April 4, 2021, was a unique day and a milestone moment for an astute academic and accomplished professional in the Nigeria's building industry,Builder (Mrs) Fatimoh Abolore Osho FNIOB who celebrated her 60th birthday with well-wishers
This amiable woman, is a female Registrar of the Nigerian Institute Of Building (NIOB) and wife of a seasoned journalist, author, researcher academic and a Public Relations expert,Alhaji Sulaiman Osho, a former Senior Lecturer at the Mass Communication Department of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) Abeokuta, visiting researcher at the University of Abadeen in United Kingdom and now based in the United States of America as a researcher
Interestingly Alhaja Osho is also the first female Head of Department of Building Technology at the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, (MAPOLY), Abeokuta whose tenure as HOD, ensured that the department secured full acreditation to run Higher National Diploma (HND) programme
This Amazon of Building Technology practice came into the profession like a colossus in 1985 when she bagged a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Building Technology from the prestigious Yaba College of Technology. She later enrolled for her Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) at the Nigeria's premier university, the University of Ibadan in 1998 and returned to the same university where she bagged a Master of Science in Housing (MSC) in 2012
The young Fatimoh Abolore Osho(Nee Busari ) was given admission to read Civil Engineering/ Building Technology at the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, where she had the opportunity of chosing either Civil Engineering or Building Technology in the second year and she opted for the latter on completion of her National Diploma (ND) programme in 1982
Builder Fatimoh Abolore Osho, FNIOB is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Building Technology of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) Abeokuta from 2006 till date, having joined the services of the Institution as a Part-time Lecturer between 1999 and 2006 at the Building/Quantity Surveying Department
Before joining the polytechnic, she had been a Technical Teacher In 1986 at Gbagada Grammar School,Lagos and later moved to Ogun State where she also worked as Technical Teacher at Olumo High School and later Lafenwa High School both in Abeokuta, between 1991 and 2006 respectively
Builder (Mrs)Fatimoh Osho, is a woman of many parts, a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute Of Building (NIOB) and member of several professional bodies including Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON), Institute Of Policy Management Development (IPMD), Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria(APBN) and Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria(TRCN) amongst others
This epitome of Silent Achiever and mother of three, Mariam, Mahmud and Ismail, aside being an Educationist is also a Socialist to the core and Philanthropist who is passionate about the development of her Community and impacting meaningfully on lives of the people
Appreciating the outstanding qualities and humanitarian attributes of this devout Muslim woman and Grand Mother, her Oriola Community Development Association (CDA) in Soyoye, Abeokuta, decided and elected her as Women Leader in addition to other positions including President of Community Women and Development (COWAD) Sabo Group 1, Abeokuta, Chairperson, Olumo (NUT) Venture
She also held several other positions particularly in her professional body, the Ogun State chapter of the Nigerian Institute Of Building (NIOB) which included Treasurer between 2003 and 2006, later as Vice Chairman before elected as the State Chairman of the institute between 2012 and 2013 and as Ex-Officio between 2013 and 2014
Builder Fatimoh Abolore Osho, a native of Ibadan in Oyo state, now Owu-Abeokuta Woman by the virtue of her marriage, made history as the female Registrar of the Nigerian Institute Of Building (NIOB) in 2019, during the 49th Annual Builders Conference/Annual General Meeting of the institute held in Port-harcourt, the Rivers State capital
Edu-Biznews in its usual tradition of identifying with the outstanding Educationists, such as Builder Fatimoh Abolore Osho, FNIOB who has contributed to the development of the building profession in Nigeria, as a teacher, professional and an academic, sought to know, how the journey started for this 60 year-old workaholic woman and a trail-blazer
How was growing up like for you and where you grew up?
