Mayen Adetiba facts for kids

Mayen Adetiba (born in 1954) is a super talented Nigerian woman. She is famous for being both an actress and a civil engineer. Imagine being great at two very different things!

Her Early Life and Dreams

Mayen Adetiba was born in Nigeria in 1954. When she was young, she first thought about becoming an accountant. But soon, her interests changed. She became very keen on journalism instead.

Acting Career

Mayen Adetiba became a well-known actress. She worked on a show called The Bar Beach Show. She also played the role of Lakunle Ojo's wife in Village Headmaster. This was a very popular TV show. In 1980, she appeared in the film Kongi's Harvest.

Studying in the United States

After her acting work, Mayen decided to go to the United States for university. It was a bit tough because her parents could not send her money. This was due to rules about sending money out of Nigeria. So, she had to work to support herself while studying.

She first went to New York University. Later, she moved to Columbia University. She started studying electrical engineering there. But then, she heard that civil engineering might be more useful in Africa. So, she made a big decision to switch her studies.

A Pioneer in Engineering

When Mayen switched to study Civil Engineering at Columbia University, she was very unique. She was not only the only Nigerian student in her class. She was also the only black girl on the entire course! This shows how determined and brave she was. After Columbia, she went on to get her master's degree. She studied at Cornell University.

Family Life

Mayen Adetiba married Dele Adetiba. They have three children together. Their daughter, Kemi Adetiba, was born in Lagos in January 1980. Kemi later became a famous filmmaker and director.

A Leader in Engineering

Mayen Adetiba has achieved many important things in her engineering career. She was elected as the President of the Association of Consulting Engineers of Nigeria. This is a very important role. She also served as the vice-president of the Nigerian Society of Engineers three times!

She made history by being the first woman ever elected to the executive committee of the Nigerian Society of Engineers. This was a huge step for women in engineering in Nigeria.

Notable Projects

Mayen Adetiba has worked on many big projects. One of them was the African Union Southern Africa Regional Office. This office is located in Malawi. She also worked on the huge Summerhill Baptist Church in Lagos. She did this work pro bono, which means she did it for free to help the community.

"King Women" Interview

In 2017, Mayen Adetiba was a special guest on her daughter Kemi's show. The show was called "King Women". Kemi Adetiba interviewed her own mother about her life and experiences. Mayen joined other amazing women who had been on the show. These included Chigul, Taiwo Ajai-Lycett, TY Bello, and Tara Durotoye.