A man identified as Fatai Okoya, who says he is the first son of Nigerian billionaire businessman Razaq Okoya, has appealed to his father for forgiveness after more than four decades of estrangement, expressing regret over their strained relationship and the years they have spent apart.
Fatai made the appeal during a question-and-answer session with blogger Yeye Kudi Court Room, where he spoke about his reported attempts to reconnect with the industrialist.
He said he had repeatedly tried to reach his father through friends and intermediaries but had struggled to gain access to him.
According to Fatai, their disagreement dates back to when he was younger, attributing the rift to a small amount of money he took at the time, when he said he was less responsible.
He also alleged that he was turned away during Okoya’s 86th birthday celebration by the businessman’s wife, Shade Okoya, while his father did not respond to the encounter.
“I have tried very much to get in touch with my father. Most of the time, I was not allowed to get close to him,” he said.
In an open letter, Fatai expressed remorse over the separation and appealed to his father to give their relationship another chance.
“More than four decades have passed, and today, I write with a humble heart, putting aside all pride to say: Dad, I am truly sorry. Please, find it in your heart to forgive me,” he wrote.
He said the prolonged separation had been painful, adding that he had continued to seek reconciliation despite the years that had passed.
“Over the years, I have tried to reach out and make peace because the pain of our separation and the precious years we have lost weigh heavily on my heart,” he said.
Fatai added that, regardless of their differences, he continued to regard Okoya as his father.
“No matter what has happened, you remain my father, and I will forever be your first child,” he wrote.
The appeal centres on a family relationship that Fatai says has remained strained for more than 40 years, with his latest message expressing a desire to put the past behind them.
Okoya, founder of the Eleganza Group, is a prominent Nigerian industrialist whose business interests include the manufacture of household and consumer goods.
Although details of his family have not all been publicly confirmed by him, one of his sons, Raheem Okoya, popularly known as Siraheem, said in a February 2026 interview that his father had 26 children with nine women. Raheem described himself as the 23rd child and said the eldest was about 60 years old.
Fatai’s claims about his relationship with Okoya, including his position as the businessman’s first son, have not been independently confirmed in the information available. There was no response from Okoya or Shade Okoya included in the account.