Fatimoh- :I was born and bread at Popoyemoja in Ibadan on April 4, 1961 to the family of Alhaji Amusa Adisa Busari-Olorunlagbo and Alhaja Saaratu Abeke Busari Olorunlagbo
My growing up was a very good one. I want to say, I'm fortunate to have a Well-to-do parents. My father, Alhaji Adisa Busari-Olorunlagbo, happened to be the only child of her mother . His mother gave birth to 14 children but he was the only surviving child and that made him to be named as "Olorun ni Agbo", that is it was only the All-Mighty Allah that made him to survive . My father being the only child that was born by a very very rich mother, he lacked nothing, by the time he was giving birth to us. Sincerely we were given birth to by rich parents and so we hardly lacked anything, so when we are talking about growing up, I grew up in a very very nice environment. I really enjoyed my childhood.
Are you from Abeokuta North Local Government Area in Ogun State, where exactly?
Fatimoh- : I started claiming Abeokuta North Local Government Area, when I got married to my darling husband, Alhaji Sulaiman Osho who happens to come from Owu-Totooro in Abeokuta, so by marriage, I also started claiming Abeokuta North Local Government Area, even though I was born and bread in Ibadan
What informed your choice of studying "Building Technology" as a course?
Fatimoh-: What informed my choice of studying Building Technology, right from my secondary school, I was a very brilliant child , so I was in the Science Class ,by then I was dreaming of studying medicine and become a medical doctor but I was not serious with my Chemistry class which affected my grade in Chemistry in my West African School Certificate Examination results. Even though I scored Credit but was not really good enough, so I was not admitted for Medicine at the University . Eventually I got admission into the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro to study Civil Engineering/Building Technology. It was in the second year,we had the opportunity of breaking out into either of the two courses, but by the time I spent one year in that polytechnic, I fell in love with Building Technology
As a career woman and mother how do you cope , balancing your career and your role as a mother, first as a teacher in secondary school and later as an academic in the polytechnic system, particularly having a seasoned journalist cum academic and author, Alhaji Sulaiman Osho as husband?
Fatimoh-: I want to say, it was grace of God. Personally, I'm in love with my children.I always want to see what they are doing at any point in time. And at the same time, I'm a very strong woman that does not joke with her job,by then I was a secondary school teacher, I was taken "Introductory Technology," when I get into the class,all my students would keep quiet to listen to what I want to say.
I knew I studied "Building Technology" as a career, I have never for once , forgotten that course, that was why in the secondary school, I was teaching "Technical Drawing" that is related to my course ,all at the same time I was thinking of how to move to higher Institution of learning. When I was transferred from Lagos to Abeokuta, due to my marriage, my husband was in Abeokuta. I started as a Part-time Lecturer at the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY),Abeokuta. After a long time as a Part-time Lecturer, when they were doing accreditation, I had to join them and at the end of the day, I was given a permanent job and that was how I cross over to the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) Abeokuta as a Lecturer in the Department of Building Technology. Good enough I got married to Alhaji Sulaiman Osho, who is a very very busy man, as busy he is, he is also interested in my progress, even when I'm relaxing, he would say , you better go and do this, you need to that ,if you want to achieve this. And to the glory of God, I was able to move forward in my career. I was able to manage my career. I was able to manage my role as a mother and also I was able to manage myself and my relationship with my husband. To the glory of All-Mighty, the marriage has been a success ,the children I gave birth to, I'm happy where they are .In my job I'm progressing. In my home. All-Mighty Allah is taking control and so I want to say I'm very happy and grateful to All-Mighty Allah that has made it possible for me to be able to manage my career and home at the same time
Are you the first female Registrar of NIOB and first woman to head the Department of Building Technology of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta and what are the challenges of holding such offices ?
