Munirudeen Maymunah

Between securing an internship abroad and graduating as the Best Graduating Student of his department, which would you choose? Alao Lukmon once faced this very dilemma. In this interview, he shares the choice he made, why he had to repeat a class, and the lessons behind his journey.

Can you briefly introduce yourself to our audience- your name, portfolio at MSSN AAC, background, and what you’ve been up to recently?
I am Lukmon Olamilekan ALAO. Alao is my surname, but that’s what people love to call me, and that started right from Secondary school. I am the Assets Maintenance Officer II of MSSN AAC. I consider myself an alumnus of the Wood Products Engineering department, University of  Ibadan. My background – well, I was born over two decades ago; I am the third child of four. The First son. Lots of responsibilities, isn’t it? I was born and raised in Agege, Lagos State. Is there anything I need to add? I don’t know. Yeah, I remember. I completed my secondary education before I got into the University of Ibadan after trying a particular University in Lagos twice. On what I have been up to lately, project, project, project and I won’t say the other things I have been up to. Is there a penalty for concealing that?

How would you describe your journey through university in just three words?
Allah came through.

Before we get into the big choices you had to make, what would you say were your biggest passions as a student?
Initially, my passion was revenge. Revenge on UI for not allowing me entrance into the ICC for my matric. I can’t remember quite clearly the reason why that happened, but I promised myself to be the Overall Best Graduating Student; let’s see who will stop me from entering the ICC then, reflecting the typical fresher that I was.
However, I got humbled. UI humbled me two or three weeks into the first semester when we started getting deep into things. I knew that was a tall order because I didn’t seem to understand anything being taught. It was so scary that I called home to report that I don’t think I have the capacity to learn again. It is expected that someone who wants to graduate as the overall best in the university should not really find the foundational level as difficult as I found it to be.
Academic targets were not going as planned, and I was getting drained. This led me to have a deep reflection, after which I was able to set a realistic goal – to graduate with the best result possible for me. This reflection came before I wrote any test in UI because I could not understand a thing from what was being taught. Even Physics, which happens to be my stronghold – well, that’s according to people’s assessment, not mine – I didn’t seem to understand anything about the two physics, both PHY 102 and 103, then.
Now, my passion is turning research into a product. That’s what happens in developed countries, but ours just end up on the shelf covered in dust. It served its purpose already. Requirement for completion of undergraduate study.

Many people know you for your academic brilliance. At what point did you realise you could actually be the Best Graduating Student of your department?
Really? Am I brilliant? Well, Alhamdulillah. I really appreciate the compliment, jazakumullahu Khayran.
Well, I did not consider myself as the likely BGS in my department level, even though I consistently made first class each session except in the 200 level. There are many brilliant people at my level, a lot of them. The eventual BGS is just an example of how brilliant my coursemates are. A shout-out to the Class of 2023/2024 BGS, Top top guy.
Also, my own boy, Imam Shafi’i. The brain, Masha Allah brother. Basically, my classmates are brilliant, and I marvel at their brilliance.
However, I gave it serious thought when people started calling me BGS following our completion of  400-level. Another reason is that my mum loves to speak highly of her experience when I was celebrated as the best student in science in my secondary school, following an academic session where I had to repeat a class. Well, story for another day. So, I wanted to make her proud once more and on a grander scale.

You once had to choose between pursuing an internship abroad and securing the Best Graduating Student Award. How did you navigate that tough decision, and what values or principles guided you in making that choice?

Let me rephrase the question to reflect how I understood the situation back then, I had to choose between going for the internship or securing the best graduating student award?

First, I commit the whole process involving the internship to Allah from the start. I pray Salat al-Istikharah, even though I tilted towards going for the internship more than not.

I had a discussion with two of my mentors on the dilemma. Bro. Ridwan Ayoade (Crusher). He graduated (as the BGS in his department) the same year I got into UI. I also discussed it with Bro. Rasheed Habib. He also graduated as the BGS of his set. They backed my inclination and said they would take the decision to go for the internship over and over again. I reported the whole case back to Allah alone, and I pray to Him to ease the affairs towards going if that’s the best for me in my life and hereafter. AlhamduliLlah, Allah came through; even though I fumbled at the US embassy, they still granted me the visa.

The principle that guided me was a verse in suratul Talaq where Allah says, “And whoever puts his trust in Allah – then He (alone) is sufficient for him.”
The whole situation with the internship made me have a paradigm shift in belief. I am a believer but a complete realist with a pragmatist mindset, so judging by my situation then in terms of materials and funding needed to sort some important registration and processing, it is closer to impossible to go for the internship than not. Allah made me understand what reliance on Him truly is; it has nothing to do with my incapacity or the strings I could pull. I understand trust in Allah is doing all I could with my limited resources and capacity and then trusting Allah with the eventuality of the result I desired – it finally came true; I got what I desired. AlhamduliLlah.

The principle I adopted is 100 per cent trust in Allah for everything (material needs and what is to come after).

