By Yemisi Suleiman  

Her Royal Majesty Erelu Dr Anuoluwapo A. Esuola, DDS, MJF, NLCF, is a dentist, public health advocate, humanitarian, entrepreneur and community leader whose work spans healthcare, philanthropy, hospitality and women’s empowerment in Nigeria and the United States.

Born in Lagos and raised in the United States, she began her education in Nigeria at Corona School and the American International School, Victoria Island, before continuing her studies in the USA. 

 She attended the University of La Verne in California, obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree, and Prairie State College, where she trained as a Registered Dental Hygienist, as well as Howard University College of Dentistry, where she earned her DDS dental degree. She also completed a General Practice Residency at St Elizabeth Hospital in Washington D.C. and pursued a Master of Public Health at George Washington University in D.C.

In the USA, she founded Community Dentistry On Wheels, Inc. and Mercy International Medical Missions, Inc., through which she provides mobile dental services, medical screenings, oral health education and humanitarian outreach to underserved communities. She has also served as Commissioner and Chair of the Health Committee on the Maryland Governor’s Commission on African Affairs and Co-Chair of the Prince George’s County African Diaspora Stakeholder Advisory Board.

Now dividing her time between healthcare, philanthropy and entrepreneurship, she is also the founder of NUNU’s Beauty Salon & Spa and The Erelu Resort Oyo. Since becoming Erelu of Ojoku Kingdom in 2021, she has embraced the title as another platform for service. In this conversation, she talks about her unusual childhood, dentistry, medical missions, returning home to Nigeria, family, marriage, fashion, leadership and her passion for serving humanity.

WHAT WAS GROWING UP LIKE FOR YOU?  

I was born in Lagos, Nigeria, but I grew up in USA. I have been in the States since I was a baby.

My father was late Prince Bolaji Adekunle Bamgboye and my mother was late Madam Josephine Olakunri (nee Okpako). She passed last year. She was Urhobo, while my father was from Ile Ife.

I also got married in USA. My husband is Honourable Gabriel O. Esuola, CPA. I have three lovely children: ACA Nicole, an attorney in USA, Dr. Justina, a dentist; and Timothy, an accountant.

Like they say, to “whom much is given, much is expected”. I thank God for blessing me with my career. I am a dentist and also a philanthropist. I am very passionate about the underserved and underprivileged, so I do a lot of medical missions. I have done quite a bit in Nigeria, USA and all over the world. I just thank God for the grace to be able to do that.

WHAT INFORMED YOUR DECISION TO STUDY DENTISTRY?

From the beginning, I have always cared about people. I guess it is my name, “Anuoluwapo”. I have always had a passion for people. Even in high school, I was a candy stripper. 

I used to go into hospitals and volunteer. That has always been my passion — taking care of people. I like the extreme, the elderly and the young ones. The passion just grew as I was growing up, and I was fortunate that I was able to do that.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE RELOCATING FROM NIGERIA TO THE US AS A CHILD? HOW DID YOU NAVIGATE THAT TRANSITION?

When I finished high school, I was 15. In USA, when you graduate, you think you are an adult. So I asked my dad for an apartment. The next thing he did was get me a one-way first class ticket back to Nigeria. He thought I was getting out of hand and said, “Go back to Nigeria.”

That was how I was sent back at that tender age. I stayed with my late uncle, Justice DCA Bamgboye, in Ikoyi, and that was when I got to live with my biological mother and really got to know her.

It was a little tough because it was just a one-way ticket, first class. I didn’t know I was not coming back. I thought I was on vacation. I was bundled back right into real life so I learned fast!

Later, I think my father felt I was punished enough, and I went back to USA. That was when I went to the University of La Verne.

It was good for me to know life and understand the true essence of life. My father was a disciplinarian. I learned to appreciate life more, and that experience has also helped me with my children.

AT WHAT POINT DID YOU DECIDE YOU WANTED TO RETURN TO NIGERIA?

As a teenager, I preferred USA because my parents were there. But while I was here, I learned a lot and was able to have both worlds.

I just felt it was time to come and give back. I am 63 years now and have been here for 10 years, since 2016.

It has been challenging and frustrating, but as long as you are true to yourself, there is nothing God can’t do.

My husband is also retiring; he is 65 years. We want to come home, and we want the children to come home and marry from home. That is what is motivating me even more.

YOU ARE THE FOUNDER OF NUNU’S BEAUTY SALON AND SPA. HOW DID YOU MOVE FROM DENTISTRY INTO BEAUTY?

It is all part of it. It is all the same thing because when you look at the teeth, it is also about beauty.

If you don’t have good teeth, you don’t want to smile. You don’t feel comfortable. So moving into the spa was easy.

I realised that in Nigeria, some people do teeth whitening when they shouldn’t.