Fatimoh-: At the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, I was a Lecturer at the Building Technology Department and later became the Head of Department, it was during my tenure as the HOD that we had the opportunity of accrediting Higher National Diploma (HND) in Building Technology as a course, because the department was only running National Diploma (ND) programme before then. To the glory of All-Mighty God, HND resource inspection was done and we were given a go ahead, after that a full accreditation was done and we started running HND in Building Technology, when I was the HOD. Being a member of Nigerian Institute Of Building (NIOB), Ogun State chapter, I have held many executive positions, but in the year 2012/2013, I became the Chairman of NIOB Ogun State chapter and during my tenure, we were able to do a lot of things and the chapter was able to move forward. To the glory of God being an active member of Nigerian Institute Of Building (NIOB) both at the state and national levels, in the year 2019, I contested for the post of Registrar and I won the election, since 2019 till this moment, I'm the Registrar of NIOB . Being the Registrar of Nigerian Institute Of Building has not been an easy job but to the glory of God, I want to say a lot of things have changed for good. The examination of the institute has been properly managed and so many candidates, even those that were having problems before I became the Registrar, we were able to look into everything,sorted out the problems and the Institute is running a smooth examination. I want to appreciate God for making it possible .
Yes, I was the first female Head of Building Technology Department, because Building Technology as a course, we don't have many female candidates, even in our studentship programme. So in the Department of Building Technology, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) Abeokuta, I happen to be the only female lecturer and first female Head of Department. Being the HOD and a female in the department, was not an easy task but I want to say the All-Mighty God blessed me with ways to relate with people,no matter how highy placed or lowly placed . I'm always finding it easy to get into people,no matter how highy placed the person is .I had the opportunity of coming down to relate with those in the lower class and even those higher than me, God has always be making it so easy. So when I was the HOD, when my department needs anything, I only need to go to the senior members of the polytechnic, even to the office of the Rector of the polytechnic. Another thing that made it easy, was the cooperation of members of staff of the department, they cooperated with me and we were able to achieve success . I'm not the first female Registrar of the Nigerian Institute Of Building (NIOB) but God is performing wonders through me, because I have a very understanding and cooperative committee when I tell my Committee members that we need to do this , they don't argue with me, even when they feel my idea is not good enough, they have ways of expressing it, if they have not been cooperating with me, we might not have achieved any success at all. But to the glory of God, we have been able to achieve this. Being a female Registrar, people have been coming to me, to say madam,thank God, we elected you, thank God we did not waste our votes, thank God you are in charge. The election for the position of Registrar was a very competitive one ,we had three of us that contested,I was the only female member,two male that contested with me but I won the election, even these two male we are talking about, when I call them to do certain things for my Committee, they don't hesitate, they have always be cooperating and we achieved success
You seems to still create time for social events, how do you cope ?
Fatimoh-: You don't know me, naturally I'm a Socialite and will always do whatever that makes me happy, so when you are talking about socials, I don't joke with it because, it is one of those things that makes me happy. By the time, I go out to socialize, when I get home, I settled down and do whatever I want to do but if I decide to luck myself inside and do certain job, I may even mess up the job but going out for just one hour to enjoy myself, by the time I come back, I will be renewed and do whatever I want to do. So for any reason, I can not afford not to socialize because it makes me strong and renewed my strength. It is part of my being a Socialist that makes me made up my mind two years ago that my 60th birthday must be celebrated in a grand way. I was so happy that I was able to celebrate myself. So when you talk about socializing I can not do with out it and I'm always at ease when I socialize and relax
Finally, your advice to young ladies aspiring to get to the top or peak of their careers?
Fatimoh-: My advice to the young ladies aspiring to get to the top or peak of their careers, is that they should know what they want and must be able to convince themselves that that very thing they want, they will be able to achieve success in it. They must be strong enough and stand up and raise their heads and make sure they achieve their target. They should not listen to side talk. They should check themselves, because it you find yourself in the field, where you have passion, I'm telling you, the sky will not only be your limit, you will be able to go as far as possible. I'm not saying there will not be problems or issues here and there, there could be but believe in yourself, you will surmount any obstacle that comes your way and you will be able to go as far as you intend going. I want to advice ladies to believe in themselves and to make up their minds to achieve success in life
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