Olusola Ogunowo, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Nationwide League One (NLO), literally, has sport running in his veins. The graduate of sports science, who joined the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) 18 years ago, in this interview Tunde Shamsudeen, speaks about NLO, love for sport and family life. Excerpts….
What personal joy have you derived in football administration so far? I derived joy in telling people the truth, letting people know the fact, how to work with the fact and if you can work with the fact then we can work together. I’m bold to anybody that I come across that we have to adhere by the rules.
What type of person is Olusola Ogunowo?
I’m a very free person, I’m an easy going person, I like facing the fact and I like telling people the truth. I don’t drink nor smoke.
What are your immediate and long-term objectives as the COO of the NLO?
My immediate objective is to make sure we have a good foundation for grassroots football in the country and my long-term objective is to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the developed countries, on the way they have taken their own grassroots football.
I’ve been studying the way they operate their leagues, the way the grassroots players do and I think I’m abreast with what is going on there, so I’m trying to see how we can bring in the ideas and put them into practice in the NLO.
Tell us about your family
I’m married to a very beautiful woman (Oluremi) and blessed with three (3) children and we live in Abuja.
Your job takes you away from your family every now and then. How has your family been coping?
My wife is used to it since we got married in 2001. She was tutored by Chief Mrs. Bukola Ogunjobi, and she told her before we got married to prepare her mind for my absence due to football calendars. That prepared her for the kind of person she’s going to marry.
When you’re at home with your family, do you engage yourself in any domestic house chores?
Yes, I do. Mostly, I assist my wife to sort out clothes for laundry and put them in the washing machine. Sometimes, I do iron and because of the love I have for cooking I cook most times because I grew up in hotel environment (Federal Palace Hotel).
I enjoy cooking, so, most times, I do tell my wife I’m going to cook and she will just sit back and I will do the cooking, serve and we all eat. I do assist my wife domestically and she enjoys my cooking anyway.
You always dress cute. What is your definition of fashion?
Dressing in what fits you, not in what other people are putting on because it might not be good on you. My definition of fashion is dress well, and dress smart.
I dress in what suits me, I dress in what makes me look good and I don’t think there’s a dress I cannot put on as long as am looking good on it.
What are the things you won’t be caught wearing?
I don’t think I get myself engaged in dirty things and I don’t think I will want to be seen wearing clothes that will not make me to be presentable. I try my best to wear clothes that make me look presentable and those are things I learnt from Al-Hassan Yakmut (you know he’s a power dresser). Because when I started working with him, the first thing he told me then was I must dress well to work because he can call me up at anytime to join him for a meeting.
Who’s your best designer?
I mostly put on H and M shirts, because H&M are purely cotton and good for Nigerian weather.
What’s your best colour?
Blue. I like blue.
As an astute football administrator, what’s your greatest joy?
My greatest joy for now is seeing Nationwide League One where it is today, because it has not been easy for NLO to be recognised, FIFA recognised, and I think it’s a good thing because for anybody to put their stake in any league they believe in their credibility.
One day you will leave this post as the Chief Operating Officer of the Nationwide League One. What are the legacies you want to be remembered for?
I want to set standard through hard work, because what brought me to this level is hard work and professionalism. And anybody that will take over from me will bring his own new ideas to improve on what is on ground.
What are messages to your numerous fans?
I want to implore the NLO family to believe in me, believe in the NLO, and we will continue to do our best. Though there are things we ought to have done, I want to state that we’re in the process of getting them done. We’re working day and night to make sure that we fulfil every promise made to all the clubs in the Nationwide League One.
