were also firmly anchored in their faith, adding: “Everything is embedded under God. God is our third cord, and then we take it from ther.”

The Olori also spoke about her fashion choices, particularly her blend of contemporary elegance with traditional Itsekiri and wider African attire.

She said her intention was not merely to make a fashion statement but to demonstrate that African culture could be celebrated with confidence, sophistication and contemporary relevance.

Looking ahead after five years in the royal household, the Olori expressed gratitude for the journey but said she regarded the period as the beginning rather than the culmination of their work.

“I’m really thankful for the last five years. It’s been like five years that has felt like 50 years, but at the same time felt like five months,” she said.