My name is Ifueko M. Omoigui Okauru. I am the middle child of my parents and the only girl. I am married to Mr. Asishana Bayo Okauru and we have four children. I hold a First-Class Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Lagos, Nigeria where I was a Chevron Scholar and valedictorian of the graduating class, a Master’s of Science degree in Management Science from Imperial College, London on a Commonwealth scholarship and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University, Cambridge MA. I am a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN). I have served in various leadership positions and hold several awards including two national honors: “Member of the Order of the Niger (MON)” and “Member of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (MFR)”.

What do you do/where do you work?

I have a number of roles and responsibilities.

1. My primary engagement is as Managing Partner (and Lead Consultant) of Compliance Professionals Plc. – a compliance and management consulting firm that supports organisations, especially those with affiliations to the Public Sector to comply with current and changing rules and regulations. This role flows directly from my immediate past engagement as Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Chairman of the Nigeria Joint Tax Board (JTB) between 2004 to 2012 (the first and only female till date) – where I played a pivotal role in driving tax reforms at the Federal and State levels. Accordingly, our work covers performance audits, restructuring and strategy consulting.
2. Other existing roles and responsibilities include that of:a. Founder and Adviser to ReStraL Ltd, a strategy, change management and organisational development consulting firm I set up in 1996. ReStraL owns and manages the Franklin Covey license (www.franklincovey.com) for Anglophone West Africa covering Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Franklin Covey (FC) is a global company specializing in performance improvement, helping organisations achieve results that require a change in human behavior. FC solutions address improvements in Leadership, Productivity, Sales Performance, Trust, Execution, and Customer Loyalty. The motto of ReStraL Ltd is continually seeking the better way, so the goal is not just consulting but to ultimately ensure we add continuous value to whoever we serve.b. Founding member of the Board of Trustees and Chief Program Officer of DAGOMO Foundation Nigeria Ltd/GTE. DAGOMO is a family based Non-Governmental Organization geared towards building a community that values ageing and dying with dignity.

   c. Independent Non-Executive Director of the following public organisations – Central Security and Clearing System (CSCS) PLC, Nigeria Breweries PLC and Seplat Petroleum Development Company PLC; In these organisations, I also serve on board committees as Chair or member.

   d. Chairman of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF).

   e. Commissioner of the Independent Commission for the Reform of International Corporate Taxation

   f. Chairman of the Nigeria Tax Research Network 

How did you come about the decision of what you currently do? 

What I currently do has evolved from being intensely focused on whatever I do at any point and striving to do such very well. It has also evolved from a zest for continuous self-reflection and reappraisal of my strengths and weaknesses. I try not to dwell too much on weaknesses and failures. But to learn from such and then adjust as may be required. In that mode, I find that opportunities somehow open up to me as people seek individuals that fit a particular role.

In deciding on my choice of study in University, I was driven by what I felt will enable me excel. Hence, I chose Accounting, inspite of being able to study from a range of other considered professions such as Architecture, Engineering and Surveying.

In deciding my choice of profession – Management Consulting, I was led by the need to constantly discover myself as opportunities emerged. Switching whenever I felt I wasn’t fulfilled doing whatever I was doing. I settled into a life time career in consulting, having discovered it aligned with my creativity, sense of logic and passion to make change happen either in organisations that I serve, my country, Africa or Globally. I was also lucky to have people who positively influenced these choices – my parents, my teachers and my bosses at work. 

What I currently do has evolved from being intensely focused on whatever I do at any point and striving to do such very well. It has also evolved from a zest for continuous self-reflection and reappraisal of my strengths and weaknesses.

In deciding to be a founder of a business, I never considered myself as an entrepreneur but rather as someone seeking to create a place where I could be myself and have the freedom to think and do what I felt was the right thing to do at a time. In retrospect, I should also have developed the skills as an entrepreneur, a situation I am correcting now, after the fact.

My board appointments arose unsolicited. I had not thought of a career as a Board Director or Chairman, until the opportunities to do so came up. My decision to sit on boards, was driven by the fact that it aligned with my need to play a stronger role in Corporate Governance. It is also borne out of the reality that as we age, our role needs to shift from that of being a hands-on person to one that is advisory and allowing others to play the hands-on role. The corporate governance roles I play completely aligns with what I love doing.

As a person, I feel most fulfilled when I am free to think and be myself. That ultimately drives who and what I become and the choices I make.

What are some of the career choices that have led you to this point? 

