MGR Blog

Alhaja  Iyaduni Yusuf  is the Deputy Managing Director, Kam Industries Ltd, Ilorin, Kwara State. In this interview with Tunde Oyekola, she speaks on her  background, marriage, among other issues. Excerpts:

Can you let us into your background?

I come from a family of seven. My father worked as a lecturer, while my mother was a matron. Both of them have passed away.

They lived disciplined and principled lives and were committed members of the ECWA church. Although firm in their faith, they were not extreme in their beliefs.

They related freely with people of all tribes and religions and treated everyone with respect. I later became a Muslim through marriage.

What were your parents’ reaction to your choice of a husband of another faith?

As I mentioned earlier, my parents were devoted Christians who believed strongly in tolerance and understanding. My father had an Islamic background; he was born a Muslim and later embraced Christianity after attending a Christian school.

What mattered most to my parents was my happiness and peace in marriage. They trusted my judgment and supported my decision without hesitation. I am confident they also took time to understand my husband and recognized in him the character of a responsible and honorable man.

By God’s grace, I have never regretted following my heart in choosing him as my life partner.

And how easy was it adapting to the dictates of your new faith?

Adjusting came naturally because our relationship was built on love, which made everything else easier.

My husband is a kind and generous person who believes strongly in using faith as a means to positively influence the people around him. Above all, we live together in peace and happiness, and God has been gracious to us.

What fond memories do you cherish about your school days as a young girl?

I attended St John Primary School, Sabo-Oke, Ilorin, and C&S College, Ilorin, both in Kwara State. Our principal was Mr David Akintola, we called him Baba.

He was a discplinarian. I was then very slim and smal, we were staying in Sabo-Oke Area in Ilorin. Anytime we wanted to run home before closing hours, we would sneak out of class and take a path by a stream between Government Secondary School( GSS) and my school.

We sometimes ran into boys from GSS who sometimes beat us. Chief (Mrs.) Jumoke Harbs was my college mother. She is a mentor and a mother. I still remember writing her a letter requesting that she be my college mother.

Why your choice of her?

She was pretty and you know those in the junior classes used to pick college mothers among those in the senior classes.

She was three years my senior and I used to admire her. One day, I picked my pen and paper and wrote to her requesting that she should be my college mother. She later came to my class to look for me and asked if I was the one who wrote her.There and then, she granted my request.

People regard you as a down-to earth person. Is this quality inborn or an attitude you imbibed?
I think mine is inborn. My mum told me that when I was youmg, I had lots of friends; people loved me and milled around me.

I made friends easily not minding the class they belonged to. My parents were also humble, I will therefore say it’s inborn.

Your educational background?

I attended Kwara State College of Education for my National Certificate Examination (NCE) and later University of Ilorin, Kwara State, where I studied English Education. I got married when I was in the university.

I later had my Master’s degree in Education Managementt at the University of Lagos.

Who is your spouse?

He’s Alhaji Kamaldeen Yusuf whom I fondly call ‘Oluwami’. He is a man any woman would love to have as husband. I love him and he loves me so much.

It’s then assumed your marriage is a smooth run?

Definitely, in a union there would be ups and down, you would have issues, but through the years, we have learnt to handle these mainly because we accord each other the due honour and respect.

What does he do for a living?

He is my boss and the Managing Director of KAM Industries Ltd. I’m the Deputy Managing Director. I also run my companies: Mistufik Global Resources and BITKAM Nig. Ltd

Can you describe your experience running a joint business with your spouse?

It is a team work, my husband does his work which is running of the factory with heads of departments while mine is more in the area of administration and welfare. I’m also in charge of marketing. When he’s not around, as his deputy, I naturally run the company on his behalf.

And the challenges?

As for challenges, it has more to do with the task of handling the workers —you know, having some of them coming late to work and doing other funny things, but with God, we have always coped with the situation.

My husband wants things done excellently well and as such, he keeps me on my toes. I learnt about most things in the factory through him.

What do you do to look good?

I owe everything about me to God. He’s the secret of my good looks. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. My husband sees me as a beautiful woman, I am his queen.

When people pay me compliments on my looks, I thank them but don’t allow this to get into my head. But sincerely, all I do is to sleep, wake up, go through my normal routine of making up and that is it.

And what dictates your choice of outfits?

I enjoy playing with colours in my style. When I choose a colour, such as yellow, I like to carry it through completely so everything blends well. I have veils, shoes, and accessories in different shades, and the colour I settle on usually guides my outfit choice.

Many women enjoy wearing jewellery, and I am no exception. Jewellery is an essential part of a woman’s wardrobe, adding elegance and a sense of completeness to any look.

Your advice to women?

We should be meaningfully engaged in something. Women have to be independent and relevant. We have women professionals, and many have made their mark in politics and other sectors.

Again, we should be supportive of our husbands and not be dependent on them. We are expected to make meaningful contributions in our homes by either working or rendering quality support to our husbands. For example, when my husband isn’t around, I ensure I keep the business going.