Meet Nigeria’s First Female Boeing 787 Pilot

Adeola Ogunmola Sowemimo is the first Nigerian female to fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliner for Qatar Airways, and she flew the Boeing 767 Aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean.

Sowemimo hails from Ogbomoso, in Oyo State Nigeria, and graduated from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology.

After her pilot training, she flew off to Florida in the United States for her standard pilot course. On finishing her training at the age of 21, Sowemimo returned to university in Nigeria to complete her education.

Sowemimo joined Medview operations Abuja in 2013 till October 2018, first as a ‘First officer’ on Boeing 737 classic and was later upgraded to Boeing 767-300ER.

In October 2018, she joined Qatar Airways and became the first Nigerian woman to fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

In 2020, Qatar Air operated its inaugural flight to Abuja, Nigeria, and Sowemimo was in the right seat as she assisted Captain Khan Sameer Ali.

Taking to Twitter at the time, the Director-General, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri, celebrated the achievement and said: “Today Qatar Air operated its inaugural flight to Abuja, Nigeria. And our own Adeola Ogunmola Sowemimo was on the right seat as she assisted Captain Khan Sameer Ali.

“Adeola is the first Nigerian female Boeing 787 Pilot and the first Nigerian female Pilot to fly for Qatar Airways.”