Funmilayo  Waheed-Adekojo:Deconstructing Gender Stereotype

She has shattered the glass ceilings in a male-dominated profession through her consistency and zeal to excel. Funmilayo Waheed-Adekojo, the Managing Director/CEO of Funmi Ayinke Nigeria Limited, a construction outfit, is a pace-setter in deconstructing gender stereotypes in her choice of career path. The Ondo State-born Waheed-Adekojo’s story is even more compelling having dumped Medical Laboratory Science to find her destiny in engineering. She recounts this story of setbacks and triumphs to Funke Olaode

At less than 40 years, she falls into the category of unsung accomplished young Nigerian women professionals who are doing extraordinary things.  Born in 1983 in Arigidi Akoko  Ondo State, this construction professional’s story is that of determination and zeal  against odds. Funmilayo Waheed-Adekojo sat for Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination twice and Universities Matriculation Examination four times. Today, she is a certified mechanical engineer whose works speak for themselves in various locations across Nigeria under her brand name,  Funmi Ayinke Nigeria Limited. She also sits atop Funmi Ayinke Music Records and Funmi Ayinke Humanity Foundation, which has continued to assist the less privileged.

But looking at her life trajectory,  the setbacks and later triumph, Waheed-Adekojo wouldn’t totally agree that she is a child of circumstances. Rather, a child who is constantly in life searching for purpose. Though it gave her the initial setback, she had the last laugh.

“I am the first born of three kids,” she recalled growing up. “My father was a medical doctor and my mum is a primary teacher (retired now). We lost our dad and I want to say kudos to my mother for being a strong woman. She didn’t remarry.  She stood by us and she used all the ‘cooperative’ of this world and her money to put us through life. I watched her doing everything to see us through life. Today, my siblings and I are graduates. My younger brother is an engineer too and my sister is a chartered accountant,” Waheed-Adekojo extolled the virtues of her mother and mothers generally.

Growing up under a medical doctor father, Waheed-Adekojo was drawn into the medical profession naturally. And losing her father at a very young age, she also wanted to fill the vacuum. The decision later became a pipe dream having failed the Universities Matriculation Examination four times.

“I failed to meet the cut off mark in UME. I put my dream of medicine aside and settled for Medical Laboratory Tech at the Ladoke Akintola University of Science and Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State  hoping that I would cross at 200 level. That decision was also aborted.”

Waheed-Adekojo’s dream was drifting away having realised that she wasn’t called for a medical-related career. She decided to switch to engineering and by this time she had lost two academic sessions. She admitted that it was a difficult decision but she was determined and after weighing the pros and cons, she crossed to the mechanical engineering department, starting from scratch.

“This new decision also came with its own challenge because I have a deficiency in Mathematics. I went to the Dean of the Engineering Department then because I wanted to do engineering. He said I cannot do difficult engineering courses having  left mathematics for a long time. He advised me that I should do something that will not take me to rigorous mathematics or Further Maths. I told him my late daddy said anything you want to do at all, always go for the best.  He laughed, and said ‘which daddy? The daddy you don’t have?’ I said his spirit still lives in me.  I asked him what the best of engineering is. He said they normally call it mechanical engineering, the father and mother of all engineering. Then electrical and civil engineering are also good one.”

Challenged by the Dean’s words, Waheed-Adekojo ventured into the engineering field and decided to embrace the ‘father and mother’ of engineering which is mechanical engineering.

“It was a tug of war because I didn’t enter LAUTECH with UME, I entered through a pre-degree programme. Those pre-degree students who entered LAUTECH about the same time were already in year three going for Industrial Attachment. Here I am coming back to their department as a 200 level student. So, the intimidation was there, some of them looked down on me.  I humbled myself and immersed myself in what the department would offer. I read like never before and aligned myself with students of like minds and within a short period of time. I blended and excelled in that difficult and unknown terrain of Mechanical Engineering. And of course. ‘I can do spirit’ also helped me. I eventually graduated with a Second Class Upper Division (2.1) despite my years lost, despite my temptation.

