It is not every day you see someone make history twice; Portable did. No, Not that Portable but Fatimah Ayo Zubair,a graduate of History and International Studies, University of Ilorin.s
Despite the belief that politics is a dirty game,she made history, not just once, but twice. She was the first female Sport Director of her department, and as if that wasn't enough, she became the first female Sport Director for her faculty too.
How did she do it? What were the challenges, and how can you do it too? She told us, and we're telling you all about it.
Who is Portable: The Emerging Leader and Humanist
Fatima Ayo Zubair, popularly addressed as Portable is a graduate of history and international studies, university of Ilorin, who is a sportsperson, an emerging leader and a humanist.
Her aspiration to lead started from her 200-level days. Though she confessed that she doesn't have an interest in politics at all and still doesn't, she loves leadership. She calls herself an emerging leader because she believes she is still learning, and will continue to learn so she can lead others.
Portable also explained her role as a humanist: ", I'm very keen on humanity. That's just me and I try as much as possible to make a change in the little way I can.." because she "doesn't like seeing people in a sorry state."
The Unlikely Politician: From Student Athlete to Sports Director
Combining being a student athlete together with being a student politician is not an easy task and she had earlier told us “I am not a big fan of politics.” but one would still wonder how someone that is not interested in politics found herself in it.
While she didn't just decide to run immediately, when she was in 200 level, she worked closely with the former departmental Sport Director, Sogah. He saw her zeal in sports and was the one who even bought her form to contest.. “As at the time he even told me, I was still like, "I'm not still interested." She said. But her leaders and brothers pushed her, telling her, "You are the best person to take up this position’.
When she announced her intention, the support as she described it “was just so massive."
“I realized that my success could never be only mine. If you take up a responsibility and find out you're the only one doing everything, you need to check yourself. I had people who supported me; people who saw me as their leader and made themselves available. You must serve first before they can serve you. That's the reality.” she continued.
“So, you can't succeed if you're doing things alone oh. Because if Tinubu can have Minister of this, Minister of that, who am I? Who am I to carry all the load on my shoulder? It's not possible. So, even the best of position, you need people's support, because leadership is never easy”
When we asked her how she was able to balance both commitments with her academics, she responded “ well, I'm someone who really knows how to manage my time. So, being an athlete didn't stop me from contesting at the same time”
Breaking Barriers: Being a Female Leader in a Male Dominated Field.
Stepping into the traditionally male-dominated sports sector, as the first female sports director brought challenges, including people trying to “own” the team and downplay her efforts because she was female but she faced this head on and won their trust. “My strategy was to show workings rather than just talking.” she said. “Once I'm learned in what I'm doing, I can challenge anybody. If they are talking, I ignore them and let my actions speak.”
“I am very strict, and a lot of people see me as a woman that is too strict. But when you are strict, you will get what you want. You don't have to be too lenient so that people will not disrespect you” she said.
One key action that earned her respect was taking the departmental team down to KWASU( Kwara State University ) to play a friendly match. She stood up for herself and the female gender, guided by the belief: "Whatever a man can do, a woman can do better."
Managing the Pressure: A Week in the Life of Portable
Portable’s busiest time was during the FASA (Faculty of Arts Student Association) League when she was the faculty Sports Director which involved three match days a week. “A match starts by 8:00am and ends by 3:00pm” she said.
Due to the intensity, she had to be present always to make sure everything is going as it should, “There's always a clash in playing time. I might be given 8:00 AM, other two people might also be given 8:00 AM. So, we have to just compromise.”
The intensity forced her to skip two important lectures. Most times, She would still be up past midnight calculating stats with assistants, like Bissaka and Kante. Portable faced confrontations, including arguing with the Faculty Legislative Council.
She also had to ensure she was disciplined with her time, knowing that "if you want to leave this place by 2:00 PM, 2:05 shouldn't meet you there." She always drafted her plan for the next day before sleeping to prevent forgetting an important task.
Portable’s Guide: 5 Keys to Student Success
Portable summarised her experience into five essential traits for student success:
- Be Learned: "Don't aspire for something when you know that you are not learned in it."
- Time Management: Be very disciplined with your time.
- Be Humble: "You must be humble."
- Be Friendly: "Don't be too mean."
- Be a Leader, Not a Boss: "You have to work with them and show them that you are doing your part too."
A Lesson For The Nexweaver
When we asked her about the specific opportunities she leveraged on campus, she revealed that her greatest support was her friends but she associated more off-campus than on-campus, especially with sports organizations at the Kwara stadium. Her advice for students seeking opportunities is two-fold:
Network: "If you volunteer, you network with people indirectly."
Lecturers: Your lecturers are people you should relate well with. They often provide useful information and opportunities that aren't known to others.
