Modupe Balogun-Ogunbanjo is a pretty woman. She is blessed with good looks and a flawless skin that glows. Everywhere she goes, many ladies ask her for the secret of her beauty and she always tells them. She told City People recently. She is a Builder by profession.
That is what she studied at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. She has practised her profession for years. She is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Building. She is also the Secretary of The Building Collapse Prevention Guild, (Ikosi Isheri cell), founded in 2011. She is the CEO of the Multi-Contractor Limited, Lagos. She is not only good at what she does, she is equally blessed with a very gorgeous look and a very glowing skin. She is the complete definition of beauty and brain.
A graduate of Building from the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, she also runs her personal business. She is from Ondo State, while her mum is Igbo. She is the owner of Pop in Super Munchies in Omole, Lagos.
She is a politician and a valued member of APC. She has been a politician from her University days. She was once the Vice President of the National Association of Building Students and later became President of the National Association of Building Students at Obafemi Awolowo University.
She also leads a group of women in the male-dominated professions, in empowering, marginalised girls in hard to reach area, teaching them basic life skills aimed at changing their mindsets after which she transmits them to NGO’s in the Education domain.
In this interview with City People Reporter, BIODUN ALAO, she talked about her fashion and style and what is responsible for her glowing skin/and the challenges she has faced as a female builder. Below are excerpts of the interview.
Tell us about Modupe Ogunbanjo.
Modupe Ogunbanjo is a builder by profession. I have a company called the Multi-Contractor Nigeria Limited. We are basically into contracting and subcontracting.
What we do is to get the right professionals in place, those who are licensed to do the job and ensure that a good job is done from the inception of the project till the end. We look out for, if the site has been used for Mining, or if it has an issue with Petroleum because these are issues that can actually cause a lot of environmental hazard in the future we ensure those things are thoroughly checked before we proceed on projects.
We also look into the drawing, ensuring everything is done up till standard. We criticise, if there’s any need for that, then approve the drawing, then proceed to mobilise their site, that is just it generally, ensuring everything is in order from inception to finish.
How challenging has it been for you as a female builder?
I think it is a thing of the mind. How you decide to look at it. If the interest is there, you will always ensure to be up to the task, the ability to do a number of things at the same time. Generally, I don’t see any big deal being a man or woman in the building and construction business.
The only part I would say was more of a challenge to me is when I was having children. At a point I had to leave my job for about 6 months for child bearing so as to ensure the baby is properly taken care of. You can’t just drop them for Nannies and all that. But then again, you can work around it, if you have a good nanny, you can put her in the car, put the baby in the car seat and you can go around doing your job.
It sounds funny though, but that will take care of the situation. So maybe I will say that is the only challenge, I have never it’s been 12 years now experience any other challenge.
Can you take us through your background and how you started this profession?
When I left secondary school, my dream was to be a Petroleum Engineer. So I wrote Jamb exams and chose the University of Ibadan, which happened to be my First Choice, my Second Choice was Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife where I wanted to study Chemical Engineering in U.I, I didn’t get the cut-off marks so OAU was my next choice, by the time I got to OAU, they were using a kind of system, first come, first serve admissions were over for Chemical Engineering, so I looked back and said what do I do, my aunty introduced me to someone, that it’s like a father to me now, a retired Professor now, Prof. Adesanya.
He said to me, why not consider Building, and it still has two more days to go, you can do it, and provided you have the necessary qualifications and your papers are good, why not, and that was how I found myself in building I didn’t even know what it was all about, until, after my first and second year, that was when I realised the beauty of the profession, and that was when I realised there was a lot in it.
Let’s talk about your fashion style. What is the secret behind your gorgeous look?
Well, am an all-rounder. I dress to be comfortable. I dress for the occasion. Sometimes, you could see me in native attires. I wear a lot of that as well, but 70% percent of the time, you will see me in Jeans and a top.
I love my jeans, polo shirt and face cap and that’s because of my job. But I wear everything. I wear long and short things. I am an all-rounder. I dress to suit the occasion. So long as it suits me. I believe in healthy living. I believe in Natural food.
The secret I would say is eating healthy and resting well, which I rarely do. But when I have the time, I sleep. My night is always like my day time, I do most of my stuff at night. Again every morning, when I wake up, I blend lemon with the peels, mix it up with warm water and drink it I have been doing that for like 8 years now, and it’s been wonderful.
I eat lots of fruits and vegetable. I don’t do lots of sugar. I don’t do chocolate and ice creams. So it’s all about natural food. My mum is just like this too. I am very mindful of what I apply to my skin. Till date I apply Jergens. I don’t go rubbing all sorts of funny stuff on my skin, maybe at times, I could have a break out on my face, I will just try something new, nothing serious. So the secret is being natural and nothing more.
What’s your growing up like?
I am from Ondo State. I was born in Lagos State. But I have lived in different parts of Nigeria. My dad is a retired army colonel and due to his postings, we have lived in Benin, Lagos, Ibadan, Kaduna, and others. My mum is from the Eastern part of Nigeria.
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