Engineer Kehinde Osifala is a bell that gets people’s attention wherever he goes. Whenever he tries to hide his prowess, nature calls and necessity pushes him into prominence – and it is glaring. He is a man of noble character and commendable contributions to the development of structural engineering in Nigeria.
An Ikenne, Ogun State indigene, Dr. Kehinde Osifala has been the 20th President, Nigerian Institution of Structural Engineers since 2019. He was born on 5th of March 1956 in Lagos. Married and blessed with children, Kehinde Osifala schooled at Remo Divisional High School, Sagamu, Yaba College of Technology where he bagged his OND/HND and later travelled abroad on scholarship for further studies.
Dr. Osifala who speaks English, Romanian and Yoruba languages worked at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos meritoriously and tirelessly for 37 years, rose through the rank before retiring as Deputy Rector (Academics) on Friday, March 5th, 2021.
Osifala who joined the service of Yaba College of Technology in 1984 as Lecturer III became a Chief Lecturer in 2002, Dean, School of Engineering in 2005 to 2008; Head, Physical Planning Unit in 1998 to 2001, and later returned as Director, Physical Planning Unit in 2018 to 2021, and finally Deputy Rector Academics in 2018 to 2021.
He contributed immensely to the growth and development of Yaba College of Technology; solicited for donations of equipment, served on 28 committees, panel and task forces, designed, supervised and managed over 15 College projects as Consultant and Project Manager.
Sir, tell us about your life in academics and after retirement
I have always tried to marry academics with professional practice, and I did that brilliantly in classroom. Engineering is not only theory but also practical. I have retired but not tired, I am still very much on the field. I came down from a site for this appointment.
Why did you study Civil Engineering?
Well, I was good in science. I also had A1 in English Language and I could have gone ahead and studied Law but when I got to Yaba for the ND, I chose civil engineering.
At a time, I wanted to change into accountancy because I love accounting too. As an accountancy student, you have the opportunity to write professional exams but when I confided in one of my lecturers, Dr. Ogunbadejo, the former Rector of Ilaro Polytechnic, he asked why I wanted to dump engineering for accountancy. I told him I love reading and writing professional exams. He said emphatically, “You this boy, are you crazy? You came first in Engineering, what is accountancy?”
At that point, I opted for Civil Engineering more than any other branch of engineering. I like practical and construction is purely practical.
As a lecturer, I was practising professionally – even in the lecture room, I go to sites with my students so as to broaden their knowledge.
Having gone abroad for professional exams and further studies, why did you now settle for academics?
I am a pure Ata’pata dide (Yoruba word for someone from a humble background). I achieved all I am today by the grace of God and self-efforts. I am strengthened by challenges. I settled for academics because people say I am brilliant and I believe so. My passion for knowledge drove me into it and I went further to bag PhD. Academics afforded me the opportunity to solve problem through research and further reading.
With your meritorious service and laudable achievements, many people thought you would be made Rector of Yabatech; what happened?
The post of Rector is a political appointment. You may be the best academician, administrator or whatever, and not be a Rector. I tried but I was not chosen. I was screened out of the race on age limit at the last attempt.
Apart from the academics, what other logical projects have you done?
I have designed a number of structures across the country. I work with a number of architects on many projects – roads, churches, residential buildings and multi-storey buildings.
Which one of your projects do you consider the most outstanding?
Unfortunately, the one I would have picked was a 13-storey building in Ibadan which the client said that no one would go for it. We later designed a big and complex residential building in Abuja, and the Ikenne church that was built in memory of Prince Onafowokan’s wife. We also have a number of structures at Lekki axis of Lagos – residential and industrial.
How were you able to effectively combine professional practice and lecturing together without a conflict of interest?
I designed and supervised most structures at Yabatech because the College policy states that once we have professionals in the college, we do not need to give out our jobs. My involvement in projects afforded students to develop interest in it – excellent opportunity for practical, motivation and discipline.