After graduating from the University of Lagos, I started my career at Arthur Andersen & Co. (now split into three firms – KPMG Professional Services, Accenture and Andersen Tax) where I worked across the broad spectrum of Audit, Tax and Consulting services. I became partner and head of the firm’s successful strategy consulting practice before I left in 1996 to establish ReStraL Ltd, a Leadership and Management services organisation. ReStraL was born out of a desire to evolve consulting solutions tailored to the African environment as well as create the ideal place I would like to work in. I was primarily driven by the need to understand the underpinnings of factors needed to change Nigeria (and Africa) as well as add value to organizations through change in mindsets and human behavior.

At a transition point of reflection in my life, I was headhunted and appointed as the first female Executive Chairman of the FIRS and Chairman of the JTB. It was a fantastic opportunity to take advantage of. I am thankful to all those that made this happen.

I spearheaded comprehensive tax reforms that led to development of a national tax policy, modification of tax legislation and remarkable improvement in the effectiveness of Tax Administration. I served for two statutory terms and completed my tenure in 2012. I was also a part-time member of the United Nations (UN) Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters between 2009 and 2013.

After completing my tenure at FIRS, I needed time for family as well as to reflect on my life.  I took up the advice of my husband to go for additional studies. I applied and was admitted to Harvard for a Master’s degree in Public Administration. It was a great year of reflection.

During that same time, I needed to work on other areas that I had not given priority attention during my eight-year stint at the FIRS.

ReStraL was born out of a desire to evolve consulting solutions tailored to the African environment as well as create the ideal place I would like to work in. I was primarily driven by the need to understand the underpinnings of factors needed to change Nigeria (and Africa) as well as add value to organizations through change in mindsets and human behavior. 

ReStraL needed my attention and I returned in an advisory capacity to refocus ReStraL on managing the Franklin Covey license. I took this decision deliberately even at personal cost, as I was convinced that the products and services offered were needed in the markets we served. One product that had made significant impact on my life and who I had become is the “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”. I needed to drive the process of offering others – individuals and organisations, the same product that had “changed my life” positively.

I became more active in ensuring DAGOMO Foundation become more operational after it was setup by family members in 2007. In my role at the foundation, I am driven by the sheer absence of social and physical infrastructure to serve a group that have given their best to their country, community or family and yet as they age and become more dependent on society, the society is not in a position to serve them in their time of need. I am also driven by the need to see the elderly as part of the society, participating and sharing their experiences as may be required to help mold the succeeding generation.

This role took added significance in 2016, after watching my late mother unsuccessfully battle for survival in Nigeria’s healthcare system. Increasingly, I find that beyond the need to focus attention on aging and dying with dignity in the Nigeria and Africa space, attention to affordable and qualitative healthcare is an area significant value can be created.

My role in DAGOMO is supported through my leadership of Compliance Professionals Plc, which currently serves as a major funding partner to DAGOMO as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility.

In my role at the foundation, I am driven by the sheer absence of social and physical infrastructure to serve a group that have given their best to their country, community or family and yet as they age and become more dependent on society, the society is not in a position to serve them in their time of need.

What inspires or drives you, why do you do what you do?

Everything I do is inspired by one underlying goal; to make an impact. All my career choices, roles, businesses and educational choices have been geared towards making impact and bringing about change and development particularly in Nigeria.

What are some personal attributes/skills/habits that have helped you get here and helps you in keeping up with the demands of what you currently do?

1. Result Orientation: I set huge goals and I am driven to achieve those goals. Goals for me can be summarized as making an impact, so I do not just set out to do something just because I want to do it, rather I do it because I want to make a certain impact or effect a certain change. 

2. Intense Focus: My result orientation mindset keeps me focused and undeterred by hiccups or challenges along the path or journey to achieve those results. Once I have my goals and I make up my mind that this is where I want to be or what I want to do, I am ready to go the whole stretch. This result-oriented mindset was driven into consciousness from my early days and was a main driver of me aiming for the top of my class. 

3. Personal Sacrifice: I do this to a fault. I also understand the concept of personal sacrifice. At the heart of my personal attributes is result orientation, but I know these results cannot be obtained without being willing to make sacrifices or tough decisions.

4. Money as enabler NOT Incentive/Prudence: I see Money as an enabler and the outcome of what I do not why I should do what I do. Money is therefore not an incentive for me, rather I view it as an enabler. This may be because I was borne into a middle-class household where basic comforts where provided. Yet, I know others with the same background who think differently. That’s a possible area of research!!! This attitude has supported my ability to focus without getting distracted by the quest for financial gain. What I have found with time, is that if you work hard, stay focused, and be patient (If you can), money comes. Money in itself does not give fulfillment. Achievement does. Tied to my perspective on money is my ability to be prudent and make cost effective decisions.

