The Other Room Podcast

The Other Room is a podcast about how African women are discovering their purpose through work.

We look at their career trajectories, the challenges they have had along the way and the lessons they have learnt on the path to where they are now.

The Show

The Other Room is a fun and engaging weekly show, packaged in 12-week seasons, where host Oreoluwa Lesi speaks to women across a variety of career paths in each episode.

The Episodes

About Oreoluwa

Oreoluwa Lesi is the Founder and Executive Director of the Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC), a nonprofit committed to building a more inclusive technology ecosystem, with the next generation of women technology creators, entrepreneurs and leaders.

Recent Episodes

S1 E12 – Dr. Olatokunbo Somolu: The Pioneer – The Other Room – Redefining Women and Work

Work Focus: Civil & Structural Engineering, Education, Entrepreneurship I spoke to my mother Dr. Olatokunbo Somolu. She graduated top of her class from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) in 1973 with a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering. Before then, she had her primary education at Anglican Girls’ School, Lagos and secondary education at Queens College Yaba, Lagos where she finished with distinctions. She also completed her A’ Levels in Queens College and was the HeadGirl. Dr. (Mrs.) Somolu obtained a Ph.D in 1978, thus the first Nigerian woman to hold a Ph.D in any field of Engineering. She was a lecturer in Theory of Structures & Strength of materials at the Yaba College of Technology and also Head of Department of Civil Engineering. She joined the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in 1982 and rose to become, in 2003 General Manager, Projects and in 2005, became the first woman to head the Engineering and Technology Division (ETD) of the NNPC as the Group General Manager. A remarkable display of her project management skills was supervision of the construction of the magnificent and world class NNPC Towers complex, Abuja (from foundation to completion). She was the Engineer and Project Manager for the Kofo Abayomi (DPR) office, the New Atlas Cove Jetty as well as the Zonal headquarters in Warri and Port-Harcourt. The NNPC Land Mega Stations and Floating filling Stations most recent of her achievements. The floating Stations are the first ever of such to be built in concrete anywhere in the world – an engineering feat by any standards. She voluntarily retired from the services of the NNPC on 31st May 2009 after 27 years of active and dedicated service. A widely travelled woman, Engr. Dr. Somolu is a member and Fellow of many organisations and professional bodies, including the Nigerian Society of Engineers, National Academy of Engineering and the Nigerian Institute of Management, NIM. She has also undertaken several national assignments and served on the Boards of Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA and the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA. In November 2007, she was inducted into the Nigerian Women Hall of Fame as the first Nigerian Female to hold a Ph.D in Engineering. In commemoration of Nigeria’s 50 years of independence in 2010, she was among the 50 Nigerian Women of Distinction honoured by the First Lady, Her Excellency, Dame Patience Jonathan Links: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olatokunbo_Somolu http://laureatescollege.com/ http://dawncommission.org/olatokunbo-arinola-somolu-engr-dr/ https://www.nae.org.ng/fellows_profiles.asp?fid=92 — Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/otherroom/message