allure 12062022

Interview |
OLORI
ATUWATSE III
Olori Aiyivieruewinoya ‘Ivie’ Emiko-Atuwatse, known as Olori Atuwatse III, Queen of the Warri
Kingdom, is a visionary with a heart for humanity, social enterprise, education, and capacity
building for women and children. A qualified lawyer with an LLB from the London School of
Economics, she was called to the Nigerian bar in 2010. She is a member of the CIARB Nigeria and
has certifications from the Nigerian Chambers of Commerce and Chambers of Maritime.
She has a strong entrepreneurial drive and has founded several businesses across industries. She sits on the
boards of the Wells Property Development Company, the Wells Carlton, and Wells Bakehouse, and is
constantly on the lookout for opportunities to create value through enterprise.
Congratulations on your ordination, what does it
feel like to sit on the throne of the Kingdom of
Warri?
Thank you very much. First and foremost, I think
it’s a great privilege to be Olori Atuwatse III and
Queen of the Warri Kingdom under the able
leadership of my husband, Ogiame Atuwatse III.
Often times, people see enthronement of any kind
as an opportunity to exert Lordship over the people
and amass wealth to themselves. My husband and
I see it as a call to service and great responsibility
to be first accountable to God for the nations and
destinies of people we are stewards over. It is also
a responsibility to diligently serve the people with
ourselves and all that we have. I also understand
that my position as Queen will require a lot of
self-leadership.
Why did you choose to serve the people of Warri?
What makes Warri special and dear to you and
your husband?
My husband, Ogiame is a people-driven leader
and has always been driven by his love for the
people even before he became king and right
from the time I met him. He has always had
dreams for improving the lives of the people of
Warri such as by turning Warri to “Warri-Dubai” or
“Warri-Miami” as we fondly call it (laughing). Being
married to such an exceptional man with a deep
love for his people has influenced me to take on a
responsibility and heart for the people even though
I am not originally from Itsekiri. I love them as much
as my husband does as I am passionate about the
things he is passionate about.
Further, Warri is located in the Niger Delta which
has faced challenges such as clashes and
exploitation. Having the opportunity to be in the
midst of the situation to see the suffering of a
people who produce most of the country’s wealth
as well as to be in a position of authority, it only
makes sense to lay our lives down to ensure that
justice, equity and righteousness. This is my driving
force for serving the people and why Warri is so
dear to my husband and I. It’s our home and it’s
our legacy which are children are going to inherit.
What are your highest expectations and deepest
apprehensions about your new role, position and
responsibilities?
Ogiame and I are very much aware of
demands of the position that we’ve been placed
in. We also understand that these demands
require the support of every single person as it
takes a village to do this. We require the support of
men and women of like minds, similar vision, drive
and passion for Warri to see the realization of our
vision of a new Warri kingdom that we are looking
to build by God’s grace, to come through.
Fortunately, we have been blessed so far by some
outstanding sons and daughters who are
interested in partnering with us to see this vision
become manifest. I call these people runners that
able to run with our vision and translate that into
reality.
I can’t say I have any apprehensions but
nurture a hope to finish well based on the
understanding that the journey is long, and we are
constantly looking up to God to help us finish well.
And I believe He will.
How has the transition into your new reality been?
Have there been any surprises?
I won’t say there have been any surprises even
though it was a very short time frame (about three
months) within which we transitioned from private
life to public life. Like I said, we were surrounded by
a team of people who helped, prepped, supported
and prayed for us. This made the transition as
smooth as humanly possible. So, I can’t say there
have been any surprises and have to attest to the
fact that it has really been grace at work for us as
a family and as individuals. We are really thankful
for the great help we have been afforded so far.
What are the most demanding sacrifices you
have made in marriage and what was it like
having to leave your private life in Lagos to take
on a public one in Warri. Also, have you always
anticipated living your life under public scrutiny?
I’ll take it from the back (laughing). No, I haven’t
always anticipated living my life under public
scrutiny. In fact, upon until more recently, I was one
that was very given to hiding and supporting from
the backstage of the backstage. So to be very
honest, my answer to that is No, especially as it
relates to this position and especially if we know
what happened five years ago before my
husband was coronated. However, the sacrifices
for our marriage has been really in respect of time
and ensuring that we still are diligent to make time
for one another in the light of the very demanding
requirements of a role in public service. In terms of
where we currently live, I don’t really feel too much
of the difference because we are always in Lagos
anyway (laughing). We do miss certain things
being readily accessible i.e., the little luxuries of
accessibility because Warri is still under
construction but its not so tough and its bearable
because we are able to make alternative
arrangements when we can.
How have you managed to strike the balance of
upholding and protecting a healthy private life
(where necessary) while serving as a public
figure?
I know that my first responsibility and job is wife
and mother. The understanding that my children
and husband are the first people that I am called
to is how I have been able to balance that. For
example, I ensure that I don’t miss school pick ups
and drop offs, that I still have time to help with
homework, tell the children stories and pray with
the family. These are things that I see have direct
impact on my home and a healthy family and
private life translates to a healthy public life. I also
understand my responsibility to love my new sons
and daughters as the mother of the Warri
kingdom.
What about your background, education, beliefs,
personality etc will you say has prepared you for
your current assignment and why? How did you
prepare for this role? What skills does a woman
need to be in such a strategic leadership
position?
This is a great question, and I won’t say it was
one thing but a combination of so many things. I
got a lot of the attributes I have now from my
parents not by them outrightly telling me what to
do but by the opportunity I got to mirror them
which allowed me to catch a lot of the values that
they had. This is because values are never taught,
they are always caught. Looking back at my life
and upbringing, I see how values like humility have
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