About Us
Meet Chief Oluwo Babalawo Ifayemi Bankole Iyiola
Babalawo Ifayemi Bankole Iyiola is the Head of Oyeku Irosun Temple, from the World Ifa Temple Oke Itase in Ile Ife, Nigeria. He is a devoted priest of Ifa whose life has been deeply rooted in the study, practice, preservation, and transmission of the sacred tradition.
Babalawo Ifayemi has spent most of his life training under His Eminence, the Araba Agbaye Oluisese Owolabi Awodotun Aworeni, one of the foremost living authorities and spiritual leaders of Ifa. Through years of dedicated study, discipline, service, and initiation, he has grown into a respected custodian of Ifa wisdom and traditional knowledge.
He also holds the distinction of being the youngest Chief Babalawo of the Elder Council of Babalawo in Ile Ife, a position that reflects both his commitment to Ifa and the confidence placed in him within the traditional community.
Beyond his spiritual responsibilities, Babalawo Ifayemi is an entrepreneur and community builder. He is the founder and owner of the Petkoff Foundation and Petkoff Farms, through which he continues to contribute to the growth, empowerment, and development of his community.
Babalawo Ifayemi is the son of His Royal Majesty Oba Johnson Olumayowa Iyiola Fayemi of Elerefe Ife Kingdom. His princehood and heritage connects him not only to the spiritual traditions of Ile Ife, but also to its enduring royal lineage.
Yet, while his titles, accomplishments, lineage, and responsibilities are significant, they do not tell the whole story of who he is. At his heart, Babalawo Ifayemi is a father, spiritual godfather, mentor, teacher, and friend. He is committed to guiding those who come to him with wisdom, patience, honesty, and compassion.
Through Oyeku Irosun Temple, his purpose extends beyond spiritual practice as a Babalawo. At the heart he seeks to preserve his ancestral traditions through creating a safe and sacred space where people can learn, grow and connect with them.
Meet Apetebi Iyalode Egbedamitan Ifasemiloore Ifayemi
Iyalode Egbedamitan Ifasemiloore Ifayemi is the Apetebi of Oyeku Irosun Temple and the mother of our temple community. Her role is rooted not only in her relationship to the temple and its Babalawo, but in a personal and ancestral devotion to Ifa, Orisa, and the preservation of Yoruba spiritual tradition.
She has been initiated into Ifa for five years and is also an initiated Iyalode Egbe devotee. Her commitment to priesthood extends beyond ceremony and spiritual practice. She maintains a life between Ile Ife, Nigeria, and the United States so that she can remain close to the tradition, the land and the temple while continuing her development as a priestess.
Outside of her work within the temple, Apetebi Jai is a multi-business owner and entrepreneur, herbalist, community cultivator, group leader, women’s organizer, childcare provider, cultural children’s teacher, and university science major. Each of these roles reflects her broader passion for cultivating knowledge, nurturing community, empowering women and families, and creating meaningful connections between people and their cultural heritage.
Her love for Ifa and Orisa is deeply personal. As someone from the African diaspora with Yoruba ancestry on both sides of her family, her journey toward the tradition has been a return to something that has always been part of her lineage. Her Yoruba grandfather was from Ogun State, Nigeria, further strengthening her connection to the land, people, and traditions from which her ancestral line emerged.
For Apetebi Jai, serving in this role is more than a position within a temple. It is an ancestral calling and a responsibility she carries with purpose. Her passion is to help others from the diaspora and beyond reconnect with their roots, understand the wisdom of their ancestors, and experience the beauty and depth of Ifa and Orisa tradition.
Through Oyeku Irosun Temple, her goal is to help create a sacred space where people can return to tradition with sincerity, learn without shame or disconnection, and build a genuine relationship with Ifa, Orisa, community, and ancestry. She believes that returning to one’s roots can be more than learning about the past. It can become a foundation for how we live, raise our families, understand ourselves, and walk forward into the future.