Lecturing was a serious business for me and my children understood this – even on some Sundays after church, I would drive them into lecture hall. Students must understand the intricacies of structural engineering in order to stand firm because a slight carelessness could kill many people. In structural engineering, competence is key.
Before you pass our exam, you have to be very good on the field and that is why many theoretical students dodge our exams.
What exactly is Structural Engineering?
Structural engineering is the design and construction of anything that needs stability, not only building. Most people do not know the role structural engineers play. They design, the structural engineers must ensure that a building is structurally firm and strong. For an example, a stadium must be built with a solid structure because it has to accommodate a lot of people.
For example, those who built the third mainland bridge put structures together in order to ensure stability and durability of the bridge. The structural engineers must ensure perfect job when it involves structures. The bridge should accommodate heavy and small vehicles. It should be able to resist forces like flood, wind and other climatic conditions.
Stability is how the structure will withstand wind-blows, gravitational load, self-weight and other loads that will be carried along the bridge. All the infrastructures you see here and there are made possible through the efforts of structural engineers. We have been advocating and educating the people, government and authorities on the need to give structural engineers a prominent role in building constructions in order to reduce incidence of collapsed buildings.
My professor said, ‘A medical doctor’s mistake will kill one person at a time but a structural engineer’s mistake will kill many at a go.’ Can you imagine the number of deaths that would occur if a stadium collapses during a football match?
That is why we only need meticulous, serious-minded and intelligent people as structural engineers; people who will not take things for granted – and that is the reason students find our professional exam difficult to pass. We cannot allow anybody to spoil our good reputation. We encourage people to come for training. We train and retrain our members and we encourage those in the building environment, artisans, builders, plumbers, iron benders and so on to attend our trainings.
We encourage people to specialize because if you study a particular engineering, you should be able to practise it. If you dump your field and cross to another segment, you are a quack. Potential structural engineers can join our team, we host webinars, present technical papers, hold meetings and discuss current things before you can sit or pass our exams.
How and when did you join the Institution - and what led you to join it?
When I was doing my PhD, our professors were of the opinion that you cannot do two things at a time; finish your academics, register for professionals and practise.
I joined the institution in 1986 or so. I contributed facts and delivered technical papers as Branch Chairman. We hold a monthly technical session where we normally invite senior members to share their experiences with students, colleagues and professional members. I was once a Treasurer, Secretary and Vice President before I became the Deputy President and President.
Did you know that you would become the President of the Institution?
Not really but with time, some people started telling me to contest. I deliberately declined at the initial stage because I wanted the institution to have a national outlook – with all geographical zones represented. We have done so much now because I gave myself time to envision and plan. We have enjoyed contributions from members and other supporters. I reach out to the people who can fast-track developments and that is what brought us this far.
Our website is now very functional. We had a new accounting package software to facilitate easy payment, a platform to ask questions.
Lagos State government is collaborating with us in a number of ways and giving us jobs since #EndSARS saga; we assisted them to investigate some of the destructions done to public buildings.
What was the first thing you did as the 20th president of the institution?
The first thing I did was to convince members that we are not under government subvention; we are independent.
We supported one another during the Covid-19 era with welfare packages. People contributed to help members in need. We contributed over 1 million naira to distribute palliatives and with the little advocacy we did, the Lagos State government gave us Abule-Ado project to work on and other stakeholders are involving us in their projects.
Having pointed out that the role of structural engineer is key in every structured project; why is COREN reluctant to regulate the practice, knowing the importance of the profession?
Well, that is a long story. We have more civil engineers than structural engineers and most of them are in NNC. COREN council contains mostly civil engineers and they have to protect their colleagues but now, there is reawakening. They have begun to look into what we submitted concerning the practice of Structural Engineering and I am hopeful that very soon, structural engineering will be practised and regulated as it should.
As the president, how have you been able to marry your practice experience and academic experience for the development of the institution?
