A Nigerian immigrant, Uruemu Adejinmi, has become the first Black woman to be elected as a mayor in Ireland.
She is also the first migrant and first African to become mayor.
Ms. Adejinmi has been elected as Cathaoirleach of the Longford Municipal District, where she currently sits as Leas-Cathaoirleach.
Adejinmi came to Longford from Nigeria in 2003 and her journey into politics began in 2016 when she supported a candidate in a local election. Shortly afterwards, her neighbor asked her to join Fianna Fáil.
“At that stage, I became very active. I was going to meetings and fundraisers, travelling to Dublin for the convention and getting involved in every way possible,” she said.
In 2018, she undertook an internship with the Immigrant Council of Ireland.
Ms. Adejinmi said she was “deeply honored” to take over as mayor this year following a unanimous election. “This is a historic day for Longford, and I am delighted to share this moment with my family and friends,” she said.
“I look forward to working with my council colleagues, council exec, and all stakeholders to continue the growth and development of our municipal area and county.”
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Speaking to RTÉ Radio One’s , she said, “I identify as Irish; I identify as African. I wear both hats with confidence and with comfort.”
She previously served as an executive officer at the Department of Health and has a Master’s of Business Administration from the Athlone Institute of Technology.