In all of her academic travails, she said her mum has been her driving force. “My mum has this re-assurance look.  My mum’s energy drives me. Impossibility is not in her dictionary. After putting that positive idea in you, she might go behind and cry, because most of the time, I have caught her crying.  I was studying her. I had two prayers at that time as an undergraduate student. It was God give her a long life so that I can do something for her. Then number two is to give me grace so that I can help  those in mum’s category that are struggling to take care of their children. This is what led to Funmi Ayinke Humanity Foundation.”

In the course of her academic life, Waheed-Adekojo found love in one of her lecturers at LAUTECH who proposed to her shortly before she was posted to Jigawa State for  the mandatory youth service. The lovebirds tied the knot in-between her youth service and after nine months she was redeployed to Ogun State where she completed her one year service at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) where her husband was a reader and professor.

While in Jigawa, Waheed-Adekojo was posted to the Ministry of Works where she demonstrated her skills as a thorough bread professional. And in FUNAAB, she was posted to the Works and Services Department. Consciously or unconsciously, the future construction magnate is already laying her foundation of success.

“I didn’t dabble into construction immediately because after my wedding in 2009, I got pregnant with my first child.  Also, I worked for six years with FUNAAB.  I gave myself a task of being a hands-on mum that won’t start any work until after I have had all my children.  So when I got pregnant, I told my husband that I am not going to do any official work; that I will be doing my business while raising the children. He said what kind of business? I said I wanted to do an engineering business. I will be running lights for filling stations. I have my fuel dispensary pump, and I will be doing my kerosene there. I can be doing the fabrication of all these tanks, I can erect some surface tanks for the filling stations. I floated a company and named it Adefunmi Investment. I was enjoying my business, had all my children  and the business became big.”

Having stamped her feet in the small scale business and learnt the rudiments of administration during her stint at FUNAAB where she headed various Units within the tertiary institution, Waheed-Adekojo decided to explore. This time, her company, Funmi Ayinke Nigeria Limited founded while working in government was resuscitated in 2018 and became a full-fledged construction company. 

“We are into construction, consultancy, and procurement.  The kind of consultancy that we do is different from the general concern, apart from having architect, structured engineer; I am a PMP (Project Management Professional) certified person. It is a global certificate that can be presented anywhere. So I actually practice as a project management professional consultant for some institutions. And we are also into other businesses. It is a company that has handled several projects at both state and federal levels and it has continued to add value to the society.”

“Apart from being an engineer, I am also an artist, I sing. I have a record label.  What led me to that was because of my story. I wanted to motivate Nigerians, particularly young girls. I see some of them trying to jump in the air to survive. I said okay let me find a way of now putting myself out there. I always say it online that my life is an open letter, go and read me. So that when you read Funmi Ayinke, you will know that you have hope. It doesn’t matter the kind of spoon you were born with, it is the spoon that you define for yourself that matters. I now turned those motivational speeches to music. Today, I have 16 powerful songs that can help young girls push themselves beyond limitations and boundaries.”

In giving back to the society, Funmi Ayinke Humanity Foundation  through her personal funding has catered for 15,000 Nigerian youths and over 5,000 widows. 

And on women breaking the glass ceilings, Waheed-Adekojo said it is possible if they can believe in themselves. “You know what? Women too are wonderfully made. And we too have the will and power to function well if we are given a chance. With modesty, I have 35 professionals working under me. Our corporate office is in Abuja and I am believing in God that before the end of 2022 by God’s grace, we will establish our main office.”

Giving tips on life lessons,  Waheed-Adekojo attests to the fact that life is not fair.

“I simply call it the law of attraction. What is the law of attraction? It is just the gravity law, when you throw something up, it comes down.  Automatically, it is the same thing as the law of attraction in the universe. Whatever you conceive, whatever you believe, this is just supposed to be exactly what you see. Even life itself knows me by now, that when I want anything from an unfair life I define it. I will go for it.”

Passionate about her calling, as she approaches the big 40 in the next six months, Waheed-Adekojo isn’t ready to slow down in those core areas that are close to her heart: engineering, musical exploration and devotion to humanity.

“I am going global.  I will no longer be limited to Nigeria. I see myself as what the whole world needs, not just my country. So, in the next four or five years, I won’t be surprised if I am listed amongst the movers and shakers. And of course, my music career is evolving and finally, I will continue to be of help to humanity,” she stated.