TwoCents

Dr. Abraham Owoseni

Educator @ Covenant University

Date

Mar 12th to Mar 16th

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This Session has closed

About Dr. Abraham Owoseni

Abraham Owoseni has broad experience in learning and development, fieldwork and management of education projects, and the academia. With a decade of consistency & expertise on his life mission of raising young people & moulding minds, Abraham is a passionate thought-leader in the fields of education & youth development. Over the years, Abraham has contributed to mainstreaming youth development as an approach to education and schooling experience through grass-root engagement, policy support and research efforts to raise young people as assets for nation-building. With a professional background in Architecture (B.Sc., MSc, PhD), Abraham leverages project management skills and competencies blended with his passion in youth development to improving the developmental outcomes for young people through education and safe spaces, development centres and learning environments that aid their holistic development across the three (3) domains of learning outcomes: affective, behavioural and cognitive As a Life Skills Facilitator & Development Consultant with the African Leadership Development Centre ALDC (at Covenant University), Abraham has facilitated several life skills training and development interventions since 2016, with notable mileage of impact and growth in line with targeted learning outcomes. He is on the faculty for the Total Man Concept TMC (A special course taught at Covenant University), Diploma in Leadership Development DLD, Certificate in Leadership Development CLD and Towards a Total Graduate TTG programs of Covenant University. Abraham is a seasoned education specialist, life harmony coach, speaker & trainer on life skills. His educational programs and youth development interventions have improved the developmental outcomes of more than 12,000 young people since 2011. In line with his work as a Youth Development Practitioner, Abraham founded Young Breeds, a faith-based global youth-focused non-profit organization to provide value-based education, support and opportunities to bridge the life skills gap so that young people can find identity, become productive and purposeful and as a result, make informed decisions in various areas of life. Since 2013, Young Breeds has groomed over 6,921 direct beneficiaries of children, teenagers and young adults across various development initiatives and over 20,000 indirect beneficiaries. You can read more about Abraham Owoseni here - https://abrahamowoseni.com/about/

INTERVIEW

QUESTIONS

These interview questions were brought to you by TwoCents and Winner Deji-Folutile

If you could go back to Architecture school, what would you do differently?

Dr. Abraham Owoseni

Meet more people, build more networks & extend my tentacles. Formal schooling generally is about human capital building, Architecture inclusive.

TwoCents

Did your architectural practice meet your expectations in architecture school? If no, what are the changes to expect and how can one be better prepared for them?

Dr. Abraham Owoseni

Well, let’s not call it expectations but reality. What is the reality in practice? What can be improved? My subtle observation is the need for synergy between the regulatory body and the professional association so they can both support schools of Architecture with more flexible policies and regulations that meet today’s 21st-century realities.

TwoCents

What can I do to be a better Architect?

Dr. Abraham Owoseni

Keep evolving! Yeah, in today’s dynamic world, a contemporary Architect must stay at the cutting edge of innovation. Niche down to an area of specialization. Even if you still get commissions from mainstream design briefs, be known as an expert in an area and build a personal brand around that. That way, you can innovate at scale.

TwoCents

There is a lot of software available today in the field of architecture and most of them seem as important, what’s the best criterion in choosing a suitable one?

Dr. Abraham Owoseni

This is one recurring question I receive a lot, especially in architectural education. My answer over the years is to identify key software tools of interest and master a few. As against learning all and not being a master in one. I recommend BIM softwares because of the multi-disciplinary nature of the tools. However, beyond modelling, other visualisation tools would come in handy. Of course, the hardware should be considered in the choice, there's no debate to that.

TwoCents

You appear to be a polymath and yet with a background in Architecture. What’s the role of Architecture in all you do?

Dr. Abraham Owoseni

That’s true; my lifework finds expression in coaching, speaking & training, writing & managing projects. For me, Architecture is an enabler just as every other field should be. Beyond being a professional, each one is ideally meant to find what higher calling she/he is meant to fulfill, thereby leveraging the professional background. That higher calling for me is raising young people & moulding minds. As such, I leverage Architecture as a tool for empowerment especially in recreating learning environment & development centres for young people.

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TwoCents

If you were to relive your teen years, would you have chosen Architecture as one of your earliest course of study?

Dr. Abraham Owoseni

That’s a tough one. Well, yes and no. Yes because of the wide exposure and encompassing nature of Architecture, I don't mind reliving that. No because of the length of time required to be a professional Architect. In all, I am of the opinion that, God brings us through definite platforms and backgrounds to prepare us for the next phase even if we like the background or not.

TwoCents

How do you work under pressure amidst all the demands for time and all you do from Architecture to Education to Youth Development?

