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By Funsho Arogundade
After all these years, the spotlight remains fixed on Queen Zaynab Otiti-Obanor —and it seems it always will. But Queen Zaynab has been making that spotlight follow her to where it can really do some good: the charity ecosystem. The former wife of Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi needs no introduction. Her name rings a bell in the society. She means different things to different people. She is an architect, designer, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Over the years, she has shown to all, through her sayings and deeds, that she has a clear vision of what to do to impact humanity positively. This is more so as she is divinely inspired to touch lives as much as humanly possible.
For a fact, the Edo State-born beauty hates to do her things haphazardly; hence she decided to set up the Queen Zaynab Foundation some years ago. Through the foundation, she has been an angel of hope to many in the society. Her several excellent works – including serving as an ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on raising awareness about child marriage and family planning – have earned her the Humanitarian of the Year Award.
As a woman of influence, Queen Zaynab is also the founder of the Arab African Economic Development Initiative (AAEDI), a non-governmental organisation focused on strengthening cultural and economic ties between African and Arab nations.
A woman of class, grace, poise and dignity, Queen Zaynab is one woman who really knew how to live. In the last few years, she has lived largely outside the public eye. During the interregnum, she relocated to Doha, Qatar where she waltzed through both trials and triumphs. She established a new life —including entangled in a short-lived relationship with an Arab Prince with whom she had a baby— as well as building a thriving business with several prominent stores in the country.
But in pursuit of happiness and a stable relationship, Queen Zaynab rehugs the limelight as she subtly announced her marriage to Nigeria’s powerful Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume. The wedding reportedly took place in a private ceremony in Venice, Italy. Given her past royal ties and new hubby, Akume’s political standing, the Queen has been subjected to intense criticism and vilification on social media for making such personal choices.
Despite motherhood, the dashing Queen looks very good these days. At 40 – on April 19 – she is still classy and elegant with the face of a woman 20 years younger. One could not presume what abetted this timelessness. But as a high value woman, there is no gainsaying that Queen Zaynab is one of those kinds of women real, confident men go for. Her trajectory shows her success is defined not by proximity to power, but by the impact of her work.
