was born on January 1st, 1930 to a great royal family in the Ogboru House, Ilare, Ile-Ife to late Omo Oba Adereti Sijuwade and Yeyelori, Emilia Ifasesin Sijuwade. He started his education at Igbein School, Abeokuta, an institution owned by the CMS Mission.

During the period, he and his brothers stayed with Chief G. A. Adedayo, a secretary to the Egba council who was a friend to their father. He attended Abeokuta Grammar School under the well known educationist, the Reverend I. O. Ransome-kuti and Oduduwa College, Ile-Ife for his secondary education.

He worked briefly with the Nigerian Tribune  as a sales executive before he travelled to the United Kingdom to undertake training in Business Management. He also underwent an Advanced Business Management training program with the Leventis group in Manchester in UK.

He was appointed a sales manager of Leventis Motors in Western Nigeria with its headquarters in Ibadan. By 1960, with the Nigerian independence, he became an adviser to the Leventis group. In 1964, he undertook an extensive international tour to look at the possibilities of acquiring better product for National Motors and one of the places visited was Soviet Union whose cars he believed would sell well in Nigeria because they were relatively cheap and appeared durable.

When his attempt to persuade the Management of General Motors to include the Russian Vehicles in their import failed, he pulled out from the company and with partnership of three of his friends, he formed WAATECO which became the sole distributor of Soviet made vehicles, Tractors and Engineering Equipment.

He also formed more than 50 other companies in partnership with other Nigerians and other nationals including expatriates. He later moved the headquarters of his companies to the United Kingdom. Oba Sijuwade also invested in real estate and constructed a world class hospitality edifice in his home-town, Ile-Ife –  first class Motel for VIPs: Motel Royal and K.S. Motel in Ibadan.

As a businessman, he maintained a diverse social, political, ethnic and ideological group of friends in Nigeria and abroad. He enjoys travelling and has visited most countries of the world. He relaxes by swimming, riding horses, playing table tennis and having intellectual discussions with small groups.

He ascended the throne as the 50th Ooni of Ife, on Saturday, 6th December, 1980. He maintains the prime position of “Arole Oduduwa,” the keeper of the seal of Yoruba.