Exclusive Interview with Olumide Akinsanya

In a chat with the CEO of Median Infrastructure, Baysol Development Company, and Trikak Limited, Olumide Akinsanya, the Civil Engineer divulged his personal informations about his childhood, adulthood, businesses and family. 

 You could have been anything, or could you? Otherwise why choose Engineering as a course, then as a career? 

As a course, that was laziness. Because I don't like writing notes while I was in school and I felt it was easier to pass mathematics than to pass any other subject because what you need to understand is how to solve a problem and once you understand how to solve the problem, you know it, then you can get a hundred percent. 

You can't score hundred percent in Economics, Bible knowledge or English, unlike mathematics. I don't know how other people see it but for me I think it is only lazy people that study Engineering. Seriously, because you don't need to read a lot, you can just practice for a day and pass the exam. You don't even need to go to class.

Did your childhood in anyway determine your adulthood or you just suddenly evolved?

It is funny that I actually wanted to be an Agric Engineer, because I felt the society needed food and in my mind then, because we lacked counseling back then. I felt if you studied Agric Engineering, you will become a farmer, and if you become a farmer, you can't get it wrong. As a farmer, you can work till you are ninety years of age. You can employ yourself. I have never liked to work for anybody from childhood so that made it easier for me. I felt if I'm an Agric Engineer I can just till this place and I can plant tomatoes as long as people are still hungry, they will buy my tomatoes, as they must eat. But when I made an application at Bauchi Polytechnic, I was asked to come and study Civil Engineering, and the first thing that came into my mind was "Not Again", my father was an Architect, we lost him when I was quite young, my mum, a contractor, so I have always gone to sites to pay workers and to buy materials. I have a fair background of what builders do. 

I just assumed I was going to be a poor man studying Engineering because It was a lot in vogue then for people to want to read accounting because we saw bank managers with their ties, white shirts and new cars banks gave them and we were like "Oh he's a rich man", we don't even want to know if that cars belong to them or not. They were like Dangote in those days. But I knew it would soon blow and wanted a safe haven that's why I chose Agric engineering but when I didn't get that, I needed to look at what I was being offered which was civil engineering and realizing Nigeria is a developing country I studied that. 

You are an Engineer, what interesting projects have you been involved in lately?

I can't even count, and every project stands out. Some completed, some not completed, some political challenges. Nigeria is a growing country with serious debts of infrastructures, we have done lots of housing, Lekki Axis, Peninsula Garden Estate, Diamond Estate, etc. Before that, Bonny Island, Niger delta generally, the oil sector, then we moved on to start hotel projects, afterwards, we jumped into retail industry,

The retail market in Nigeria is huge, it is a new experience people are craving for. Let me let you know that in this case, we are developers and not contractors. They are very close but extremely different. As an Engineer, you can be a developer as well as a contractor. To say the least, we started with Delta Mall, opening in March 2015, it is over 16 thousand square meters of shopping mall built up area at completion stage. We are looking at Shopping malls in Owerri, Asaba, Benin, Markudi, Abeokuta, Oshogbo, Portharcourt, and Abuja. We play different roles, and in some areas, our interest are low, while in other areas, they are high. The important thing is that, we are involved in all of this. Our ultimate aim is to build the biggest shopping mall in the country at various capacities.

You are quite connected with the Shoprite project, a South African brand, how many have you developed so far with them, and what more to be expected?

We are not constructing, we are developing at the moment. None is trading at the moment, It is at developmental stage three, then from March next year, we should start trading in Warri, Owerri, Asaba, Benin, and Abeokuta will follow. It takes about two years to construct one.

Why are there two shopping malls being developed in Lekki, what's the attraction, when one could have been developed in Ajah? 

There's another one coming up in Shangotedo, very shortly. However, every shopping mall is called Shoprite in Nigeria. Shoprite is just one of the shops in the mall, but they are the anchor because they take up the biggest space. Moreover, we only have a relationship that if I can develop a mall in a place they like, they will rent shop purely as a tenant.  As anchor they give certain specifications to developers. So it's a relationship you must grow at the design stage with them of which they must approve certain aspects of your work. 

For over 2 decades, you have been contributing to the Nigerian Engineering community, has there ever been a time of doubt or severe challenge at work?

That happens everyday, that's the beauty of engineering, every day is a new challenge. You don't have the same challenge ever. It is a dynamic thing to do so it is not boring. Every other job and career has their challenges just like engineering.

You seem to juggle different states and countries, in line of your duty, what is exciting about it and what do you dislike about it?

Exciting is the fact that you are trying to create wealth and infrastructures, and you also get to know the places and the people. 

Challenges are, you are kept away from your beautiful family every now and then, nobody enjoys that but it is a prize you have to pay no doubt, then again, it's not going to be forever. 

How does the home front blend in with your arrangement. Is it affected slightly or remarkably, or it is just suitably?

The home front understands the fact that you must work, so it is understandable you can be called anytime. If you want to create wealth, you must be ready to jump from state to state, though I always miss my wife, the family understands and we are always in touch.

How do you unwind amidst your busy schedule?

It depends on what you term enjoy, I'm very moderate, more of work for me than coming out clubbing. Yea it is good to hang out with your friends, but maybe once, twice or maybe thrice in a year.  

As an Ogun/Ondo state personality, name certain things needed urgently changed or added in the states?

I don't want to restrict myself to any state in Nigeria. I appreciate the fact that I am an Egba man from Abeokuta but I didn't grow up in Abeokuta and  it is time we realized in Nigeria that the state of origin thing should be cancelled. In my opinion I think it further divides Nigeria, I don't comment on politics but your question makes me understand I don't see myself from any of these places. 

I see myself from delta state because Delta State is convenient and forward looking, which welcome developments and investments. If they continue with the way they are now, they should be one of the best with foreign direct investments in Nigeria, because they are not bottle necks, yeah, there are bureaucratic challenges, but they have a wonderful leadership. He's not going for third term so I can talk about him and that's is all it takes to develop a state or country. It doesn't mean other states don't have a wonderful leadership, but the Governor there is not tribal, he accepts foreigners, just like Lagos State as well. However, I don't live in Ogun or Ondo state, so it is difficult for me to come out and speak on what needs to be changed there.