▪︎Photo, From left: Prince Jon James Omobowale Olomo; His Royal Majesty, Oba (Dr.) Mudashiru Ajibade Bakare-Agoro, Olufoworesete II, the Ranodu of Imota; and Chief Olukayode Olomo, the Baalẹ of Ojoogbe, Ikorodu, during a meeting at the Ranodu’s palace in Imota, Lagos State, where Prince Olomo received formal attestation confirming his lineage to the Senlu Royal House of Imota.
What happens after an African American takes a DNA test? For most people, the journey ends with percentages on a screen. But for Prince Omobowale (Jon James Omobowale Olomo), it became the beginning of an
extraordinary journey that ultimately led him to reconnect with his ancestral homeland in Nigeria.
Olomo's quest to trace his ancestral bloodline led him to Imota in Ikorodu Division, Lagos State, where His Royal Majesty, Oba (Dr.) Mudashiru Ajibade Bakare-Agoro, Olufoworesete II, the Ranodu of Imota, presented him with a formal Letter of Attestation certifying that he descends from the Senlu Royal Family of Imota. During their meeting, the Ranodu shared the history of Olomo's ancestral family, explaining that both of their families descend from Oba Senlu Olupeoku, the founding Ranodu of Imota. Separately, His Royal Majesty, Oba (Engr.) Kabiru Adewale Shotobi, Adegorushen V, the Ayangburen and Paramount Ruler of Ikorodu Kingdom, bestowed upon Olomo the traditional title Basẹ̀tò Ìpadàbọ̀ Sílẹ̀, meaning "Pathfinder Who Leads the Diaspora Back to Their Source." His Royal Majesty, Oba (Engr.) Kabiru Adewale Shotobi, serves as the Permanent Vice-Chairman of the Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs.
Today, Prince Omobowale (Jon James Omobowale Olomo) is the Founder & CEO, Tribal Tapestry, he shares his story here with us.
Can you tell us, sir, what Tribal Tapestry is all about?
Tribal Tapestry exists for one purpose: to reconnect the African family.
The transatlantic slave trade did not just move people across an ocean—it separated families from their names, tribes, languages, and ancestral homes. Millions of descendants of Africa know they have African ancestry, but they cannot answer one of the most basic human questions: Who are my people? Through DNA, genealogy, historical research, and partnerships with traditional communities across Africa, we help people rediscover their ancestral roots and reconnect with living cultures, communities, and, whenever possible, family. This isn’t simply about finding where someone came from. It’s about helping them discover where they belong.
Why is this mission so important?
It is because every family deserves to know its story. No other people on earth experienced the scale of family separation that Africans endured
through the transatlantic slave trade. Entire bloodlines lost their names, languages, identities, and connections to home. History cannot be changed, but relationships can be restored. Every time someone reconnects with their ancestral community, we restore another thread in the African family tapestry. When enough of those threads come back together, we begin
healing one of history’s greatest separations.
Can you tell us about your personal DNA experience?
My journey began with curiosity, but it became a calling. I spent years researching my ancestry through DNA testing, genealogy, and historical records. Eventually that journey led me to Nigeria. What I found was far greater than ethnicity percentages. I found people who welcomed me, traditions that felt familiar, and an ancestral home that gave me a deeper understanding of who I am. That experience transformed my life and inspired me to ensure that millions of others have the opportunity to walk the same path home.
Were you aware of a country known as Nigeria before DNA pointed you
to Nigeria?
Certainly. I knew Nigeria as one of Africa’s great nations. What I didn’t know was that it was my ancestral home. Growing up in America, I knew I was African American, but I couldn’t have told you which people my ancestors belonged to or where my family’s story truly began. DNA changed Nigeria from a country I knew about into family I belonged to.
When DNA told you that you are Nigerian, did you fight it? Did you resist
it?
Not at all. I embraced the possibility, but I also wanted to verify it carefully.
DNA is an incredible tool, but I wanted the full story. I researched historical records, connected with relatives, met traditional rulers, and immersed myself in the culture. The more I learned, the clearer it became that this wasn’t simply about genetics. It was about reconnecting with my family.
So what exactly did you do next?
I came to Nigeria. I didn’t want to admire my ancestry from thousands of miles away. I wanted to experience it. I met traditional rulers, walked through ancestral communities, learned Yoruba culture, built genuine friendships, and listened far more than I spoke. Eventually I stopped feeling like a visitor. I started feeling like I had come home.
What was your experience with the royal father in Ikorodu and the
people?
It was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. During my journey, I met His Royal Majesty, Oba (Dr.) Mudashiru Ajibade Bakare-Agoro, Olufoworesete II, the Ranodu of Imota, who presented me with a formal Letter of Attestation certifying that I descend from the Senlu Royal Family of Imota. During our meeting, he shared the history of my ancestral family and explained that my family descends from Oba Senlu Olupeoku, the founding Ranodu of Imota. Receiving that Letter of Attestation transformed my family history, from something I had researched, into something I could finally hold in my hands. DNA had pointed me toward my ancestry, but this connected me to a living family, a living community, and a living history.
