Canadians have elected a Nigerian immigrant Ayo Owodunni as city councillor in Kitchener, Ontario.
Mr Owodunni is the first black person to be elected to the position.
He won the municipal elections for ward 5 in a keenly contested race after the incumbent Kelly Galloway-Sealock said he was not seeking re-election.
Owodunni ran his campaign on three promises: speeding on local roads, keeping taxes low, and housing affordability.
He said, “I’m pushing for safety on our local roads by implementing traffic-calming measures, especially in residential neighbourhoods and school zones.
“The issue of speed control is a major concern I have personally heard from the thousands of doors I have knocked on.”
He also said he would work to keep taxes low and make smart decisions when it comes to capital expenditures.
Owodunni promised to tackle rising cost of housing, saying “the city needs to work with the region on solutions for affordable housing.”
Owodunni, who is also an author, has spent the last 10 years of his career working as a consultant, facilitator, and trainer, supporting businesses in their efforts to promote learning and bring diversity, inclusion and cultural understanding in the workplace.
He has worked with small businesses, large corporations, and non-profit clients in a variety of industries including well-known brands like Spotify, Canada Life, Microsoft, Thomson Reuters, CIBC, TMX Group and Hydro One.
