Oluwayemi "Yemi" Adenuga (née Solaru) is a Nigerian-Irish politician, community organiser and advocate for social justice initiatives. In May 2019, she became the first elected black female public representative in Ireland when she was elected to Meath County Council. She has also founded mentoring programs for women and youth, appeared on the television show Gogglebox Ireland, and worked as a radio and television broadcaster.
Yemi Adenuga | |
|---|---|
 Adenuga in 2012 | |
| Meath County Council | |
| Assumed office May 2019 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Oluwayemi Solaru Nigeria |
| Political party | Fine Gael |
| Spouse | Deji Adenuga |
| Alma mater | |
Early life and education
editAdenuga was born in Nigeria,[1] and raised in a town outside of Lagos.[2] She was the sixteenth of 27 children of a father with seven wives.[1] In 2020, Adenuga told the Irish Independent, "I grew up in circumstances where, as a girl, I wasn't given a chance."[1]
Adenuga completed a Diploma in Business Studies in 2008, a Bachelors of Business Studies in 2010, and a post-graduate certificate in 2016 from University College Dublin.[3] She completed her MBA at Liverpool John Moores University.[4]
Career
editAdenuga worked as a radio and television broadcaster in Nigeria for ten years before moving to Ireland in 2000.[5] In 2004,[6] after moving to Ireland with her family,[7][8] she didn't find media industry work but instead found work in accounting.[5]
Adenuga appeared on the reality television show Gogglebox Ireland for four years before deciding to run for elected office.[9][10] After being active in the community of Navan for years, she initially declined an offer from Fine Gael to become involved in politics, but later changed her mind and in 2019, became the first elected black female public representative in Ireland,[5] and the first migrant councillor on Meath County Council.[9] Adenuga has said she did not consider race when she agreed to run for office, but encountered bigotry while campaigning "that in itself was the very reason why I was even more determined to win."[1]
Soon after the election, she joined with councillor Hazel Chu in calling for urgent action to address racism.[11] In 2020, after the murder of George Floyd, Meath County Council approved her motion to fund an educational initiative and become the first county in Ireland to openly take action against racism.[12] She has also advocated for hate crimes legislation in Ireland[13] that includes penalties for online harassment,[10] and helped organise an online rally against racism.[14]
Adenuga has launched several community initiatives, including the women and youth empowerment programs Sheroes Global Initiative and The Boys-to-Men project aimed at raising boys to be good men, the Meath Stand Against Racism education campaign,[5] Sheroes Global, to support women and youth,[15][9] and the Yemi Adenuga Mentorship and Leadership Program (YAMAL), to mentor women and youth.[10] She also serves on the board of Cultúr, a community organization that supports migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.[15][16]
Adenuga began the Sheroes program in Ireland in 2012,[15] and launched the program in Nigeria in 2018, after conducting projects in the country for two years.[17]
Adenuga and her husband also manage Nigerian Carnival Ireland, a cultural, diversity and inclusion company that delivers programs in Ireland and Nigeria.[18]
Personal life
editAdenuga is the mother of four children[1] and is married to Deji Adenuga, a Nigerian actor, who was also her campaign manager.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Coyne, Ellen (29 August 2020). "'I won't put up with any bullsh*t from a man telling me I'm a token seat'". Irish Independent. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ "The BIG Interview; Yemi Adenuga; Ireland's racist problem begins at home". Meath Live. 15 February 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ "Class Acts 2020 Alumni Achievements". UCD Connections Alumni Magazine. University College Dublin. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ "Cllr Yemi Adenuga". Fine Gael. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ a b c d Okoh, Joseph (13 March 2021). "Yemi Adenuga and Uruemu Adejinmi: Making a mark in Irish politics". The Irish Times. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ "Councillor Yemi Adenuga - Meath County".
- ^ McCann, Nuala (28 May 2019). "Irish election: Winners and losers take centre stage". BBC News. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ Nugent, Ryan; Lavery, Callum (27 May 2019). "Making history: Gogglebox star elected as 'Ireland's first black female councillor'". Irish Independent. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ a b c d Walsh, Louise (27 May 2019). "#Elections2019: Gogglebox star becomes first migrant Councillor in Meath". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ a b c Lynott, Laura (15 February 2021). "Yemi Adenuga: 'Racist trolls said I wasn't Irish and demanded money'". Irish Independent. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ Ryan, Philip (13 June 2019). "The Floating Voter: New Irish councillors demand action after racism on campaign trail". Irish Independent. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ Donohoe, John (22 July 2020). "'I was insulted so many times, the easiest thing to do would have been to give up and quit'". Meath Chronicle. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ O'Mahony, Kevin (4 June 2020). "Yemi Adenuga: 'We need more minority voices in Irish politics'". FM104. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ Walsh, Louise (12 June 2020). "Five black mothers unite to stamp out racism in Ireland". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ a b c Staff (28 May 2019). "Reality TV star becomes first black woman and first migrant elected to Irish county council". Irish Central. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ "Cultúr Board". Cultúr. Cultúr Celebrating Diversity Ltd. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ "Why we are celebrating ordinary women – Yemi Adenuga". Vanguard. 24 March 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ Ajeluorou, Anote (25 April 2018). "Of demons, ghosts in Yeats: The Only Jealousy of Emer on stage in Lagos". The Guardian Nigeria. Retrieved 16 June 2021.