US-Born Nigerian Olomo Traces Roots to Lagos Royal Family
United States-born Nigerian Olomo has revealed how a years-long search for his African ancestry eventually led him to Nigeria, where he traced his roots to the Senlu Royal House of Imota in Lagos State, bringing an emotional conclusion to his quest to uncover his family’s identity and heritage.
Olomo’s remarkable journey began with a desire to answer questions shared by millions of descendants of Africans whose family histories were disrupted by the transatlantic slave trade: Where did his ancestors come from, and could he reconnect with the community they once called home?
Born and raised in the United States, Olomo could trace generations of his family history in America, but reaching beyond those records proved difficult. The further he investigated, the more he encountered the historical barriers that have prevented many African Americans from identifying their exact ancestral communities on the African continent.
Determined to go beyond a general African identity, Olomo turned to DNA testing, genealogy, historical research and family connections in an effort to reconstruct his ancestral story.
His research eventually pointed strongly towards Yoruba ancestry in Nigeria. But discovering that he had Yoruba roots was only the beginning. Olomo wanted to identify the particular community and family from which his ancestors originated.
That determination eventually brought his search to Lagos State and the historic community of Imota in the Ikorodu area.
There, his investigation led him to the Senlu Royal House, transforming what had initially been a broad ancestry search into a deeply personal connection with a specific Yoruba community and lineage.
According to Olomo, the evidence gathered during his genealogical investigation was presented to the traditional authorities in Imota for consideration.
His search subsequently reached a defining moment when the Ranodu of Imota, Oba Dr. Mudashiru Ajibade Bakare-Agoro, issued him a letter of attestation recognising his descent from the Senlu Royal House.
The development meant that a journey that started thousands of kilometres away in the United States had finally led him to a community in Lagos where he could establish a tangible connection to his African heritage.
For Olomo, the discovery was about much more than obtaining DNA percentages or identifying Nigeria on an ancestry map. It represented the recovery of an identity that historical circumstances had made difficult for generations of his family to establish.
His journey moved progressively from discovering African ancestry to identifying his Nigerian heritage, his Yoruba roots, Lagos State, Imota and ultimately the Senlu Royal House.
The experience has also strengthened his belief that DNA testing should be regarded as the beginning rather than necessarily the end of an ancestry investigation.
While modern DNA technology can provide important information about ethnic and geographical connections, Olomo’s experience demonstrates the importance of combining genetic evidence with genealogy, historical records, oral history and engagement with communities that have preserved family traditions across generations.
Having successfully traced his own ancestry, Olomo has turned his personal experience into a mission to help other members of the African diaspora reconnect with their roots.
Through Tribal Tapestry, the organisation he founded, Olomo works with people seeking to investigate their African ancestry through genealogy, DNA analysis, cultural education and organised homecoming experiences.
His efforts have also earned him traditional recognition in Ikorodu, where he received the title “Basẹ̀tò Ìpadàbọ̀ Sílẹ̀,” which he interprets as a Pathfinder who leads members of the diaspora back to their source.
The title reflects the broader significance Olomo now attaches to his ancestry journey. Having found a pathway back to his own roots, he wants other descendants of Africans separated from the continent generations ago to have opportunities to explore their heritage.
His story comes amid growing interest among African Americans and other members of the African diaspora in DNA testing and genealogical research as tools for reconnecting with the continent.
Nigeria, with its enormous cultural diversity and historical connections to the transatlantic slave trade, has increasingly become an important destination for diaspora Africans seeking deeper connections to their heritage.
For Olomo, however, Nigeria is no longer simply an ancestral location identified through research.
His discovery in Imota has given the country a more personal meaning — connecting him to a community, cultural heritage and family history that stretches across generations.
What started as an attempt to answer questions about the past has therefore evolved into a journey of identity, belonging and reconnection.
After years of searching across DNA records, genealogy and family history, Olomo says his ancestry search finally ended where generations of separation had once made a connection appear almost impossible — inside a royal family in Lagos, Nigeria.
