Olajumoke Olufunmilola Adenowo (born 16 October 1968) is a Nigerian architect and founder of AD Consulting, a boutique architecture and interior design firm established in 1994. She has been recognized in both Nigerian and international media for her contributions to contemporary African architecture.
Adenowo was born in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, to academic parentsâÂÂher father taught history and her mother criminology. She lived in the Obafemi Awolowo University campus, between 1962 and 1972.
Living on the campus and trips to Paris and the Palais de Versailles as a young child impressed Adenowo, influencing her decision to study architecture. At 14, she enrolled in Obafemi Awolowo University. She graduated at 19, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Architecture with Honours. She won the prize for Best Student Design as an undergraduate. She continued graduate studies there, earning a Masters Degree in Architecture with distinction in 1991.
Adenowo studied at the Lagos Business School's Chief Executive Programme (2002), the IESE Business School at the University of Navarra in Barcelona, Spain (2005). She also graduated from the Yale School of Management (2016) and the Harvard Kennedy School (2019).
AdenowoâÂÂs design philosophy, "NeoHeritage Architecture", leverages on her experiential understanding of heritage design to define contemporary African Architecture of global relevance.
After graduating from university, Adenowo was hired as an Assistant Architect at Towry Coker Associates. She then practiced as an architect in Lagos at Femi Majekodunmi Associates. She worked on the Federal Ministry of Finance project in Abuja at the age of 23.
In 1994, at the age of 25, Adenowo founded her boutique architecture and interior design firm, AD Consulting. Since its inception, AD Consulting has been involved in designing and constructing more than 114 projects. These include Institutional buildings, Office Building Complexes, Mixed Use developments, auditoria, private residences, healthcare facilities, industrial campuses and Master plans. AD's clients span national and multi-national clients, including Coca-Cola, LâÂÂOreal, Access Bank plc and Guaranty Trust Bank.
Adenowo has been profiled by CNN, which referred to her as "AfricaâÂÂs Starchitect." In 2018, she was recognized by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) among notable women in architecture.
In 2019, Olajumoke Adenowo was appointed as a visiting professor at the Technische Universitat Munchen (TUM) in Germany. She was honoured as a Laureate and Guest Scientist at the Chair of Theory, History of Architecture and Art & Design arms of the university's Department of Architecture. This programme was established in collaboration with the Bavarian Ministry of Education.
Her Monograph âÂÂNeo Heritage; Defining Contemporary African Architectureâ is the first work by a black Architect to be published by Rizzoli, the leading Art, Architecture and Design Publisher.
In parallel to founding AD Consulting, Adenowo also founded and ran Advantage Energy, an oil and gas services firm.
Recognized as a thought leader on Architecture, the Arts, leadership, Youth and WomenâÂÂs Empowerment, she regularly speaks at international summits and conferences. She has spoken at the McKenzie Executive leadership platform, Harvard Business School (African Business Club). SOLVE at MIT, Haust Der Kunst (Munich), the Institute of Directors, the Global WomenâÂÂs Forum, Cambridge University African Society and many other platforms.
Since 2011 she has hosted a syndicated radio show and podcast on leadership; "Voice of Change". She has been featured by international media outlets such as CNN and Fortune.
In 1999, Adenowo established the Awesome Treasures Foundation (ATF), a faith-based non-governmental organization focused on developing transformational leaders for peace and societal advancement. Recognized by the United Nations and the United States Congress, the foundation operates through a global network of volunteers and partners across six continents. ATF aims to raise 1,000 leaders by 2030, with a special focus on empowering women and youth.
She is married to Olukorede Adenowo. They have two sons.