Come and See a Primate Who Still Sews Clothes “OPHERBAM!”
The extraordinary vocation of Olufunmi C. Daniels Bamgboye, popularly known as Opherbam, has grown wider, deeper, and even more inspiring with time. In the bustling world of high fashion and the solemn corridors of spiritual leadership, it is uncommon to find a man who moves between both realms with equal grace and authenticity. Yet, for Opherbam, these two worlds do not compete they complement each other.
To the generation of Ibadan socialites from the early 1990s through the 2000s, the name Opherbam was not merely a brand; it was a statement of class, elegance, and sartorial authority. His legendary showroom at Queens Cinema, Ekotedo — located just seven buildings from MKO House and adjacent to the old cinema complex was the epicentre of elite fashion patronage. Politicians, businessmen, celebrities, and connoisseurs of style all passed through his atelier for one purpose: perfection.
Today, despite his elevation to the sacred office of a Primate, Olufunmi Daniels Bamgboye remains a man who refuses to joke with his professional calling. While many who ascend spiritual thrones allow the effulgence of the altar to distance them from manual craft, Opherbam’s story moves in the opposite direction. He has not abandoned the needle. He has not delegated the tape. He has not retired the cutting table.
During a recent visit to the Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development, located on the second floor of the Cabinet Wing at the Governor’s Office in Ado-Ekiti, the globally celebrated designer made quiet but powerful waves. There he was Primate, spiritual father, global figure personally bending to take measurements for a client. Tape in hand, focus in his eyes, precision in his posture. It was not performance; it was character. It was a visible sermon on the dignity of labour.
Having relocated from the United Kingdom back to Nigeria, Opherbam represents a rare blend of global exposure and indigenous rootedness. His journey is a masterclass in humility a living testament that vocation does not expire because of elevation. For him, fashion is not merely business; it is service. Every stitch must speak excellence. Every fabric must carry honour. Every outfit must reflect the discipline of the man behind it.
By personally handling measurements, he sends a profound message to the youth of Ekiti and Nigeria at large: no office is too high to prevent you from working with your own hands. He remains the same “handsome Opherbam guy” Ibadan remembers only now refined by time, responsibility, and spiritual authority, balancing the sacred and the sartorial with effortless poise.
His visit to the Tourism Bureau was more than a courtesy call; it was philosophy in motion. In an era where many seek shortcuts to success, Primate Bamgboye stands as a reminder that greatness is built on consistency, not convenience. Whether standing behind the pulpit preaching salvation or behind the cutting table shaping fabrics, his commitment to excellence remains unshaken.
He is, quite literally, a Primate who does not just preach hard work , he practices it.
Bring him your clothes , he will sew them perfectly.
Opherbam is Bam.