By Peace Udugba
The daughter of Fuji maestro, Kollington Ayinla, Abibat Banjo Dolapo Ilori — popularly known as Awele Alagbo – has credited her late grandmother for inspiring her journey into herbal medicine.
In a recent interview on the Kola Olootu Live podcast, Awele revealed that she initially resisted her grandmother’s calls to follow in her footsteps due to her exposure and academic background.
However, she eventually embraced the path after persistent encouragement from her grandmother, whose patience, she said, played a key role in influencing her career switch.
Awele, who previously ran scrap and gold businesses, said her destiny was tied to herbal medicine even before birth.
“Before, I ran a scrap metal business. Sometimes, I worked as a consultant too. I’ve done various businesses, but the scrap business made me popular because I did it for so long. As insecurity worsened, I had to stop. I combined it with gold trading, and both yielded great profit,” she said.
“My grandmother was concerned. She would constantly call to check on me and even reached out to my older sibling, saying she feared for my safety. She urged me to stop travelling alone.”
“My mother travelled a lot while pregnant with me. When it was time to give birth, she was warned not to undergo surgery. After visiting several hospitals in Lagos with no success, she finally went to a man known as ‘Baba Isheri’ and delivered me using herbs.
“That experience shaped her belief in herbal medicine, and she encouraged me to follow the same path. We used to laugh at her suggestion because of my academic qualifications. I was travelling abroad at least five times a year. But eventually, I began seeing signs and started paying attention.”
*Kollington Ayinla’s Daughter Recalls How Grandmother’s Patience Led Her into Herbal Medicine*
Awele Alagbo, daughter of Fuji legend Kollington Ayinla, has shared how she began her journey into herbal medicine, crediting her late grandmother’s patience and spiritual insight.
Speaking during a podcast interview with Kola Olootu, Awele recounted that her first herbal remedy was for dysentery. “I used to give it out for free. I learned that generosity from my grandmother. No matter how complicated a woman’s labour was, once she came to our house, the delivery would be easy,” she said.
Awele revealed she comes from a long lineage of traditional healers, a fact she once found embarrassing. However, she’s now grateful for embracing her roots. “Today, I make herbs without consulting books or even Google, because of the deep ancestral knowledge passed down through my maternal line,” she noted.
She emotionally recalled the day her grandmother passed:
The day she died was the saddest day of my life. I would have given everything I had to save her, but her time was up. She did all the hard work. Three days before her death, she tried to share a new herb recipe from her sick bed. I stopped her, hoping she’d focus on recovery. I regret not listening — I never got that recipe.”
Recounting how she was finally convinced to abandon her former businesses and embrace herbalism, Awele said, “My grandmother was very patient. She told me she’d make a herb that would never fail — and she did. She gave me diabetes herbs and a special favour oil. People would come back for thanksgiving after using the oil because it changed their fortunes. I didn’t take it seriously at first until I saw the results myself.”
She added, “When I bought my luxury car, I brought it to my grandmother for blessings. She laughed and reminded me how I almost rejected my destiny. She said, ‘You were born to make herbs.’”
