What informed your choice of career?
I actually wanted to study Educational Management based on my father’s advice that it would be good for a lady to study education so that she could have time to take care of her children and family. My father too was an educationist. However, I could not secure admission for education, so, I decided to do something else. I was qualified to study Law, but I didn’t want to do that. I was also qualified to read Economics, I didn’t want to study that though I had B in Economics in my A levels but I knew I wasn’t too good in Mathematics. I decided to opt for Religious Studies but the Department of Philosophy at the University of Ibadan advised that I should come in for Philosophy which I did. I was however, the only lady in my set and some sets after my set and by the grace of God, I had the best result. So, I will say it’s God that led me to study Philosophy.
What was the experience like being the only girl in your class?
I enjoyed my student relationship in that department. I was a member of the executive of the Nigerian Students Philosophical Association at the time. Mingling with the guys was okay. We had a good time; we were always reading and doing things together. Maybe I should also add that for over twenty years, I was the only female lecturer in Philosophy at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) and I enjoyed a good working relationship with my male colleagues. I was never intimidated by my male colleagues either as a lecturer or a student. I will rather intimidate them.
What price did you pay to be where you are today?
I will start by saying it is actually by the grace of God that I am DVC of OOU today. At the time I was appointed into my office, I actually wanted to be the Dean of the faculty and I had my set goals and visions for that faculty. I thought I would be able to take the faculty to the next level being the first female Dean of that faculty and the first female professor of my department. That was what I was set out to do when I was appointed by the former vice chancellor and the senate. I must say that integrity matters a lot in whatever you are doing because you don’t know the person that is looking at what you are doing. Whatever you are doing, people see you, they may pass comment or they may not pass comment but they will judge you by what you are doing. Integrity matters. Hard work matters too. I enjoy working. So far, I worked with the former VC who happens to be a workaholic and the present VC who is also a super workaholic. I love coming to work and I don’t shy away from challenges. And whatever task I am given, I always lay it at the hands of God and I believe that whatever happens, I am going to come out with something that people will be proud of. So, integrity, honesty, hard work, dedication, personal vision and mission in life and being determined to make it and make it right in whatever task I am given. So, it is about dedication and God being on my side.
Since you assumed office as the DVC, how has the journey been like?
I am getting a lot of experience. I was a former Director of General and Entrepreneurial Study and it is a directorate that has to do with all students in the institution especially first and second levels of undergraduates and I was able to mingle with them; know their challenges and all. This has helped me a lot. I must say I have gained a lot in university administration over the last two years. I was also ahead of department for three years at a particular time in my career, which is the foundation for university administration. Bringing it here, there were a lot of things to learn. Holding meetings and having to work with two VCs in the last two years. I have gained a lot of experiences working with the two of them and that has catapulted me to another level in university administration and I am still learning more every day.
How have you been able to combine your career with the home front?
By the grace of God, I don’t have a baby or a child who still needs my total attention. By the grace of God, my husband is also a Director at Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), so, he is also a very busy person. However, once I am home, I attend to immediate family matters and extended family matters both on my side and my husband’s side. I have not had too many challenges about that. It is just that being the DVC means I cannot predict my movement, so, I always leave a gap for that but as for coping, I am coping fine at the home front.
We are in a month where women are celebrated. How far will you say the Nigerian women have gone?
I believe we are making it to the top. Like I said during my inaugural lecture last month, I don’t believe in fighting for gender inequality, although there was a time when there was a need for that. Rather than fighting for gender inequality, we should fight for gender mainstreaming. And the basic tool for gender mainstreaming is that women should be informed and educated. Once we are informed and educated, we begin to advocate for gender mainstreaming then we will be at the right place that we should be. By gender mainstreaming, we mean when there are positions to be filled; government should consider men and women equally. Of course there is no way we can consider the women equally with women if we are not properly educated or informed. If there are two vacant positions, then we should pick a man and a woman. But if we don’t have the right qualifications for that position then we will be marginalised. If we are there, we can fight from the inside not outside.
What will you say is the most defining moment of your career?
That was when I gave my inaugural lecture. It was a good turnout. People from all walks of life came in and I was able to showcase the relevance of my discipline, Philosophy to African Society. Touching on issues that have to do with African society.
You have been married for 29 years what is the secret of your success?
Sacrifice. It takes two to tango. You are from different backgrounds so the best thing is to come together and realise there is no perfect man or woman. We will always fall and rise. Also, you should be determined to make the marriage work.
Even when there are ups and downs, we should not plan to leave, we should plan to cleave to one another and ensure you overcome together.
How can we tackle the issue of domestic violence and abuse?
Enlightenment and education. Parents must be dedicated to the well being of their children.
What advice do you have for working women on how to juggle their careers with the home front?
It is very important that we should have time for our children. Wherever our children are, we should endeavour to go there and visit them even in their school. We should create time for them. It is very important because if you are not there for them at the time when they are growing up, they won’t have time for us. We should try and balance the relationship between our career and the relationship of our children. When a woman is climbing the ladder of her career there is usually time for the children that is why some women are not appointed as administrators when they still have young children. The system believes that you will need time for those children. Most of the time, it is not because our career are demanding that we don’t have time for the children, it is because of societal pressures here and there. You want to be at this party and that party. Wherever we want to go, we should carry our children along. We should also incorporate our children into our career. There was a time I wanted to go for a conference outside the country, I looked out for conferences where they had programmes for children so I could take my daughter along. That will show that the child is important. It is very good to bond with our children when they are growing up. That will help the children.
and then