OLORI JANET AFOLABI: THE BEAUTIFUL FORCE

By Inemesit Ebu

From CNN award-winning Journalist to Queen of Apomu Kingdom, she left the newsroom but not the mission.

Meet the Queen who is running a “No Interest Loan” program for rural women, feeding communities, and proving that royalty is service.

Olori Janet Afolabi wears two crowns: One was earned in the newsroom with ink on her hands. The other was placed on her head in the palace at Apomu Kingdom. She reigns with a pen in one hand and a crown on her head.

Olori Janet Afolabi is proof that truth and tradition can walk together.

Long before royalty, Janet was a student of the giants. Trained and mentored by Nigerian media icons — Ray Ekpu, Dan Agbese, Yakubu Mohammed, Soji Akinrinade, Nosa Igiebor, and Dare Babarinsa — she learned that journalism was not just a job. It was a responsibility.

For decades she reported Nigeria’s hardest stories at Newswatch Magazine. Politics, conflict, human rights. Her work was so fearless yet fair that CNN took noticed and honored her. In 2022, she paid tribute to her teachers in her debut book, “The Masters Who Trained Me”. Through her foundation, Olori Janet Afolabi Foundation, OJAF, she launched the “Newswatch 5 Lecture Series” to keep mentors’ legacy alive.

But the pen was only half the story.

As Olori of Apomu Kingdom, married to Oba Kayode Adenekan Afolabi, the Alapomu, she saw another kind of headline every day: hungry children, struggling market women, girls missing school.

So she answered.

In 2020, just after COVID lockdown, she became the “First Royal Queen in Nigeria” to launch a “No Interest Loan For Rural Women.” The goal was simple: to help Apomu women start or expand businesses without debt traps.

A year later, she opened the Olori Janet Afolabi Foundation Food Bank. In June 2023 alone, 150 bags of 50kg rice went to rural families during Ileya. On Children’s Day 2020, she gave may cartons of noddles to Apomu children as palliative. She also sent 100 face masks to students at the Government Special School of the Blind in Ikere, Ekiti.

Her advocacy is clear: women’s empowerment, food security, children’s welfare, and media development.

The world noticed.

The World Women Organisation gave her an International Philanthropy Award for her food programs. At the 7th Prestige Excellence Awards, she was named _Most Outstanding Innovative Humanitarian Personality of the Year. The Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ, Lagos Correspondent’s Chapel honoured her with “Award of Excellence in Philanthropy and Humanitarian Services”.

Even as Queen, she hasn’t left business and culture behind. She champions African culture and supports SMEs through platforms like the Lagos Mainland Trade Fair.

Ask her what drives her and she’ll point to the girls.
“Pad A Girl.” “Free Learning Centre.” Health talks in schools. Her mission is to raise girls who are healthy, educated, and unafraid to lead.

From documenting stories to becoming the story, Olori Janet Afolabi shows us what happens when a Journalist’s courage meets a Queen’s compassion.

Pen. Crown. Purpose.
She works in the grace of two crowns.