Social Entrepreneur Elected as First Black Mayor in Ireland

Rotimi Adebari, one on the social entrepreneurs I interviewed on the Irish leg of my journey has today been elected as the first black mayor in Ireland. Congrats Rotimi!

Here is the RTE news article about him. My photo of Rotimi was used on their news site.

A Nigerian man who came to Ireland seven years ago to seek asylum here has made history this afternoon by becoming Ireland's first black mayor.

43-year-old Councillor Rotimi Adebari was elected the Mayor of Portlaoise Town Council this afternoon by a vote of six to three and with the support of Fine Gael, Sinn Féin and Independent members of the council.

At a meeting attended by officials from the Nigerian, South African and the United States embassies, the new mayor said his election was proof that Ireland is not just a country of a thousand welcomes but it is a country of equal opportunity.
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Councillor Adebari said Portlaoise is a town that looks beyond colour, creed and religion, but he said integration is a two-way process and involving or engaging members of the ethnic communities in local activities is the way to go.

The election was attended by a crowd of over 100 people drawn from the Nigerian community all over Ireland.

Elected as a councillor in 2004, Mr Adebari has a Masters degree in Intercultural Studies from Dublin City University and works with the local authority in Co Laois co-ordinating an integration projects for immigrants.

The father of four fled Nigeria with his wife and two children in 2000.