With the benefit of hindsight, Hamed Olugbenga Babajide Lawal, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Messrs Consteng Limited, known to some of his colleagues as HOB, sure has good cause to smile.
Having lost his father at five, little Hamed was left in the care of his poor mum and step father. It also took the benevolence of ‘Almighty Allah’ and a few ‘nice’ relatives for him to be educated.
He started his construction outfit, Consteng, derived from construction (i.e. Const) and Engineers (i.e. Eng) in 1982 with a paltry sum of N200, 000, but today the company’s assets run into hundreds of millions.
It, however, took determination and hard work to pilot the company to its present position. Apart from being the CEO of Consteng Limited, he has also held several positions in the Lions Club. He was elected the International Director (2009 – 2011) of the Lions Club International for India, South Asia, Africa and Middle East. Constitutional Area of Lions Clubs International at the Minneapolis Convention in July 2009. He is the first Nigerian, first West African and second Black African so elected to serve on the Board of the association.
Though he made his first million at 38, it was not a roller coaster journey for him.
“At the age of 38, naturally one would feel happy about that. You should be happy in the sense that one would conclude that finally, the Almighty God had rewarded my effort with laudable success. I must mention here that I thank Almighty God for making me survive all the tribulations in life.
“Life, for me, has not been a bed of roses. I grew up losing my father when I was a little younger than five. My father was a diplomat, my mum had little or no education but then she struggled on her own and later with the assistance of my step-father to bring us up. So after I left the university and I started working, it was okay, but the moment I ventured into the outside world, I went to do business on my own, I met with some difficulties, here and there. But I didn’t give up. I had an iron cast submission to succeed and I worked for it and my heart was glad when at the age of 38, I discovered that at least, God has rewarded all my past efforts to the extent that I was able, at least physically with my own eyes, see one million naira in my account.”
The initial plan of HOB was to become a medical doctor; unfortunately, fate played a cruel joke on him and he ended up being an engineer.
“I used to like and I still like stethoscope on the neck of doctors. I was actually given admission after my higher school certificate to study medicine. But I discovered that Biology was going to be a problem. I can’t read much but when it comes to mathematics or sciences, I’m at home. And I said to myself, I had to take a decision between what I want and what I had the capacity to do. So I wanted medicine, I did not have the capacity for it, so I faced engineering at Ahmadu Bello University. Originally, I was going to read electrical engineering, I don’t know what happened; I think I succumbed to pressure from friends and relations and other people.
“They asked a question before I changed my mind. I had not even entered the university and that was 1969. They asked the question that apart from NEPA, where else would I be able to work? I had no answer, but it was said that if I read civil engineering, government was capable of employing me. But there were many private companies that could employ me. Apart from that, it was easier for me to practise on my own.
The decisions he took in life has also helped him. While leaving the university, he made a covenant with God that he would not spend more than 10 years before starting his own outfit. And in the 10th year while working for someone, he quit to live his dream.
” When I left, I started civil engineering with some other Nigerians. Again, you know the Nigerian factor, we were doing very well; a kind of suspicion set in or so, a lot of things happened. I decided to opt out because naturally, I love peace, I don’t love controversy. Whenever I want to operate, I want to operate in a clean manner. So I moved out and started Consteng with other Nigerians. Then we have been grateful to God. We started Consteng in 1982 or so. Since then I’ve been the Managing Director to date,” HOB said with an air of satisfaction.
If he had wanted to do business outside Nigeria, he could have used his connection as the Director of Lions Club Africa and Middle East to invest abroad like others. But he chose Nigeria above other countries. “People like me have no other country than Nigeria whose corporate existence we very much believe in.
We have no other country and therefore, we just have to contend with all the problems, find solution to the problems, and be able to move ahead and that is why we’re still working”.
Though a hard worker, he hinges the success of Consteng to “Faith in Almighty Allah, commitment and dedication to the cause of the establishment.
He derives much joy as a member of Lions Club because it has afforded him the opportunity to join hands with like minds to provide succour to the less-fortunate ones. “Naturally my participation in club activities is financed through business success. However, there is a kind of reciprocity between the two.”
His commitments in Lions Club have in no way affected his business, as he has been able to cope effectively. “That is where reciprocity comes in. Through leadership training in a structured organisation like the Lions Club and appointment/election into top club positions, one is able to manage men and materials in the club. And this naturally rubs off on your business management. Over the years also, the company has developed engineers and staff who are dedicated, loyal and committed to the cause of the establishment. The era of IT has also tremendously helped in the management and monitoring of projects.”
While the demands of job make the Consteng boss work on Saturdays and Sundays, the days many people relax, he still finds time to give service to humanity through various activities in the Lions Club. He also spends his leisure time with his friend and grandchildren. ”I relax by staying in the company of friends, sharing jokes. I also relax by staying in the company of my grandchildren”.
Though he may not have a particular time for his holidays, yet he makes the best use of his international engagements and annual Umrah to spend his holidays.
Travelling is considered by many as part of leisure, HOB does not agree with this because “Leisure comes after concluding the primary purpose of travelling.”
