Captain Adeola Ogunmola Sowemimo is a remarkable success in a male-dominated industry. She pilots long-haul flights for Qatar Airways and is the first female pilot from Nigeria to operate a Boeing 787. Her experience demonstrates that anyone can achieve great things, regardless of gender, with the correct support, hard effort, and determination.
Women are assuming roles that were formerly seen as "for men only" all around the world. This change is also occurring in the aviation industry, and Captain Adeola is a prime example of how women can thrive in traditionally male-dominated fields.
Captain Adeola is a 31-year-old making history. She is the first female Nigerian pilot for Qatar Airways, operating the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
This cutting-edge aircraft can travel at Mach 0.85, or roughly 1,024 km/h. With this amazing aircraft, Adeola transports 250 passengers around the globe securely. It wasn't a simple road for her to become a Dreamliner pilot. The tale of Adeola is one of tenacity, bravery, and a passion for aviation. On October 16, 1990, Adeola was born in Kaduna, Nigeria. Due to difficulties including religious disagreements, she attended multiple schools in Kaduna and Ibadan. Adeola persevered in her studies and graduated from First Baptist Model High School in Kaduna in 2007 despite these obstacles.
She enrolled in a pre-degree program at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) in Oyo State after finishing her secondary education However, she enrolled at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology in Zaria once her love of flying took over. She finished her aviation training in 2009 and 2010 and then proceeded to Sunrise Aviation Inc. in Florida, USA, for additional training. Adeola began her flying career in Nigeria after completing her pilot training. Adeola started flying Boeing 737s as a First Officer with Medview Airlines in Lagos in 2013. Her rapid skill advancement led to her being promoted to pilot the Boeing 767-300ER. However, her greatest achievement occurred in 2018 when she became the first Nigerian woman to pilot a Boeing when she joined Qatar Airways.
Her abilities have allowed her to fly the Boeing 767 on transatlantic flights, and in 2020 she began operating the Lagos to Abuja route for Qatar Airways. Adeola now stands with other notable African women pilots such as Asli Hassan Abade, the first female aviator in Somalia, and Chinyere Kalu, the first female commercial pilot in Nigeria. In addition to being a skilled pilot, Captain Adeola is a mother and a wife. On April 22, 2017, she wed Seun Funmi Olamilekan Sowemimo, and the two of them are parents to a family.
Adeola has demonstrated that it is possible to balance her personal and professional lives, even though it is not an easy feat. There is more to Captain Adeola Ogunmola Sowemimo than meets the eye. She is a symbol of optimism, tenacity, and the belief that everything is possible for women who set their minds to it. Young African girls can draw inspiration from her tale and realize that, with enough work, they too can achieve their goals. Adeola's experience serves as a reminder that no matter how high the barrier, it can be broken with perseverance and hard effort.