Number one, I am like a role model to those in the academics. For example, most students have now developed interest in structural engineering and a number of them are joining the institution as student members and upon the completion of their academics, they become graduate members looking forward to certification exams. They now see the differences between civil and structural engineering. Civil is the mother of all but specialisation makes you a structural engineer or highway engineer.
Who is/was your role model in the profession?
I have a number of them; my Romanian Professor who gingered my interest in the profession. Popular Professor Akeju and influential Professor Orogun are also my role models. It is advantageous for me to have delved into academics; engineering is a combination of theory and practical. You can't do one without the other.
How did you achieve so much within two years?
The office became more organized and presentable through hard work and collective efforts. We win people’s interest and approach them for help. I make friends easily and I have cordial relationship with many people. I chat, discuss and talk about virtually everything and when I seek help from them as their President, they don't say no. I am not arrogant and I am approachable – so, my personality has helped in getting all hands on deck.
I have been in the system for a while to be able to correct the lapses from the past. We now have more registered files. People see that this is a focused and purposeful administration, and they see what we did when I was Chairman of Lagos Branch.
What were the initial challenges faced when you took over apart from the internal problems?
Recognition by the authorities, membership apathy and so on.
For example, my predecessor wrote to COREN but it was never attended to but when we started there was a press conference and I did not relent in my effort. I opened up the case and the media went to the president of COREN to ask him and he called me and said, ‘Do you know the implication of what you have done. I said, ‘What have I done?’
He asked, ‘Did you write a letter?’
I said, ‘Yes.’
He's not aware. I told him, ‘Check your records.’
All hands are on deck, and they are recognising us and partnering with us. We don’t have to be competing; the sky is spacious enough for all birds to fly at once.
What will be your legacy?
I want to leave a vibrant Institution and well-structured office that the world will respect. I want to leave a body that foreigners will be proud to join. I want to create a formidable platform for detailed professionals and raise qualified structural engineers. I want to establish a commercially viable body and a trustworthy organisation.
Where do you see the Institution in the next 10 years?
By the grace of God, the institute will be a household name in Nigeria and there will be regulation guiding the practice. By then, we will have more members.
There is something I should mention; to be a member, you have to do the seven hours professional paper, an open book exam, the competence test or if you are above 45, you can come through matured route. We just need to see the job you have done.
45 years old and above are not writing any exams?
No, they are not writing any exams but there must be a proof of competence showing what they have done over the years in an interview session.
According to a philosopher, he says a success without a successor is like a waste. Now, I can see the passion in you and the revolution you brought in. What do you have in place for continuity so that your legacy will not be rubbished by your successor?
Thank you very much for that question, it is very vital and apt. In the institution, you go through the ranks. You cannot become a president without being a vice for at least two terms and we have four vice-presidents. One of them will become deputy by popular democracy, the deputy will be there for two years working with the president and after the president’s tenure, the deputy will automatically become the president.
Were you a deputy before now?
Yes, I was for two years.
Now that you have retired from the classroom; what do you miss most about the classroom?
I miss my students. They still call, visit me or come for consultation.
Now that your tenure is gradually ending, do you have any regret in office?
I don't think so because everything has worked out well, despite the Covid-19, everything has been perfect. Even with the Covid-19, we developed even more because now we do our meetings online.
What do you think you will be remembered for?
In the institution, it will be the advocacy; nobody will forget that so soon.
What is your advice as a role-model to a bunch of students and professionals?
I think they should be focused and decisive. You can't be a highway engineer today, structural tomorrow, water engineer day after. That is jack of all trades and master of none.
What is your plan after retirement?
As I said before, I am retired but not tired. I am still very active. I'm into design and construction – and I am still active in my profession.
How do you unwind?
I use my leisure time to watch TV sometimes. There are programmes I enjoy. I do go to parties also.
Is any of your children taking after you as a structural engineer?
Yes.
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