I set huge goals and I am driven to achieve those goals. Goals for me can be summarized as making an impact, so I do not just set out to do something just because I want to do it, rather I do it because I want to make a certain impact or effect a certain change…Once I have my goals and I make up my mind that this is where I want to be or what I want to do, I am ready to go the whole stretch.

5. Personal Discipline and Resolve: This can be regarded as a sum of my focus, personal sacrifice and being prudent. It’s an extremely important habit that has helped a lot in taking decisions that turned out to be worthwhile. This has also helped me to not get discouraged when things do not work out as expected. There was a time during my tenure in FIRS, when the incumbent president was to launch a planned activity and then it got changed and someone else did it. The choice of person to launch the activity had become political inspite of the fact that the program had been planned and approved. I recall that my husband who was present at the event, was surprised that I displayed no emotion and just went ahead like nothing had happened. I responded that getting annoyed would not help the process. What was important was for the event to hold, which it did. This is how I approach issues and it is also closely tied to my resolve. Having a strong sense of resolve means I am not bothered by how complex a journey or process may be, I focus on what can keep me on track to achieving my goal. This strong sense of resolve also helps me see opportunities in challenges so rather than get discouraged by complexities, I focus on what I can do to unravel the complexities.

…This is how I approach issues and it is also closely tied to my resolve. Having a strong sense of resolve means I am not bothered by how complex a journey or process may be, I focus on what can keep me on track to achieving my goal. This strong sense of resolve also helps me see opportunities in challenges so rather than get discouraged by complexities, I focus on what I can do to unravel the complexities.

6. Reflection and Introspection: I do a lot of introspection, this is the quality that has made me evolve over time. I do a lot of self-evaluation, self-correction and hold myself accountable for my actions. If things are not going well or as expected, I stop and introspect and ask, could I have done it differently? I go inwards to evaluate, so I continually seek the better way which is the ReStraL motto when I founded it. Introspection helps me stay objective and avoid internalizing any sense of not having done well enough. For example, when I left FIRS, I was so drained out that I said to myself, I am never going to work in government again, I am sure there must be a better way to help Nigeria. I went to Harvard thereafter. My time there served as a big introspection period for me. I would talk to some of my professors and tell them I did not achieve much during my time in FIRS and left feeling drained, but they encouraged me to sit, evaluate and write what I was able to accomplish during my tenure and this helped me see my time in FIRS in a different light. I am grateful to my husband for influencing that decision of going to Harvard. I am also grateful to all those persons I meet on the road, at airports, staff, non-staff, general public, who constantly give me feedback on what I have done right or not done. Introspection also helps me understand my strengths and weaknesses which plays a big role in my decision making. For example, when I was going to make my career choices, architecture appealed to me. However, after evaluating my strengths and weaknesses and asking myself if my creative ability was suited for the field of architecture, I decided I wasn’t likely to be the best architect around. I therefore erred on taking a practical decision to study accounting. Also, understanding my strengths and weaknesses helps me make choices that leverage on my strengths and work on my weaknesses rather than dwell on them. For example, I tend to take a more logical approach in my decision making which can be regarded as harsh because women are expected to be more emotional. Instead of dwelling on not appearing emotional or considering it a weakness as a woman, I try to balance it by ensuring I work with people who are more emotional to balance my logical way of reasoning.

What I have found with time, is that if you work hard, stay focused, and be patient (If you can), money comes. Money in itself does not give fulfillment. Achievement does.

7. Creativity and Continuous Improvement: Finally, I approach everything I do like an artist. I consider my role as a consultant like that of an artist who wants to create beauty. So anytime I am given something to work on, I look at it like I am given a plain sheet to draw on and my advice or strategy is what gives beauty to those who are coming to me. This was the same mindset I had when I started my job at FIRS. I had not worked in the Government prior to my appointment. Aside from the significant impression made on me by President Obasanjo at the time, and the economic reform team led by Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, that I was to be a part of, the clincher in taking on the appointment was when the then Permanent Secretary to Mr. President, Mr. Steve Oronsaye, explained what was expected of me; that I should leverage on the outcome of a Study Group report on the Nigerian Tax system, and do whatever I felt was needed to achieve the President’s Economic Agenda. This aligned completely with my innermost self – having the freedom to design, act and achieve results that would impact the Country. That whole process led to a lot of comprehensive tax reforms – development of a national tax policy, modification of tax legislations and remarkable improvement in the effectiveness of Tax Administration in Nigeria. 

