My ancestry search ended in Lagos royal family — US-born Nigerian, Olomo

Olomo, an American-born Nigerian, embarked on a professional journey focused on entrepreneurship, marketing, and business development. Throughout his career, he learned how to build companies, develop brands, and turn ideas into scalable systems. Eventually, he became increasingly interested in exploring his family history before he arrived in America.

During his genealogical research, Olomo traced his family lineage back to the Yoruba people of Nigeria and later connected to a specific lineage within the Imota community in Lagos State. This discovery led him to found Tribal Tapestry, an organization that helps people understand and appreciate their African ancestry.

Olomo's professional experiences shaped his worldview and professional perspective. He learned that when an institution does not exist to solve a problem, sometimes it is necessary to build that solution himself. This realization became crucial as he pursued his ancestry research. African Americans have extensive knowledge about their ancestors' experiences in America, including slavery, segregation, and the civil rights movement.

However, he felt compelled to investigate the chapter of history that preceded their arrival in America.

Before delving into his ancestry, Olomo had a general understanding that his ancestors came from Africa, but he lacked specific details about their identities, communities, languages, and family histories. As he grew older, he became dissatisfied with the broad answer of being African. He questioned why descendants of enslaved Africans should accept less specificity in their family histories compared to individuals of European descent.

Some of the most significant questions Olomo had about his identity before tracing his ancestry included understanding who they were before America and how his family's history was affected by the transatlantic slave trade. The absence of identifying information in American records fascinated him. He wondered if DNA testing, genealogy, and the knowledge preserved within African communities could help piece together the missing parts of his family's history.

The primary motivation behind Olomo's desire to trace his African roots was the search for restoration. The transatlantic slave trade not only disrupted geography but also shattered family memory, erasing names, languages, and communities from family histories. Olomo recognized that previous generations lacked the tools available today and that DNA testing, genealogical databases, and oral histories from African communities could provide crucial context that had been lost in American archives.

Through his research, Olomo discovered strong Yoruba ancestry but found that the story unfolded even further. The genealogical work led him to the Senlu Royal House of Imota in Lagos State. The discovery was particularly meaningful because it was corroborated by external sources, solidifying the family history rooted in Lagos State.