NCB: Good afternoon, it’s nice to have you here.
FYB: Good afternoon. I’m glad to be here.
NCB: Can we meet you?
FYB: Thank you. I am Oladunjoye Favour Oluwanifemi. I’m a crochet artist and a graphic designer.
NCB: What do you mean by crochet artist?
FYB: It is a more fancier word for crocheter. Basically, I make nice clothes and accessories from strands of yarn.
NCB: Tell us little about your background.
FYB: I am the first of four kids- I have 3 younger siblings and I do not think I had a very fun childhood because we were always indoors. I am the perfect example of an ‘omo get inside’. I did not get to play lots of games and even now, I do not know how to play some games. But I enjoyed being raised in my family. We always have one another’s back.
NCB: Aside the fact that you really find it hard to play games, what other aspects has that ‘get-inside’ stuff affected you?
FYB: Positively, it taught me to love my space. I do not like to overstay in people’s spaces. I can stay the whole day just being by myself, I love my company.
NCB: Alright, you are the first child. What challenges come with being the first child in a family, especially for a female child, that you might have probably experienced?
FYB: I remember not doing so well in a Math’s test and my Maths teacher looked at me and said, ‘you are the first child, what legacy do you want to lay for your siblings’? The society wants the first child to bring their A-game at every point in time forgetting that they are people and are allowed to fail at some things too. At an interview a few years back, I was asked if I’ve ever been in a leadership position and the first thing I said is that I am the first child. I believe it is a whole lot of work whether or not you are a female.
NCB: Do all these affect you mentally?
FYB: (Lol.) Maybe.
NCB: What effect did your environment have on you while growing as a female and first child? Let me make it more relatable. Some cultures like Yoruba… put more pressure on female child plus being the first child. Was your own case different in the sense that you might be lucky you grew up from a strange culture?
FYB: Pressure? It is more of ‘expectations’. These expectations are required from every other children too. The only difference is that the first child needs to show others.
NCB: Where did you grow up?
FYB: I was born and bred in Akure, Ondo state.
NCB: Are you an indigene?
FYB: No. I am from Ekiti.
NCB: Did you have any particular teachers or mentors in elementary school who made a big impact on you, and how did they influence your academic or personal growth?
FYB: whoosh! First of all, I attended 5 elementary/primary schools. So, I was taught by very many teachers. And so I do not have a teacher who influenced me, it was a combination of different mentorship here and there, and I hold every teacher who taught me in high esteem.
NCB: How did attending multiple elementary schools help build relationships with different teachers and peers?
FYB: I attended one of those schools for just one day. I used to be happy whenever my parents told me we were changing schools. Multiple schools means meeting with many people. That really shaped me because I absolutely love meeting new people and I do not find it difficult interacting with new people.
NCB: Alright. Enough of the peripheral context. Let’s delve into the central point. Obafemi Awolowo University! How did you discover this school?
FYB: My dad told me when I was in JSS3 that I’d attend a school called Obafemi Awolowo University and it just settled in my mind. I’d have loved to attend Afe Babalola University but where is the money?
NCB: You look rich by the way. Meaning that OAU was your dad’s idea. Did you at one point in time feel like you should be somewhere else better than here?
FYB: Lol. I’m rich in Jesus name. Yes, OAU was dad’s idea and it has never crossed my mind that I should be anywhere else.
NCB: Normally, Nigeria is a country where what you intend to do remains in the dream. Average of Nigerian students are in the institution they never prayed to be, studying what they never knew was going to be a fate. Interestingly, OAU came to pass. What about your preferred course?
FYB: I wanted to study Mass Communication but because OAU didn’t offer that, I picked English. So, this degree is just a means to an end.
NCB: Hmmm! “This degree is just a means to an end.” What inspired you to pursue English instead and not Law like average of your colleagues and what are some of the most interesting things you have learned so far?
FYB: I never fancied studying Law. And I just wanted to know more than the surface level of the English language. The most interesting thing about this course is the beautiful people I have met in the course of studying this course. I tell people that I have awesome coursemates.
NCB: Awesome coursemates!
Do you think some scandalous news you’ve heard about the department since you became a student is a stigma on the students?
FYB: Scandalous news like? Well, I know the department is made of different students from different upbringings and we all cannot be good or bad. However, I do not think a bad image of one person or a group of people automatically translates that everyone is bad. But if a person sees me in a bad light because I belong to one department, then I feel sorry for them. Lol.
NCB: What do you think about the failure in the department? You as a student, tell us your personal opinion.
FYB: Oluwa o! I have this unpopular opinion that failure is a part of life. But I am still unable to wrap my head around why students prepare hard for examinations and still fail. I have had my share of it and it is not enjoyable, I must say. And I do not think any lecturer should be pleased about failing students.
NCB: Do you have any favourite lecturer in the department?
FYB: Not favourites but I like Dr. Ogunfolabi, Prof. Soneye and Prof. Okunoye.
NCB: As a female student in Nigeria, what challenges have you faced during your academic journey, and how have you overcome them?
FYB: To be frank, I have not had to face challenges because I am a female student. I have faced challenges that every other students face like not knowing exactly what my lecturer expects in a test, not getting the right channels to help me with academics when I need help, and so on.
NCB: And, Literature in OAU, a course or a curse?
FYB: Ah! Interviewer! Who am I to say it’s a curse? Let us thank God for life.
NCB: As a multitasking student, combining two different dexterous skills with (not just education, but) Literature as a course, how have you been coping?
FYB: Truth be told, I am not a superwoman and I find it hard combining everything. At different points, one suffers for the others and it will be that way until one can find balance.
NCB: What are some of the things that you enjoy doing in your free time, and how do you balance your personal interests with your other commitments?
FYB: I enjoy watching YouTube videos, especially vlogs, I enjoy listening to music and singing along and I love singing with the choir, I love how different parts come together in harmony to produce a sweet sound. How I try to balance commitments with interests is by planning and choosing what I want to be involved in, I do not find it difficult at all to say ‘NO’ if some things will inconvenient me.
NCB: What if the thing is coming from your man?
FYB: It’s a matter of communication. We both will communicate and meet each other in the middle. P.S. I do not have a man.
NCB: Really! What qualities fascinate you in a man and how often do you see your spec precisely in the department?
FYB: I love a man who loves God and responsible. I see really cool guys in the department, not going to lie.
NCB: You should have crushes then?
FYB: Lol. Yeah.
NCB: Tell us.
FYB: Sorry, you cannot keep a secret.
NCB: Have you ever had a worst memory on campus?
FYB: Maybe when I had an E in a course. And when a lecturer called me a fool for asking questions in his class ( that can not stop me sha).
NCB: Really! Thank God you never stopped cause I remember countless times you have saved our ass from impromptu tests. What advice would you give to someone who is just starting their academic journey in OAU (English department to be precise) and what do you wish you had known when you were starting out?
FYB: Don’t be scared of asking for help! If you don’t understand a thing, find answers. Move closer to your senior colleagues- the sensible ones, and make friends with your classmates- you’d need them more than you could ever imagine. Never forget the place of God who gives wisdom and understanding. Ire o!
NCB: Make your shout-out and what you have for NCB
FYB: I’m shouting out to class of Titans. Thank you for being kind to me, shout-out to ballers, shout-out to Ogunwole Blessing and every one. The list is endless. NCB, I love every one of you.
NCB: Alright, we love you too. Thank you for your your time and have a wonderful evening.
FYB: Thank you for having me. I enjoyed this session.
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