WHY IS THAT?

You are not qualified to do that as a therapist. Teeth whitening should be done by a dentist. What if the person has decay or cavities? That has to be fixed before you put the bleach on the teeth. We have to be careful. These little things can cause complications.

So, rather than focusing on being a dentist in Nigeria, I decided to open a spa that takes care of the whole body. Health and Beauty are all part of having a wholesome life.

“A healthy mind is a healthy smile and soul”

WHY IS DENTISTRY MORE IMPORTANT THAN PEOPLE REALISE?

As teenagers, if you don’t have good teeth, it affects your self-esteem. You don’t want to smile, you feel ugly and you feel like you don’t belong.

People see dentistry as just the teeth, but it is a whole lot more. A lot of diseases are first diagnosed through the oral cavity. If you open your mouth, I can tell you some of what is going on in your body.

When people have problems with their teeth, they often just extract them. You can’t always do that. When you extract a tooth, there can be an imbalance in the jaw.

Some people look older than they are because the teeth are supposed to provide support. There is nothing like your natural teeth. Anything artificial will eventually require maintenance.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT NOT TO EXTRACT A TOOTH UNNECESSARILY?

A lot of people, when they have tooth pain, are simply told to remove the tooth.

Our teeth work together. If I get rid of one, there can be instability and you can start having problems with your jaw. The teeth around it can move, and everything becomes misaligned.

Sometimes, what should be done is to preserve the space with a space maintainer or restore the tooth, depending on the situation.

But it is cheaper to say, “Extract it.” That is not always good. You can develop problems chewing and even with your smile. There is nothing like your natural teeth.

TEETH WHITENING IS VERY POPULAR NOW. WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES?

If your teeth are clean and healthy, whitening can be fine when properly done. But over time, you can develop sensitivity.

Some people can never naturally have very white teeth. The dentin gives the teeth their colour, and it can range from off-white to yellow, while the enamel is transparent.

That is where education comes in. If someone wants a particular colour, there are different options, but people need to understand their natural teeth and have them assessed first.

ARE YOU ADDRESSING SOME OF THESE ISSUES THROUGH YOUR MEDICAL OUTREACH PROGRAMMES?

Yes. Apart from NUNU Spa, My husband and I have a resort called The Erelu Resort Oyo in Oyo State. But now I want to go back to dentistry. That is my calling.

I do a lot of medical missions. We do full medical missions — medical care, screenings, dental care and vision.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACHIEVE IF GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AS A MINISTER?

I want to be an asset. I want to make sure every local government has access to affordable healthcare.

If they cannot come to us, we go to them. If each local government has a mobile van, we can take healthcare into communities. 

“Prevention is better than Cure”

One day, we may focus on pregnant women and prenatal care; another day, school children immunisation, cervical cancer screening or prostate cancer screening.

We can go twice a month and serve people in their communities. Each age group has different needs, so we have to address those needs.

When you take care of the community, they are happy. Then, if you want to do anything, they are ready to support you.

HAVING SPENT MANY YEARS IN USA AND NOW LIVING IN NIGERIA, HOW DO YOU COMPARE THE TWO COUNTRIES AND THEIR PEOPLE?

Nigeria is really unique, and I love it. I Love living in the USA too but it is not a bed of roses either. Both countries have their challenges.

In America, there is racism; here, we have tribalism. We have religious differences and many other divisions. We have to put all those differences aside and remember that we are human beings.

Once you look at somebody as a human being, you want to treat them the way you want to be treated.

I also like to mentor. I mentor young girls because some parents are hustling and working two or three jobs and don’t have enough time with their children.

I am blessed that I had that opportunity, but not everybody does. It takes a village to raise a child, and whatever we can do in that aspect, I would love us to do.

WHAT DOES SERVICE TO HUMANITY MEAN TO YOU?

Service to humanity is a selfless commitment. You have to truly be committed.

Sometimes, it may mean depriving yourself. I was supposed to go on vacation, but I decided not to. I would rather put my time into service.

It is a sacrifice, and it has to be a selfless sacrifice. You are not expecting anything in return. If something comes, fine. If it doesn’t, you know you are doing it Christ-like.

ARE YOU LOOKING AT GOING INTO POLITICS IN FUTURE?

I would not say politics per se. But if it is political ambition that would allow me to do what I want to do, then yes.

IF YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO INFLUENCE NATIONAL POLICY, WHAT THREE AREAS WOULD YOU PRIORITISE?

Infant mortality is one big issue. Some pregnant women don’t have the prenatal care they should have. What do you expect? The child may come sick or malnourished.

Malnutrition is another issue that needs attention.

Then there is the female gender and youth empowerment. We have young people who need opportunities. Not everybody has to be a doctor, lawyer or engineer.

