Today at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, a rare architect and one of the Knights of John Wesley of the Methodist Church Nigeria, Gabriel Oladipupo Ajayi, is being honoured with the prestigious Award of the Faculty of Environmental Design and Management. Taiwo Olanrewaju presents his rise to the zenith of his career.SEEST thou a man diligent in his business' he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.The above Bible passage in Proverbs chapter 29 verse 22 cannot be more apt wherever the story of Sir (Architect) Gabriel Oladipupo Ajayi, a Knight of John Wesley of Methodist Church Nigeria, is told.At a tender age of seven in 1961, Ajayi developed a keen interest in building back in his home town in Ilupeju Ekiti and actually worked with builders in the village, who used mud for construction and paid their workers one kobo each daily.A man who, from a humble beginning, rose through the dint of hard work, sheer doggedness, and untiring efforts, Ajayi did not abandon his love for Architecture and that saw him bag a B.Sc. and M.Sc. Architecture from the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State.He went further to become a professional member of the Nigerian Institute of Architecture, a registered member of Architects Registration Council of Nigeria(ARCON) and council member of ARCON, Federal Republic of Nigeria.Born in 1954, Ajayi has amassed over 20 years of architectural designs, project management and building construction experience. He is able to achieve this by working on and improving himself by attending courses and seminars in and outside Nigeria. Such include Customer Relation Management course UNISYS at Nice in France and certificate of participation at National Seminar on Rural Housing by Association of Housing Corporation of Nigeria in 2000 and 1987 respectively.An astute investor who sees opportunities in every problem, with an ability to turn ashes into gold, he is at the helm of affairs of a number of corporate organisations either as group managing director and chairman or chairman. Such organisations include Harbinger Investments Limited, Spatial Design Consult Limited, Axial Nigeria Limited, Anchorage Micro-Finance, Bedrock Bureau De Change, Harbinger Procurement (Canada) and Citizen Home Care Limited (Canada), Stone Paver International Limited and Bver Properties Limited.An energetic, hard working and strategic thinker who is able to deliver result within a short time frame, Ajayi, has in his 20 years of construction experience, embarked on many gargantuan projects, including Federal Housing Development, Abuja; Lake-View complex, Ile-Ife, Osun State; Odua International Model Market, Ojota, Lagos; Viva Methanol Project at Export Free zone, Lekki, Lagos; Master Architect for Delta State higher education projects; designing and building for BJ Services office and warehouse complex, Port-Harcourt; Garki Model Market development and Christian Pilgrims Board complex, Abuja.Other projects executed by the excellent manager of men and great motivator are construction of 500-seater lecture theatre with ancillaries' offices facilities at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; residential building, Lekki Peninsula Scheme; CMD Library Building Shangisa, Lagos; Office complex, Wema Bank Plc.; Mixed Housing Development, Ajah, Lagos; Ambassador Estate, Ajah, Lagos; Housing Estate Development, Osborne, Lagos; Oceanic Bank Plc. Building, Sokoto; Eagle Packaging factory building, Sango-Ota, Ogun State; Ikoyi Club Administrative block, Lagos; mixed development, Yenagoa, Bayelsa; Office development at Ijora and Oshodi in Lagos; renovation of Monarchical Suites, Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, among others.An architect of note, who is with honour in his hometown, Ilupeju Ekiti as well as his home state, Ekiti, Ajayi also constructed a number of gigantic projects in Ekiti State, which include Testimony Heritage, Ilupeju Ekiti; Spring Bank complex, Ado-Ekiti; designed the proposed Ekiti State Economic House, Ado-Ekiti; Broadcasting Services of Ekiti State; construction of main gate of the University of Ado-Ekiti; consultant architects on the construction of Physiology Building for the College of Medicine, University of Ado-Ekiti; construction of Mortuary, Maintenance Building and External Works of the General Hospital Complex, Ado-Ekiti; Master Architect and Lead Consultant of the master plan and development of the University of Science and Technology, Ifaki; Government House Mosque, Ado-Ekiti and a private country home at Usi-Ekiti.His personal building at Ilupeju Ekiti is indeed a testimony that Ajayi is an outstanding architect as the building, set out on a hill as one approaches the town, is a cynosure of all eyes.Ajayi, a man of high integrity whose words are his bond, is married to Lady (Mrs) Alaba Ajayi, a chief nursing lecturer at Orthopaedic Hospital Training School, Igbobi, Lagos. The marriage is blessed with four children, two boys and two girls, raised in a lovely and God fearing home.Today, Thursday, June 14th, 2012, the man, who has performed excellently well in the Architecture world, is being honoured with the prestigious Faculty Award of the Faculty of Environmental Design and Management, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State for his outstanding contributions to the field of Architecture.
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