62-year-old Nigerian prince, Akeem Adenuga gave up a life of royalty and riches to fix leaks for water service company “Thames Water” in London, United Kingdom.
His brother, King Asunmo Aderibigbe, is the paramount ruler Odo-Ayandelu in Epe Division of Lagos State, but Akeem chose not to follow in his brother’s royal footsteps.
In 1994, the prince stepped back from his royal duties to study in the UK. He immediately fell in love with the nation, taking a job as a trainee leakage technician at Thames Water in 2000.
Akeem now leads a team of 24 engineers who find and fix hidden subterranean leaks across the London.
Daily Mail UK quoted the prince saying: “I really look forward to coming to work, and I’m always raring to go out and get stuck into work in the streets of the capital.
“I love my job, and the people I work with really make it special. That’s why it’s so important to me that I look after my team – health and safety is my top priority.
“It gives me joy every day when they all get home safely.”
Despite being far way from home, the father-of-five hasn’t forgotten his roots and he’s still deeply connected to his hometown of Agbowa-Ikosi – a small town a two-hour drive from the city of Lagos.
Prince Akeem, along with five friends, donated $25,000 to the emergency services in the region so locals could be taken to the nearest hospital- which is an hour away.
He said: “As a prince back home, my family gets a wonderful welcome every time we visit.
“But I always remember the advice my late father gave me many years ago – be humble, kind and productive. That’s a really good way to live and has always carried me through.”