Dr. Abraham Owoseni

I prioritise them. Is it urgent? Is it urgent and important? Can I delegate it? Can I postpone it? Can I exempt myself from it? Priority helps to put things in check. Also, having a bucket of time for each expression sometimes helps.

TwoCents

Function and Aesthetic appeal are an Architect’s major consideration in design and both can be quite opposing at times especially with certain clients, how do you balance both?

Dr. Abraham Owoseni

I love this; every Archi grad knows this is one major debate from school. Well, over the years, I’ve married the two together without prejudice for one. It’s a fusion! I want functionality, but I wouldn’t trade that and not have the edifice aesthetically pleasing. I want the two, no matter how little; I find them inseparable even with the most constraining client.

TwoCents

Tell us about your most successful architectural project, what informed your design process, what are the major lessons you learnt from it?

Dr. Abraham Owoseni

I put up an in-school Youth Development Centre YDC, in 2014; I find this very fulfilling because of the impact of the space on the lives of young people. Prior to that time, I worked with one of my mentors, Dr. Alalade in the design of the Covenant University Centre for Research, Innovation & Discovery CUCRID as well as the remodelling design of the Living Faith Church Faith Tabernacle. I find these projects inspiring amongst others because of the moral power of their designs. Like I always share with students of Architecture, Architecture confers the power to guide behaviour on the micro and macro levels. However, this power could either be an inhibitor or an enabler. I’ve rather learnt to use that power as an enabler, that way; I am very conscious and cautious of every line even if it’s denoting a kerb.

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Do I have to be an artist to be an Architect?

Dr. Abraham Owoseni

Oh no! You don’t have to. Architecture isn’t all about arts and paintings, it’s largely more on a fusion of arts and science. Personally, I wasn’t vast in the art aspect of Architecture when I came into the school of Architecture. I was however able to master the aspect of art required which is largely on imagination, creativity and graphical representation. The rest has to do with science – the knowledge, properties and behaviour of materials and technology.

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Networking is an important aspect of the architectural practice; how feasible can this be in today’s fast-paced, busy and sometimes distracted world?

Dr. Abraham Owoseni

Well, busyness is over-rated. We create time for things of priority. I'm tempted to say social media, which is good; but there is still the place of the facial touch, meet and greet nature of networking. As such, creating conscious time to attend professional functions, exhibitions, workshops and networking events will still go a long way. Meet online, concretise it offline. I think this will be a lovely blend even in today's fast-paced busy world.

TwoCents

Architecture is pretty broad and wide; how do you carve a niche for yourself and stay relevant?

Dr. Abraham Owoseni

My perspective on this is pretty simple: carve a niche based on your life dream such that you’re fulfilled, happy and well rewarded even in that niche. If it’s education, manufacturing, retail/procurement, policy, consultancy, real-estate etc., go deep and wide. Explore the sub-niches and the entire value chain. Secondly, solve human problems with your spatial solutions. Above all, live a life of purpose through your work and let it impact lives. So the question will be, what’s your big dream?

TwoCents

Beyond the technical core skills required to be an Architect, what other life skills can make an Architect exceptional?

Dr. Abraham Owoseni

I love this! I’m a top advocate for life skills. Like I always say, as a professional, beyond using your hand and your head, you must also use your heart. The hand and the head is the technical, vocational skill that everyone can see. The heart skill is the life skills that we hardly can see, but they are actually the drivers behind the best use of technical skills. For example, presentation skills. No matter how fantastic a design is, if the Architect/design team can't communicate it and package it in the most compelling way, there would be a challenge. How about negotiation skills, talk about critical thinking and problem solving, resilience, it’s a whole lot of life skills to learn. Take it a step at a time and grow competency in this aspect and see how exceptional your value grows.

Tobi Igbinedion

Co-founder @ TwoCents

Lagos, Nigeria • March 12, 2021, 1:48 p.m.

I am personally pleased about this session Dr. Pertaining to the construction industry in Nigeria. I would like to know if you agree that we have not been strict enough as regards professionals staying with their professional job description. It looks like everyone wants to play a chief role in the most lucrative part of the construction process, which is the construction itself. There's the low-key tussle between the Architect and Builder on whose job it is to manage the construction process. The system also is very porous, someone with zero construction background could become a contractor and win contracts that professionals would struggle to have. A large portion of construction graduates are massively under valued which translates to poor remuneration. If you agree these are actual issues Dr, what's your twocents on how they could be fixed, and how we could have a more sane construction industry in Nigeria. Thanks.

1 Answer request

Dr. Abraham Owoseni

Educator @ Covenant University

Ota • March 13, 2021, 7:48 a.m.

Thank you so much Tobi for that question and thanks for this great work and platform.

Yes, I agree with those current challenges you highlighted. And like you shared, this sums it up "The system also is very porous." My two cents will be that;

1. Regulatory bodies should synergise and stop the blame-game, hate-strife rivalries.

There's a lot of home-keeping to be done there.