Tell us a little about your newly discovered ancestral home.
It is a community rich in history, culture, and tradition. Walking the same land my ancestors once walked gave history a heartbeat. I wasn’t looking at a museum. I was standing among living people who continue traditions passed down through generations. For someone whose family history was interrupted centuries ago, that experience is impossible to describe fully.
It feels like finding a missing chapter of your life
After your ancestral discovery, have you helped other people find their
ancestral homes?
Yes, and that has become my life’s mission. Through Tribal Tapestry we have guided members of the African Diaspora as they reconnect with their ancestral communities, meet traditional rulers, discover living relatives, and build meaningful relationships throughout Africa. Watching someone realize they are no longer disconnected—that they belong to a real
community—is one of the greatest privileges of my life.
How often would you love to come to Nigeria? Do you love and enjoy
being in Nigeria?
As often as I possibly can. Nigeria is now part of my life. Every visit strengthens friendships, deepens my understanding of the culture, and reminds me why this work matters. I don’t come simply because I enjoy visiting. I come because I believe the future relationship between Africa and the Diaspora will be built through real human connections.
If DNA has benefited you and others, what are your plans to attract
more people to discover its possibilities and benefits?
Our goal is education first. Many people think DNA testing is the destination. We believe it is only the beginning. Through media, schools, traditional institutions, governments, and community partnerships, we
want people to understand that DNA can become the first step toward rebuilding identity, restoring family connections, strengthening economic relationships, and creating lasting partnerships between Africa and the Diaspora. This movement has the potential to reconnect millions of people with their heritage.
Who, in your estimation, needs this DNA most?
Anyone whose family history was interrupted. That certainly includes millions of descendants of the transatlantic slave trade, but it also includes anyone searching for answers about their ancestry. Everyone deserves to know where they come from. Knowing your roots gives you a stronger sense of identity, purpose, and belonging.
From your experience, when you introduce DNA to an average African
American in the Diaspora, what readily comes to their minds?
Most people are curious. Many ask, “Can this really tell me my tribe?” Others wonder if it will actually change their lives.I tell them DNA itself doesn’t change your life. What changes your life is what you choose to do with what you discover. When your ancestry becomes a relationship instead of a statistic, everything changes.
So you reconnect Africans in the Diaspora with their families. After
finding their new African homes, what happens? Do they return back to the
Diaspora? Is it just about fulfilling curiosity, or is it more than that?
It is much more than curiosity. Some return to the Diaspora with a renewed sense of confidence and identity. Others learn their ancestral language.
Some establish business partnerships. Some purchase land. Some pursue citizenship. Some bring their children back so the next generation grows up knowing exactly where their family comes from. This isn’t about taking people away from America, the Caribbean, Brazil, or Europe. It is about giving them two homes instead of one. The future belongs to Africans who can build bridges across the Atlantic.
One of the participants on your homecoming journey, American musician Brett McFarland, found an instant connection with Africa's creative energy and collaborated with Nigerian musicians. Tell us about that experience!
It was wonderful to witness. Brett is a white American musician who joined one of our homecoming journeys alongside our African American participants. He came to Nigeria with an open heart and a genuine desire to learn. During his visit, he collaborated with Nigerian musicians, performed before traditional rulers, and allowed the culture to influence his creativity. What emerged wasn't imitation—it was authentic collaboration. His experience demonstrates that when people approach one another with humility and respect, cultural exchange becomes something that enriches everyone involved.
Do you have other similar experiences that you would like to share?
Many. I’ve watched people cry when they met communities that welcomed them home. I’ve seen people receive ancestral names for the first time. I’ve watched families embrace across continents. I’ve seen children realize they have grandparents, cousins, traditions, and a history they never knew existed. Those moments remind us that the African family was never destroyed. It was simply separated.
What other discoveries did you make about your new home and family that informed you settling down with them?
Discovering that I descend from the Senlu Royal Family of Imota changed everything. The Letter of Attestation presented to me by the Ranodu of Imota didn't simply acknowledge my ancestry, it connected me to a living royal lineage and centuries of family history. Walking the same land my ancestors once walked gave history a heartbeat. I wasn't looking at a museum or reading about people who lived centuries ago. I was standing in the community my ancestors helped build, among living descendants who have carried those traditions forward through generations. For someone whose family history was interrupted centuries ago, that experience is impossible to fully describe. It transformed Nigeria from a country I knew about into a family I belonged to.
What more should we expect from Tribal Tapestry?
We’re building something much bigger than a DNA company. We’re building a global movement to reconnect the African family. You’ll see expanded partnerships with traditional communities across Africa, more educational
initiatives, larger homecoming experiences, stronger genealogical research, cultural immersion programs, and new opportunities for the Diaspora to build lasting relationships across the continent. I believe the twenty-first century will be remembered as the century when Africa and her
Diaspora found each other again. If Tribal Tapestry can help make that happen—even in a small way—then we will have fulfilled
our purpose.
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