‘Every visionary leader has an architect who translates his vision to built form’

I thought of how to introduce my ‘date’ for this week to you and three events came to mind which I will like to share with you.

The first one happened two years ago when she was one of the selected speakers at our annual Inspiring Woman Conference. It was the third edition. I remember clearly because I anchored the program and what intrigued me from the beginning of her presentation to the end was the fact that there was no dull moment, not a single one!

Secondly, she was one of four persons selected to participate in a debate during WIMBIZ annual conference last year and the topic of the debate was ‘can women have it all?’ I remember clearly how I just couldn’t contain myself as I watched her defend the topic with uttermost passion. Her team supported the motion that women can have it all. From the way she spoke, one could easily tell that she had researched deeply on the topic. I was so intrigued that I remember telling Tara Fela Durotoye, who was sitting beside me at the event “Whao! this woman is intelligent and deep, her first class degree speaks volumes” to which she responded “very true”… It was called a draw but many of us knew who won.

Thirdly, she often holds various programs under her foundation called Awesome Treasures Foundation and one of them is the prayer summit where women come together at Muson centre to pray for themselves, their family, the nation among many other things. The most recent one brought tears to the eyes of many as she showed us on screen, people in a certain part of this country who were caught using human beings as ‘suya’ (suya, is a spicy shish kebab like skewered meat which is a popular food item in various parts of Nigeria and is enjoyed as a delicacy in West Africa). You can begin to imagine how everyone prayed for the nation.

Well, without wanting to keep you in suspense any further, I introduce to you, Olajumoke Adenowo, Principal Partner, AD Consulting and Founder, Awesome Treasures Foundation. She  is a multiple award winning architect, admitted to the University of Ife to study Architecture at the age 14, she graduated at 19 with a BSc. (Hons) and subsequently with a record breaking distinction in Masters of Science (MSc) in Architecture (a first in the several decades of the history of the institution).

While in the University, she won several faculty awards for her academic work including best student in design in the BSc. Hons and MSc. programs and best overall student, best housing studies student among several others. In 1991, she was included in the ‘Who will be who in the 21st century’ (young achievers section) by the International Biographical Centre Cambridge, England. She is an alumnus of a number of prestigious institutions including the Lagos Business School Chief Executive Programme (2002) and The IESE Business School, University of Navarra, Barcelona, Spain (2005).

As a chartered architect, she worked with leading Nigerian firms and at Femi Majekodunmi Associates as a precocious youth; she had the privilege of designing the Federal Ministry of Finance, Abuja. In 1994, she founded AD Consulting – an architecture and interior design firm, and has held the position of Principal Partner till date. Under her direction and lead, AD Consulting has executed the design and overseen the construction of over seventy outstanding projects for the Nigerian federal and state governments, multinational corporate organisations and private individuals. Beyond architecture and design, she also founded and headed Advantage Energy to provide manpower solutions to the oil and gas sector and worked on several projects with Exxon Mobil, Esso and their subsidiaries. The property company she founded, Advantage Properties, has developed a few estates on the Lekki Peninsula.

In 1999 she founded Awesome Treasures Foundation to raise transformational leaders, its summits and other initiatives have attracted well over 50,000 attendees.

For every time I have had the opportunity to listen to her, there is always something to learn. For me, when beauty is combined with intelligence it speaks to me about the depth of the person’s astuteness. These attributes clearly define Jumoke and every time I listen to her speak on any topic, there is always something positive to go away with.

Architecture is certainly not a course you take up without having a passion for it. For Jumoke, “Architects are interpreters of the spirit of the age and I feel blessed doing what I love to do.” she tells me and continues “Yes it has often been seen as peculiar to men because of its intricacies but you see for me, that is an attraction.  Besides, every visionary leader has an architect who translates his vision to built form. Napoleon had his architects and city planners who built the Arc de Triomphe and planned Pares, Hitler had his Albert Speer who designed every set he spoke from. This is architecture deployed at the lofty level of vision, not to talk of the nitty-gritty of developmental issues such as housing the masses sustainably and affordably. The architecture of a nation is its defining feature.” She says.

For people who believe owning a house just entails putting up a structure, you might just have missed it. Hear what Jumoke has to say about this “a good structure goes beyond any type of sand and cement, there is a lot to know and it starts from the design of the structure. It is important to get everything right about a building so you don’t end up in regret. Appreciate professionalism. When you allow us to do what is right, the building turns out right, the job itself is its own reward. Nobody can take it away from you, even if they didn’t pay you. So know that no architect wants to be known for failure but as clients, you must have an eye for details and check track records before you commit where you and your family will reside into the hands of someone you are not sure of.” She admonishes

Jumoke is highly passionate about raising transformational leaders. She affirms this saying “I am ardent about raising leaders. For instance, they say that the youth are the future of tomorrow, what of their present? Their today? What becomes of their tomorrow if their today is not tailored properly? Who says they can’t become great even from now? I have youths I mentor and I love to have conversations with them and I also learn from them. You will be amazed what they know and what they seek to know.”

“I have two lovely sons and God is using their father and I to guide them along the right path to be who God has destined them to be. As I wish for my children is what I wish for all children and though my decision to raise transformational leaders doesn’t include the youth alone yet, I am passionate about the youth and nurturing them to be transformational leaders indeed and thus far, God has helped me with this.”  Jumoke reveals.

With all the killings, kidnapping going on in the country and knowing how passionate she is about girls and women, I asked her view on the kidnapped children in Chibok and her response and memory of the incident made both our eyes teary. “Kemi, I am so pained you can’t begin to imagine. Those children were doing what every parent will be proud of which is studying to become someone great in life and some people think they have the effrontery to take them away and brag about it? There is a God who dwells in the affairs of men and He will judge” she painfully expresses.

 Wrapping up the interview, Jumoke says “Nigeria is a great country and we deserve to enjoy all the blessings therein but when there is no peace how can we live in bliss? I pray for peace in this land and peace in our homes. Mothers understand what it means to birth a child, we must not toil or allow anyone toil with the destinies of our children so we must constantly travail in the place of prayer.

KEMI AJUMOBI