Image source: Samuel Oladipupo
Dr. Ifedayo-Emmanuel Adeyefa-Olasupo isn’t just the great-grandson of the 48th Ọọni of Ifẹ̀—he’s a visionary theoretical neurophysicist daring enough to redefine legacy and leadership on the continent. At Yale University, he invented a new computational research field called retinotopic mechanics. He is also the Forbes-featured founder of an AI-powered platform called figbox AI, now used in over 80 countries globally. His latest work, The Láfọ̀gìdò Oranmiyan Initiative (LÒRI), is about catalysing innovative transformation in Africa. In this conversation, Dr. Ifedayo talks about LÒRI, a ₦1.5 billion and growing endowment that aims to fund Africa’s top 1% of innovators, scientists, and systems thinkers. This foundation isn’t just a tech accelerator, a charity, or a vanity project. LÒRI is something far more radical: a long-term bet on bold African ideas that may take decades to mature, but could ultimately reshape the world.
Fancy: Good evening, Dr. Ifedayo. Thank you for sitting with me—it’s a pleasure to conduct this interview.
Dr. Ifedayo: Thank you for having me. I’m deeply humbled by the opportunity to share the story of the LÒRI with you. LÒRI is a dream of mine that’s now becoming a reality, and may all your dreams come true as well.
Thank you kindly. Let’s get right into it. What is LÒRI, and how does it differentiate itself from other initiatives on the continent?
First and foremost, I have deep respect for organisations like Ingressive Capital, Future Africa, Faith Foundation, the Tony Elumelu Foundation, and the Noella Foundation, led by Layal and Seyi Tinubu, and so on. However, LÒRI is built differently. We are not a venture fund expecting returns, nor a charity designed to gain political or social capital, or to fund personal lifestyles.
LÒRI is a grant-making body backed by a ₦1.529 billion (and growing) endowment, with a singular mission: to ignite African innovation at a scale the world has never seen. Most of the people who work with LÒRI do so without pay, driven purely by a deep sense of service.
We fund the top 1% of young founders, scientists, and leaders working on ideas many deem “unfundable”—not because they lack merit, but because they don’t offer immediate returns. From women’s health and education, cassava-based biofuels and AI for infrastructure decay to gene-edited crops and research aimed at sickle cell disease and cancer; from alternative energy sources like nuclear power and sustainable transportation systems—these are not just technical breakthroughs. They are paradigm-shifting innovations designed to transform entire sectors and improve the lives of everyday citizens.
LÒRI is neither a charity nor a conventional VC. We are a long-term, unapologetic bet on Africa’s most brilliant minds—unmoved by convention or short-term thinking.
I read somewhere that you have an IQ of 196. How does your extraordinary intellect, your royal lineage as the great-grandson of the 48 Ooni of Ife —House Lafogido—and the memory of your late father shape your approach to community and systems thinking at LÒRI?
Having an IQ of 196 is both a gift and a curse. Imagine you and a group of people are looking at the same object in space: the group sees a circle; you see a sphere. Their view isn’t wrong—it’s just two-dimensional, and therefore it is incomplete. That’s what it feels like. I perceive layers of reality others cannot, and often find myself tasked with expressing truths that don’t yet fit the collective frame. It is extremely isolating—but it’s also a responsibility I’ve come to embrace. “Èrù ni orí tí ó gbé adé”—”Heavy is the head that wears the crown”, as my great-grandfather would say.
Indeed, I am part of the Lafogido clan of Ilé-Ifẹ̀—Osun State—the spiritual and historical heart of the Yorùbá people. My mother and my late father, who inspired the idea of LÒRI, raised me with a code anchored in dignity, excellence, and integrity. These principles guide every room I enter and every decision I make.
While I may stand out, I do not stand alone. Lafogido men have long upheld a legacy of intellect and moral clarity. For example, my second cousin, Prince Adeyemi Ademiluyi (Mackay Jr.)—founder of the Lafogido Heritage Foundation—is preserving Yorùbá art, culture, and spiritual identity through tradition. My approach is different: it’s inclusive, global, and systemic. I’m focused on building lasting structures—for economic equity, for dignity, and the transformative progress of Nigeria and the African continent. At the heart of both paths is the same mission: preserve the lineage and culture for the future generation and serve the people, no matter their ethnic background. All Africans matter!
You recently funded six brilliant fellows from diverse ethnic and thematic backgrounds across Nigeria—from tech founders to scientists—and you’re now looking to support more youth across Africa in the next round. Can you share more about some of the current recipients?
Absolutely. The first six fellows we recently empowered inspire me deeply—their brilliance, their vision, their hearts. Each is extraordinary (e.g., Bilah Muayyat, Uwem Akpan, Benedict Okpala), but three stand out:
First, Dr. Charles Saidu,a lecturer at Baze University and a startup founder. Picture this: you’re in your car, and your phone alerts you—“Pothole ahead. Slow down.” That’s the kind of AI-powered software he’s building. It predicts road damage months in advance and sends real-time alerts to drivers. Revolutionary—and potentially life-saving. Infrastructure, safety, public trust—transformed.