I do a lot of introspection, this is the quality that has made me evolve over time. I do a lot of self-evaluation, self-correction and hold myself accountable for my actions. If things are not going well or as expected, I stop and introspect and ask, could I have done it differently? I go inwards to evaluate, so I continually seek the better way which is the ReStraL motto when I founded it.

Do you have a spiritual practice? If so, has this influenced or helped you in your work or decisions in anyway? 

I am a Catholic, a fervent believer in the Catholic faith which recognizes all religions, but not as devout as I should be. I say short prayers before I do anything. I believe in God’s power. After all is said and done, I believe in doing your best and leaving the rest to God. I also believe that all of my ways and paths have been designed by God. I submit myself completely to Him. 

One more thing you intend to do or are working towards 

I have on my bucket list of things I still need to do:

1. Research on why Nigeria/Africa isn’t making progress as fast as we want it to.
2. Understanding our ethnic heritage and social cultural psyche. I am currently working with other contributors to write a book on this.

Hopefully, 1) and 2) should culminate in doctoral research on the psychology of Nigeria and how to change the psyche

3. Produce and be one of the lead singers in a musical recording of my Mom’s favorite hymns

Also, understanding my strengths and weaknesses helps me make choices that leverage on my strengths and work on my weaknesses rather than dwell on them. For example, I tend to take a more logical approach in my decision making which can be regarded as harsh because women are expected to be more emotional. Instead of dwelling on not appearing emotional or considering it a weakness as a woman, I try to balance it by ensuring I work with people who are more emotional to balance my logical way of reasoning.

Other insights or words of wisdom/encouragement you would like to share with the readers? 

1. No one knows tomorrow; do your best but don’t push yourself to a breaking point– work and relax (in your own unique way);
2. We are all unique and different, spend time discovering yourself, this is how you find out your purpose, passions, abilities and capabilities;
3. We all have difficulties that we choose not to talk about, so no person’s life is perfect; Do not dwell on difficulties; focus on solutions;
4. Be happy with yourself and focused on what and who you want to be;
5. Let your actions be driven by principles not just values. For example, if you value success, then understand that success is a process – we need to be patient with ourselves in achieving the success we seek;
6. Don’t stay static, continue to evolve with your knowledge of self and your environment;
7. We get tested as we proceed on our life’s journey, learn from successes, failures and mistakes and move on.

Thank you

Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru

My name is Gabriel Okeowo and I am a male Nigerian citizen. My background is in behavioural science (Bsc. Sociology). I also have a Master’s Degree in Project Development and Implementation (MPDI) and a Certificate in Data Processing and Management Information System (DPMIS). I am a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM). I have also engaged in several other professional trainings aimed at making me the best in my career.

What do you do/where do you work?

I am presently the general manager of BudgIT Foundation. I am responsible for the overall organizational strategy, managing the various departments/project teams within the organization, interfacing with donors, raising funds for projects, reviewing organizational plans and budgets as well as overseeing brand visibility strategy.

How did you come about the decision of what you currently do? What are some of the career choices that have led you to this point?

My choices have always been influenced by my passion for enhancing the lives of people, especially marginalized people. Over the last ten years, I have worked with various reputable local and international organizations for the marginalized population across five West African countries where I have handled complex responsibilities and managed both human and other resources to a judicious productivity.

I started contributing to developing and empowering my community right after graduation. I was trained as a peer educator and immediately adopted a school where I trained over 80 adolescents on topics relating to Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS.

My choices have always been influenced by my passion for enhancing the lives of people, especially marginalized people. Gabriel Okeowo

I decided to make myself versatile and broaden my opportunities, so I enrolled in a French school to acquire a second international language asides English. This decision gave me an advantage in securing a job as a Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist on a regional project that prevents/reduces the prevalence of HIV/AIDS across West Africa transport corridor.

I specifically worked in the social marketing component where I interacted with long distance drivers, border uniform men & women, commercial sex workers and men sleeping with men. I later joined a child-focused organization; SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria as a program manager, where I led the successful implementation of a five-year Dutch Government funded community-based Family Strengthening Program (FSP) in a multi-cultural community. The program addressed the root causes of poverty and marginalization of children through investment in socio-economic development of communities and families, by enhancing the capacities of individuals, local groups and parties that impact most on child wellbeing. Having successfully implemented the FSP towards sustainability, I was promoted to the position of the National Coordinator – FSP, where I led the strategic development and implementation of programs within the national association. I guided and supported seven program locations and coordinators and over twenty other staff directly involved in the implementation of FSPs. I handled several project portfolios with the average overall budget of over $10m from divers funding base which includes subsidy from SOS International, Dutch Foreign Ministry, European Union, and Alcatel Lucent Foundation among others. I facilitated joint development of national plans and ensure their effective implementation.