Aside from academics, what other activities or roles kept you busy on campus?
Well, it was solely academics in the first two years, but I want more. So, I represented my department at the Technology Representative Council (TRC) for two sessions at 300 and 400 levels and I served on different committees within the council. I was elected the General Secretary for the Wood Products Engineering Students Association (WOPESA) in my 500-level. I joined the Muslim Students Security Organisation (MSSO), a committee under the umbrella of MSSN, UI, in the 300 level. I also served in different offices and in special operations too.

What’s one memory from your undergraduate days that still makes you smile whenever you think about it?
The 300-level first-semester result. I had all A’s but one D. One FP* course like that. Anytime I remember how the lecturer responded to questions in class and the result we had in that course, I’ll just smile. Though it was a borrowed course, I love it but not how it was taught. I was told that’s who the lecturer is; even a master’s student testified. Initially, I was very furious when I first saw the result; that was supposed to be my first perfect CGPA, but Alhamdulillah I later had two 4.0 CGPAs in two different academic sessions.

How did your family and friends react when you secured the internship abroad?
For friends, they were happy, and for family, they were over the moon. I did not tell most people the consequences of going for the internship, as many of those I told before dwell more on the negatives than the opportunities it affords. It was after I came back that I told my family what was at stake if I went for the internship. Alhamdulillah. We went, we came, we saw, we faced the consequence and we conquered.

If you had another chance to go back and make the same decision, would you choose differently?
Now that I have the experience of flying in a plane, I will choose differently keh. In fact, I’d take the same decision a billion times over. Beyond the thrill of flying, what I experienced and learned goes deeper than just being on a plane. If you happen to come across such an opportunity again, please keep me in mind. I haven’t completed my project yet, and with the reawakening of the Engineering Residency Program- a compulsory one-year training under a registered engineer or firm before induction into the engineering profession- I would be more than happy to take part. I’ll forever hold you in high esteem, and I sincerely thank you in advance.

How have the leadership roles you’ve held prepared you for bigger opportunities in life?
I am more of a servant leader, and I love to serve, though my demeanour might say otherwise. The leadership role has built a resilient part of me. On several occasions, my friend and I went outside of the school to coordinate the affairs of some students, and then came back late in the night to read overnight for an exam the following day. That was done consistently over an extended period of time. What will that build if not resilience?…I confirmed that recently. I came back from the said coordination, having had to trek the whole distance because our bike became faulty on our way going to the site of coordination and it was already late. I got back to the hostel to pull an all-nighter to complete a project whose deadline was not in the next hours, I simply did that to follow through on what I had planned that day. I don’t think I had done that before. I would literally shift the task to the next day before the start of the coordination exercise.  That’s definitely a product of being resilient. I have developed a lot of capacity, mostly based on human skills. These are vital tools to thrive in this age.

Can you share a moment when your leadership was tested, and how you responded?
I won’t share a particular moment to keep some things private. Moments where my leadership skills were tested were when all the provisions for the smooth running or execution of a task were given, and yet followers defaulted in carrying out the task. It is usually painful and can be very demoralising, but with patience and the fact that effort won’t be lost in vain if the intention is sincerely to please Allah, even if the result does not materialise as desired. That’s what keeps me sane and to push on regardless.
However, one will learn a thing about the followers if the trend continues, and one will be able to act accordingly to prevent a repeat of such a situation.

How has your perspective on success evolved from when you entered university to now?
Has my perspective on success changed from when I entered university? I don’t think so.
So, my perspective of what success might be is not the gold standard. For me, success is being able to attain a high level of proficiency at something and maintain it over time while not losing oneself in the process in terms of the values and identity that one embodied before reaching that level. And the true success is the people who can be imparted positively by what one has achieved or attained.

What’s one thing you wish you had known earlier in your academic journey?
It is that skills mattered just as much as having good grades. Technical, soft and human skills coupled with a very good grade are very important qualities to thrive in today’s industry. Alhamdulillah, I knew this early enough to build some capacity as regards that.

How do you balance personal ambition with service to others?
Alhamdulillah, for me, it is simple. This is how I see it: I see myself as a function of personal ambition and service to others. This makes balancing the two easy. There are times when one will tilt towards the other and that’s very normal.

What has been your biggest setback in life so far, and how did you bounce back from it?
Well, now, I don’t believe in setbacks or I would rather call it SETRIGHT. But that which seems like a setback then was when I repeated a class while all my classmates progressed to secondary school. I had to retake the BECE the following year because I did not go for a resit. I would love to share the story that surrounds that, but I would not want my mum to be angry with me because she might see this. But Alhamdulillah I was able to make her proud going into secondary school, like I said earlier, by being one of the best science students from SS1.
But now, I do not see anything as a setback. I just make sure I put my best in everything I do and pray to Allah to bless it. So, whatever comes out of it is accepted as Qadar. But any time I am faced with something that shakes me to the marrow going back to Allah has been my succour, and that’s how I bounce back every time. Going harder with renewed faith and it worked for me every time, Alhamdulillah.

How do you handle moments of doubt or indecision, especially when the stakes are high?
I try to make the best decision as much as possible, and I trust Allah completely in the choice I made following Salat Istikhara. The life of a muslim is indeed very simple and easy; the Prophet (peace be upon him) has told us what we need to do when we are faced with something of this nature. We just need to follow through on them.

