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From Taiwo Oluwadare, Ibadan
Captain Olatunji Emmanuel Okedeyi, the Nigerian motorcyclist, who completed a 12,200-kilometer solo ride from London to Lagos to promote global polio eradication, has received a rousing homecoming in Ibadan.
Okedeyi, who completed the 25-day journey across 14 countries between June 12 and July 7, was welcomed to his ancestral home by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, alongside members of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Rotary Club members, and local bikers.
At his palace, the Olubadan commended him for using his passion to champion a vital health cause and pledged £1,000 to the rider’s £100,000 fundraising campaign for polio vaccines.
Later, the CCII President-General, Chief Ajeniyi Ajewole, presented Okedeyi with an award plaque, describing his journey as an extraordinary achievement that brought honour to Nigeria.
Okedeyi revealed that his campaign was inspired by childhood memories of seeing children suffer from polio at the hospital quarters where his late father worked as an ambulance driver.
“I felt a responsibility to give back to humanity. That is why I decided to ride to raise awareness,” he stated.
Reflecting on his journey through two continents, Okedeyi reminded the audience that while many believe polio is entirely gone, it remains endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan, meaning no country is completely safe until it is globally eradicated.
He urged parents to ensure children under five are fully vaccinated and called on governments to strengthen routine immunisation programmes, especially for newborns before they leave the hospital.
Thanking Ibadan residents for the emotional reception, Okedeyi noted that the experience reinforced his belief that true success is measured by the number of lives positively impacted through service.