Let them know that whatever they are passionate about, they should pursue it. We have done some of this through our outreach programmes, including donating laptops to schools. Not everybody has to be a billionaire. Not everybody has the same opportunities.

HOW DID YOU BECOME ERELU, AND WHAT DOES THE TITLE MEAN TO YOU?

It came through my work with the Lions Club. My king, HRH The Olojoku of Ojoku, Kabiesi Afolabi came to one of the medical outreaches I did in Ilorin.

My then District Governor, Ashiwaju Ayobola Samuel had organised the medical outreach which my two NGOs, MIMMS, Inc & CDOW, Inc sponsored for a couple of days.

HRH Kabiesi Afolabi attended the event and saw what I did. I had also brought the mobile van I donated to the late Alafin of Oyo, Adeyemi, Iku Baba Yeye!

From there, he said he wanted to give me a chieftaincy. I didn’t even know the true essence of what I was getting into.

The Late Alafin of Oyo, Baba Adeyemi, was the one who said he was going to make me Erelu of Yoruba land, but he passed before my 60th birthday.

I am also a Princess from the Royal family of Ile Ife. I didn’t know that princess supersedes other titles. But I was taking the title to work. That was why I accepted it.

HOW HAS THE EXPERIENCE BEEN SINCE YOU BECAME ERELU IN 2021?

I use it to work and serve humanity. That’s the difference. These 10 years have been a working process for me. I am hoping the next 10 years and beyond will be the fulfilment part of it. But I am still working.

The kingdom is Ojoku Kingdom in Kwara State.

WHAT DOES YOUR TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE?

My typical day is hectic. In Nigeria, you wake up and don’t know where the day will end due to traffic and other unexpected situations. There is nothing typical in Nigeria

You wake up and say, “God, thank you that I woke up. Let today be blessed.”

I just pray I can do two things that I planned to do because with the traffic, you don’t know. You just wake up and go with it.

WHAT DOES FASHION MEAN TO YOU? WHAT ARE YOU COMFORTABLE IN?

I love fashion, I love fashion, I love fashion! You know, I am sassy and trendy. I like short clothes, short skirts and dresses.

DOES WEARING WHITE ALL THE TIME AS PART OF YOUR ROYAL ROLE RESTRICT YOUR FASHION CHOICES?

Technically, we are supposed to wear white. It can be anything, but in white. I love it. That way, I was able to go shopping and get a whole new wardrobe. Once in a while, when I wear coloured clothes, people are like, “Oh wow!” because they are used to the white.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE THINGS — TRAVEL, FOOD, MUSIC AND BEAUTY?

I love travelling. My favourite thing is travelling first class!

I like the beach. I am a water person, so I like the beach. I just like to have a good time and be with sincere, good people. I can feel it. If my spirit doesn’t go with you, I move on.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION?

I have gone everywhere, basically. Paris, Hawaii. But I have not really travelled Africa. That is one thing I have not done yet.

I am coming home, so I want to explore more.

WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU HATE MOST IN PEOPLE?

Liars. Hypocritical people.

I don’t engage in sycophants or gossip. I have zero tolerance. Zero.

I will get rid of you in a minute. I am not like that. You want to be real, down to earth. There is no time for foolishness because you are wasting my time. If you have time to waste, I don’t have.

WHAT IS THE BEST LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED IN LIFE?

The best lesson in life is: be true to yourself and treat people how you want them to treat you.

And God first. That’s it.

AS A MOTHER, WIFE AND ERELU, HOW DO YOU BALANCE EVERYTHING?

I dedicated all my life to the family. This time now is for me. Me time.

Thirty-three years of marriage to the same man — I tried! It has been a blessing and I am happy.

I hope I have instilled the values in the children: be humble, treat people with respect and don’t think because you have it, there are people who don’t have it.

HOW DO YOU STAY FIT?

I don’t exercise. None!

So it is just the grace of God. That’s all I am going to say.

I am here by myself. I don’t have the kids, I don’t have anybody, but I am blessed with the people around me. I am really blessed.

They are my staff and a few family members. Not that we don’t have issues, but they understand me.

WHAT HAS KEPT THE SPARK IN YOUR MARRIAGE AFTER 33 YEARS?

It’s tough. You want me to tell the truth? Even me coming here for 10 years, I am doing what the man should have done. It is supposed to be the reverse. But God knows how He puts you together. As long as it is for the good of the family, it is worth the sacrifice.

If it is you doing it, as long as the heart is real and it is being done for the family, that’s what matters. It could be him doing it for the family.

And the key thing is, don’t let outsiders come in between. Once you don’t listen to outsiders and you are in one accord, that’s it.

Trust nobody. It’s only you, God and your mate.