What role has faith, family, or community played in keeping you grounded?
Faith has kept me grounded in the sense that I depend heavily on what our dīn has stipulated to help me with some of the tough decisions I have had to make ever since I became an intentional muslim. Islam has been my major asset, and Alhamdulillah, I found the pristine Islam in my secondary to post-secondary school days. Before then, my siblings and I often followed our mum to church in my teenage years. Though I question a lot, in my head, because I love to read and put things into reality and the right perspective without complex explanation. I am one of those who found Islam and uphold it strongly, following the incident where I had to repeat a class – now, I count it as a blessing. I met a friend who helped me strengthen my faith as a muslim, but in the long run, I knew he was one of those who believed in the use of some {stuff} to aid or gain some favors. He gave me some {stuff }back then, telling me that when someone as bright as I am repeat a class, then that is something out of the ordinary. But AlhamduliLlah for my mom, before I could use it she found the item where I hid it and brought me in for questioning. She made me explain how I got the item and she said to me that day that “this is the reason why I don’t practise this religion”(referring to Islam), she has a Christian background and upbringing. But AlhamduliLlah, she knows better now that that is not what Islam is, and the use of things like that has nothing to do with Islam. Alhamdulillah, I got involved with MSSN Agege Area council when I was in SS 2, which was when I began to understand what Islam truly was, the pristine creed and how a muslim must live his life seeking to please Allah alone. It was during this period that I became intentional as a muslim, and I love to attend the MSSN weekly usrah. I also attended Extra Mural, where I got to relate with practising muslims daily, and it helped fast-track my understanding of the religion. I learnt the pristine Islamic creed. However, I am very grateful to the first person who made me realise that being a muslim goes beyond having a muslim name and that it has some responsibilities and duties attached to it. Even though there are some faults in his creed, he did what all muslims should do; he showed sincere care and compassion. I am using this medium to charge us who are practising the pristine Islam to show compassion and sincerest care to call others to Islam. We should look beyond their immediate situation and level. Islam is beautiful and we have to make others see the beauty through our good conduct in how we relate with others, even if our understanding and our creed differ. We should call them to Allah with our morals and character. Back to my story, though mothers do have this undue influence on the children in terms of religion, my mum never prevented us from attending Islamic gatherings. In fact, she is always there to support us whenever I wanted to attend camp or do something that has to do with Islam; she never questioned my faith nor ask why I was doing this and not doing that, despite her position as a reverend in the church. This I am very grateful for because it really made the practice of my Islam easy. Gradually, the tentacles of Islam begins to grow in the family and Alhamdulillah my mum is now a Muslim. I hope that others finds this religion too. It is so comforting and reassuring. May Allah make us among the sincerest Muslims and may we not die except as Muslims. My family members are very supportive and I find inspiration from every one of them. Even during my first two years in the university, when we were going through some challenges, and we were apart for some time, the love and support was there. Every member of my family has made a contribution to what I have been able to accomplish as a student. There were times I would run to my aunt in Yemetu Aladorin whenever my hands reach the ground of my pocket. I translated a Yoruba proverb directly there. I am assured that I would get fed and would go back to school with my pocket filled without saying a word. I see myself as a shy person, and  I do not know how to ask for things like that, but I am learning courtesy being an executive of MSSN AAC. My family has been very supportive, both from my mum and dad’s side, they really stood by me when I got the internship. My elder sisters were very supportive and they contributed immensely. My younger brother, too, is my gist partner, and we talk a lot. Alhamdulillah, I am not the only son in the family. I have someone to watch football with since my dad is not really a fan of football.
Just as I have said, the community I belonged to back home helped me solidify my faith, and I am forever grateful. They supported me when I gained admission financially and helped me with my visa processing to the US too. I remember every one of these kindnesses and support, and I plan to be very successful so I can give back to the society and help other muslims too.
UI MSSN contributed to my staying grounded with the soul-captivating lectures of Tuesday’s dawah enlightenment and Thursday’s spiritual night, which was my only connection with MSSN in my first three years in the University. I did not want to miss any of those. May Allah bless all those in charge and ease their affairs.
May Allah bless every one of them for me.

What are your long-term aspirations, and how do you plan to achieve them?
Allahumo baarik, I am passionate about imparting knowledge and my long-term goal would be to retire from academia after successful years in the industry. May Allah make it easy, let me lay it out bare, I’ll get into the industry, further my education to Ph.D. level and get to retire in academics.

What advice would you give to younger students who admire your path and look up to you?
Wow! So some people might actually be looking up to me. Awwwn, that’s humbling. First, may Allah grant you success in your pursuit and make your affairs easy.  My Advice to you is to look inward, choose a path that’s most natural to you. A path that you will willingly tread when everyone else deserts it without feeling dejected or overwhelmed. Do your best and act according to what Allah has stipulated and then trust Allah completely as the decider of your affairs. May Allah grant you outstanding success the path you have chosen.

How do you see yourself contributing to society in the next 5–10 years?
Wow! I see myself developing green materials for the development of the built environment and giving back to the  society as much as I can, while also actively contributing to the Islamic community.  May Allah make it easy.