Olajumoke Adenowo designs buildings for a living, but what she really wants is to put African architecture on the map.
NIGERIA, AFRICA’S LARGEST economy, needs about 17 million affordable homes to adequately meet its housing needs. With increasing urbanization, the country is expected to continue borrowing extensively from overseas to fund its housing needs.
For Olajumoke Adenowo, the picture is much grimmer than the cold statistics.
“If we do not take control of our architecture in Africa and house our people like the western world did, in the next 10 years, we will kill the planet,” she says, as we sit in her monochrome office in Lekki, a cosmopolitan metropolis in the heart of Lagos, Nigeria.
Adenowo is an award-winning architect and founder of AD Consulting, a boutique architecture and interior design firm. From office spaces and penthouses to concept stores, government buildings, healthcare facilities and financial institutions, Adenowo’s portfolio is extensive and diverse.
Her aesthetic has found its way to the spaces of brands such as Coca-Cola, L’Oréal and the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Her approach to design and architecture has won her accolades as well as established her as a favorite among Nigeria’s elite.
She however believes it is not about just design but about pushing the African architectural narrative.
This story is from the September/November 2018 edition of Forbes Woman Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September/November 2018 edition of Forbes Woman Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Wives. Widows. Survivors.
The widows of Marikana. Different faces. The same setting. The same inconsolable fate. The same seething anger at the cops who killed their men and changed their lives forever.
This Could Be You!
One in four South African employees are diagnosed with depression annually. There are ways you can seek help while your identity is protected by law..
The Top 7 Investment Trends For 2019
Most people give up on their resolutions by mid February. As we usher in March, a reminder that it’s never too late for investment goals.
Apps To Cure The Mind
Mental health issues affect us all, but are seldom discussed. Thankfully, technology can now act as a medium to bypass the stigma associated with seeking help.
Working With Cancer
After battling months of treatment, cancer survivors often find a bigger struggle waiting for them when they return to work – the apathy of employers to reintegrate them into the system.
A Growing Trend
Africa’s multi-billion dollar hair care industry is seeing more indigenous brands and consumers rooting for the natural look. Also in existence – a ‘hair mafia’.
One For The Red Carpet
The small-town designer dressing up the rich and famous.
‘I Call It A Hustle'
The first black South African woman to compete at Wimbledon, wheelchair tennis player Kgothatso Montjane is a fighter, both on and off the court.
Gender Parity Will Come Sooner
The Managing Director of the ABN Group, Roberta Naicker, is Top Businesswoman of the Year at the 2018 Standard Bank Top Women Awards.
Deals, Dollars And Development
The first-ever Africa Investment Forum was a resounding success with some fascinating math: 49 projects worth $38.7 billion over three days, all for the continent.