Then there’s Oluwatobi Adetona, a remarkable leader and lawyer. Her work isn’t flashy, but it’s powerful. She’s reforming education inside Nigeria’s juvenile prisons. Some say living in Africa feels like a prison. Now imagine being a child in a prison within a prison, at just 12 or 13 years old, with no access to hope or education. She’s giving those children their futures back.
And finally, Esther Omonayin-Moses, a brilliant scientist. She’s building one of the largest ovarian cyst databases in Nigeria. Through deep learning and bioinformatics, she’s enabling early detection and personalised treatment, an incredible leap for women’s health in Africa. Her work is next-level and could fundamentally transform care across the continent.
How do you decide who gets selected or supported within the LÒRI Fellowship? Is it based on talent, vision, alignment, or something deeper?
Excellent question. The LÒRI Fellowship is extremely competitive. We fund the top and provide international exposure and mentorship to the 1%. But what does it mean to be part of the top 1%?
First, it means having the courage to tackle a problem no one else has fully solved, whether it’s food security, alternative energy, transportation, education, climate resilience, infrastructure, governance, AI, or women’s health. If you’re simply building another fintech app, LÒRI probably isn’t for you. Second, you must demonstrate deep insight into the problem and offer a clear, scalable solution. And finally, you must have the discipline to outwork anyone, anywhere. Being in the top 1% takes more than intelligence. It demands grit, sacrifice, and an unshakable commitment to excellence.
We’re looking for orishas: those rare individuals with extraordinary vision and the ability to turn insight into impact. If that’s you, visit the LÒRI website. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. All you need to do is enter the url of a YouTube video of you describing the problem you’re solving and why you’re uniquely positioned to solve it. Next, enter your Linkedin profile url, follow us on Instagram, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and press submit. It’s very simple!
Looking five years ahead, what broader impact and projects do you envision LÒRI pursuing to shape the future of innovation and leadership in Africa?
As a practicing theoretical physicist and a tech founder, I’m drawn to the intersection of science and industry.
Over the next five years, one of our boldest goals is to build the LÒRI Research Campus—the largest of its kind in Africa. It will serve as a beacon for top minds—scientists, founders, leaders, and innovators—driving breakthrough discoveries and reshaping the continent’s future. It will be a physical hub for cutting-edge research, strategically bridging academia, government, and private industry. We’re investing deeply in startups and research across sectors and are committed to solving long-standing health challenges, from sickle cell and malaria to HIV/AIDS.
Imagine an Africa where, when someone falls critically ill, whether a president or a young mother in a rural village—they no longer have to be flown abroad, or worse, left without options. They come to our campus for world-class care, right here at home. That’s the future LÒRI is building. Not just new projects, but entirely new paradigms. We say this with deep respect and in solemn reflection on the lives we’ve lost, like that of President Buhari, who passed while seeking care overseas. Not because he was president, but because he was one of us. Every African life matters. And every life lost is a call to do better.
For those who feel inspired by LÒRI and want to contribute or connect with you personally, what’s the best way to get involved?
I am a deeply private person and very selective. However, the best way to connect is through our official social media channel. A LÒRI representative monitors all messages and notifies me of any serious inquiries addressed to me. I do my best to personally engage with those who genuinely want to support or collaborate. Whether you’re an innovator, a researcher, or someone interested in obtaining a LÒRI VIP membership, which grants you access to exclusive fellow reports, early publications, and invitations to private galas and events, we’d love to hear from you.
You speak often about systems, institutions, and future leadership. Quietly and just hypothetically, could this path ever lead you into politics?
Hmm. That’s a heavy question. Let me answer with a parable:
If you ask, “When is the prince ready to become king?”—some will say,
“In God’s time.” That reflects a worldview grounded in divine timing and faith.
Others will say, “When the king dies.” That reveals a view of power shaped by fate and succession.
But there’s a more disruptive answer:
“When the prince is ready to disrupt the old order.”
That speaks to agency. Urgency. The courage to step into responsibility.
Notice: only the last answer requires action.
The others surrender to fate.
Chief Obafemi Awolowo—though far from perfect, as no human is—once said,
“The greatest weapon of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.”
He didn’t wait for permission. He didn’t wait for perfect timing.
He disrupted the colonial and post-colonial order with bold ideas, radical policies, and moral clarity.
And so the real question is this:
When we look at Nigeria and Africa,can we truly afford to keep waiting?
How long will we tolerate leaders of low character and moral decay?
How long will we normalise systems that crush innovation and punish brilliance?
How long will we accept the weaponisation of poverty?
How long?
I ask all your readers across Africa—and those in the diaspora—to sit with that very question.
How long before we raise a new generation of Awo-like leaders, not by bloodline, but by courage, discipline, and vision?
The time is not later. The time is now
Conclusion
With LÒRI, Dr Ifedayo dares to ask a different question: What if we invested in the ideas that truly matter, even if they take a generation to bear fruit? LÒRI is redefining innovation in Africa,not as a race for returns, but as a restoration of dignity, brilliance, and self-determination.
And this is just the beginning. With a growing endowment, a bold research campus on the horizon, and a fierce commitment to funding the “unfundable,” LÒRI is charting a new path for African progress,one that doesn’t wait for permission, validation, or applause. It builds, quietly and powerfully.
