Damilola Olutosin Katibi

As a child, Damilola (Dami) Katibi, Senior Counsel at Vale Base Metals (VBM), had dreams of becoming an actress.

However, when asked what steered her towards a career in law rather than the silver screen, Dami said there was a major stumbling block to her ever earning an Oscar.

“Unfortunately, I had trouble memorizing my lines in secondary school plays, so I had to pivot.”

“Law was just something that everyone associated with me,” Dami said, attributing this connection to her inquisitive nature and knack for communication. “And I guess I always knew law was in my future!”

Dami’s story is the first in our special series honouring Black History Month. Aligned with the 2024 theme, “Celebrating Black Excellence,” this series will explore the unique career paths of three VBM employees, and how each of these professionals have navigated their careers, contributed to their fields and enriched our workplaces with their perspectives and experience.

Growing up in Nigeria, Dami constantly battled the gender norms ingrained in the West African country’s patriarchal society.