Hajia Lami Tumaka: Celebrating A Boardroom Amazon At 60

BY KEMI ASHEFON

Hajia Lami Tumaka is one of the rare northern women who would successfully break the ice ceilings in any male-dominated environment. A boardroom Amazon, she has set an example for others to follow. Innovative, enterprising and resourceful are just some of the words that best describe this gorgeous woman. A former image maker at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Lami Tumaka, who retired recently as a Director, Special Duties after 22 years of active service, also celebrated her 60th birthday. Life at 60? “I feel fulfilled. I must thank God for His abundant grace over my life and that of my family. I feel like I’m still 16,” she chuckled. She is lucky to have youthful looks which makes one think that she is still in her early 50s. Giving the credits to “the special grace of God,” she said, “I feel great and blessed, totally grateful to the almighty for my life of Grace. I'm yet to feel the ossification of the bones, but maybe further down the line I'll start feeling those things, for now certainly not. “I would offend God if I say that I cleanse my face and use powder and all those other stuff people apply on their skin. Of course, I am a woman and we all have different things we use on our skin. I use light moisturising cream due to the hot weather we witness in this part of the world. But I do not have a beauty regimen. This is because my greatest weakness, apart from savouring my grandchildren’s presence, is that I love to sleep!

“So, I don’t have time for a beauty routine but one thing I know is that I would not go to bed with make-up on my face. No matter how tired I am, I must cleanse my face. I walk, do water aerobics for exercise, eat healthily and live my life in moderation, no excesses for me” According to her, her lifestyle as regards diet has changed compared to when she was younger. She mentioned, “A woman of my age has to watch her biological clock. I am not diabetic but I eat more of protein, vegetable and fibre, I don’t take a lot of starch.” This brings us to her sense of style. A first encounter with Hajia Lami, as she is fondly called, would make you understand this about her style sense—not loud, not overly expensive or average, just impeccable and everything is in its proper place. From the turban on her head (which she wears regularly) to her lovely dresses especially the Abayas, and jewellery, she is an elegant woman. “By our tradition, we have to maintain a certain standard of dressing and the headgear is a major part of our dressing,” she said. Hajia Lami’s background provides an insight into the understanding of her overall sense of style. Once a news editor/presenter at the National Television Authority, Minna, she moved over to Peugeot Automobile Company, where she was the image maker. Then, she berthed at the then Nigerian Maritime Authority, now Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), where she served as the Deputy Director, Public Relations.

She retired as Director Special Duties with many awards including the Maritime Media Awards where she clinched the Public Relations Officer Of The Year 2011.

A graduate of English from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Hajia Lami, whose daughter, Haleema is her replica, bagged another degree in management coupled with a certificate in Public Relations. From her carriage and eloquence, she was able to sail through in all her portfolios at NIMASA. Back to her sense of style, Hajia Lami revealed that it is a matter of subjectivity. She reiterated that “I just retired recently and all through my service years, I would not describe myself as stylish. But I dress comfortably as the cliché goes. Also, I would not call myself a fashionable person but I’m a comfort dresser. There is a corporate dress code for the office, you have to look decent and presentable and be professionally dressed. What if I’m called to face the television at any time? At such times, I cannot say, ‘Oh! I am not properly dressed today.’ That should not be an excuse.”

She loves to spot bogus jewellery, doesn’t she? Smiling, Hajia said, “I guess it is because I have a round face. I believe if you have a round face, you need something bold to bring it out. I just found out that they fit me so I wear them.” What is the highest amount of money she would spend on jewellery? She replied, “I don’t spend much. I don’t think it is about the amount you spend on clothes or jewellery—the most expensive is necessarily not the best. For me, I think it is what suits you, it might be the cheapest but if it comes out nice on you, it serves its purpose. Even the very expensive ones may not come out well on the wearer; coupled with the fact that nowadays, there are a lot of these costume jewellery around, they serve the same purpose because they are nicely made. “That does not mean once in a while, you cannot go for the genuine article but I would not break a bank to buy jewellery.” She loves shoes but she would fall for any good bags! “I can’t tell you the number of shoes I have but I can tell you that I love my bags. I don’t compromise on my bags; they have to be the best,” she enthused.

At over 60 years, Tumaka would tell you that she is fulfilled as a woman. “I am eternally grateful to God because my daughter is my only child. But then, I am a mother and a grandmother. I have a daughter who has made me a proud grandmother with grandchildren who put sparkle in my life.” Her likes and dislikes? Her response: “My greatest weakness is that I trust people easily; I take people at their face value until they give me cause not to trust them and once I find out that they have been untrustworthy, I am put off. I admire people who are loyal.” How does she intend to spend life after retirement?

“I have worked to the glory of God for 22 years and retired at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) at Apapa. We are all conversant with the hell that is Apapa and I worked happily there for 22 years. So if on retirement I decide to put my feet up and relax, nobody would begrudge me for that. I'm giving myself a grace period of three to six months, traveling the world, after which I'll decide on the next line of action for myself. Remember, I would need to be positively engaged to keep body and soul together (laughs). I intend to spend quality time with my family, friends and of course my gorgeous grand-daughters; Believe me they are a blessing from the almighty.”