For example, imagine a CORBON, COREN, ESVARBON, TOPREC, ARCON... working together in harmony?

Imagine how that will positively influence the construction industry;

Imagine swift registration of professionals and massive public enlightenment on the value/worth of professional services;

Imagine a well-regulated curriculum with 21st-century realities in each of the professional fields?

Also is the need for

2. Regulation of the Informal sectors in the Construction Industry

Skilled trades and vocations such as carpentry, tiling, ironmongery, etc need lots of support and regulation so society values their worth and they are also well remunerated.

Imagine a regulatory body for tilers and then a tiler upon training is certified with code of conduct, ethics etc as it obtains for the professional fields. That's part of the difference between the 1st world and the 3rd world, all fields and skilled trades are well regulated, monitored and rewarded whether it's SSCE, OND, HND, BSc/BEng/BTech/MSc/PhD a person has.

Until we come to the point where we see the services of each one as 'complementation' and not 'competition,' the challenges may persist. A tiler is as valuable and good as a Lawyer although one is a vocation/skilled trade and the other, a profession.

I shared more on this in my book the career leader, talking about the career model. The audiobook is accessible here https://selar.co/thecareerleader

Dafe Odje Product Management, Growth @ Safehouse

Lagos, Nigeria • March 13, 2021, 7:15 p.m.

Architecture affects real estate. With experience, I have realised that clients are now more aware of what kind of space they want to live in due to COVID 19 which has made a lot of people work from home. In the real estate industry, renting houses can be tedious because houses were not designed to suit the persons that would live in them. How can this be turned around to suit the user?

1 Answer request

Dr. Abraham Owoseni

Educator @ Covenant University

Ota • March 14, 2021, 5:59 p.m.

Thanks, Dafe for this insightful question.

What can be done when spaces are not purpose-built to suit the users' persona and psychographics: renovation and remodelling. If the property is bought, a full remodelling can be done. If rented, a renovation can be done. For example, adding a workstation at the corner of a room for remote work, or a reading corner for the children at the children's bedroom or a changing vanity top in one of the toilets.

The beautiful thing about the perspective brought about by the pandemic is that it has informed design professionals for planning better spaces especially residential developments.

Joshua Omoijiade

Senior Designer @ Studio Contra

Lagos, Nigeria • March 16, 2021, 8:03 a.m.

Loved the interview and the responses to some of the questions! I wanted to ask; starting out as a polymath, should you be rigid or determined in the things you want to learn per time?- Particularly when you have so many interests at once- or is it better to let external factors push or give you a nudge towards the interests that survive the daily routines we end up in? I've heard a lot of talk of following your passion but what if you have multiple passions that you cannot distinguish with so little time or resources?

0 Answer requests

Dr. Abraham Owoseni

Educator @ Covenant University

Ota • March 21, 2021, 7:07 p.m.

Thanks for your kind words and for this question Joshua.

This is an area I'm passionate about and I've been opportune to coach young adults on this, talking about one's lifework and career development. Concerning being multi-passionate, you're right, all passions may not be unveiled at a time, one could lead to another. However, the principal anchor in this regard is to discover an overriding purpose that all passions hinge on. For example, I am passionate about human development, youth development and life skills. All of these passions and expressions are contained within my purpose of raising young people and moulding minds. Imagine not been clear on what to use the passions for or even my gifts and abilities, it would be like disarray, doing many things without focus and direction and eventually a case of abuse and misuse.

Starting out, don't be rigid. We evolve in seasons. However, know the connection of each season/passion/expression within the grand scheme of your lifework and purpose. I would rather suggest that one owns his/her life outcomes as against external circusmstances/'fate'

This resource will come in handy as well, check it out https://abrahamowoseni.com/joinlhc

Kingsley Ukaigwe Freelance Architect

Lagos, Nigeria • March 16, 2021, 7:26 p.m.

What skill has served you best in your architecture career?

0 Answer requests

Dr. Abraham Owoseni

Educator @ Covenant University

Ota • March 21, 2021, 7:17 p.m.

Thank you, UK for this.

Well, skill appears overrated sometimes especially technical skills.

The reason is, all Architects ideally have the same skill-set technically. The differentiating factor however is what I call life skills.

As such, I advise young professionals to have a blend of technical skills and life skills. So rather than work with the head & hand alone, work with the heart as well.

I shared this background in order to say that, my life skills have served me more in my career journey across my expressions including leveraging Architecture. Life skills such as relational intelligence, people skills, leadership development, emotional intelligence, communication and presentation, resilience, goal setting amongst others.

Check out some previous life skills I have trained on here http://youtube.com/abrahamowoseni