Mentorship has also greatly influenced my career decision, my passion for marginalized population started after relating closely with a mentor during my undergraduate days Dr. John Ojo who at that time crossed over from working in the clinics to working with development organizations. His move spurred my curiosity so I asked him many questions, all of which exposed me to more opportunities available to me as a sociologist. This set the fire in my belly and I began to nurse the ambition of working for development organizations too. Since them, other qualifications, training and exposure I acquired afterwards was aimed at advancing this ambition.

All of this experience has given me the opportunity to relate with different people, environments, cultures, develop a very strong sense of responsibility, effective interpersonal skills and the ability to build a team and effectively contribute to teamwork, even in high-pressure environments.

In July 2017, I took a break from paid employment at the SOS Children’s Villages to strengthen the structure and processes of Adufe Farm Foods, a business I established in January 2017. I spent six months focusing full time on that business before joining BudgIT. This experience further helped me develop my leadership and management skills.

I decided to make myself versatile and broaden my opportunities, so I enrolled in a French school to acquire a second international language asides English. Gabriel Okeowo.

What inspires or drives you, why do you do what you do?

Passion drives me, identifying my passion for enhancing the lives of underprivileged and/or  marginalized people has driven my choices. Also the drive to succeed drives me daily. However, success is relatively defined. So, what I consider success may not necessarily be another person’s definition of success. Success for me is progression in my career, life, my relationship with God and number of lives that are discovering direction and purpose by the counsel, mentorship and support I give them.

Mentorship has also greatly influenced my career decision, my passion for marginalized population started after relating closely with a mentor during my undergraduate days…Gabriel Okeowo.

What skills or habits did you develop along the way that helped you get here?

I put God first in all that I do, I believe reliance on God for direction is the best habit I have cultivated over the years and has helped me to get to where I am today. The next thing is developing a hardworking and resilient spirit. I believe that God causes a person to be favored but it is with hard work and resilience that you sustain and maintain what you have been favored with.

Another important factor is integrity and honesty. Integrity is important as it keeps a person successful over time. I have been exposed to quick and fraudulent ways to get rich but I never explored any of them and I have made it a principle to stick with integrity and not be enticed by quick get rich schemes. I strongly believe that being hardworking, resilient and sticking to integrity will bring blessings of God that adds no sorrow. I am not where I want to be neither do I have the most expensive material items, but I am able to live a good life with my family and provide for their needs with the legit income I make and I trust that it will keep getting better.

I have made it a principle to stick with integrity and not be enticed by quick get rich schemes. Gabriel Okeowo

It is also important that even as a leader, you have a teachable spirit. This is necessary as it keeps you open to learn what you would not have known if you always consider yourself superior or more knowledgeable than others. Also proactiveness and patience. I have had to learn the virtue of patience as it is necessary when dealing with people as leader. I also strive to keep building capacity, not just for myself but for others, especially people I work with as increased capacity enhances implementation of tasks and programs. I have also learned how to multi task and find a balance for all aspects of my life that are important to me, which is my family, my work and my involvement in ministry work. Finding the right balance helps a person forge ahead.

I believe that God causes a person to be favored but it is with hard work and resilience that you sustain and maintain what you have been favored with. Gabriel Okeowo

What is the most challenging thing you have to deal with in your work or business and how do you tackle it?

My greatest challenge is the increasing knowledge gap I need to fill as I advance in my career in order to keep me relevant and positioned for better opportunity. This gap not only serves as a challenge but remains a constant drive for me to keep learning and become better. Another thing I have found challenging is managing people’s expectation. I have had to learn the balance between meeting up with what is necessary and dealing with the pressure of other expectations that may remain unmet at that moment.

Do you have a spiritual practice? If so, has this influenced or helped you in your work or decisions in anyway

Yes, I am a Christian and I have deep relationship with God. I consider this relationship the number one factor that has determined what I have become today. I enjoy the ministry of the Holy Spirit and He has been leading me since I was a teenager. So, asides having passion, mentors, skills and habits, the leading of the Holy Spirit has been my constant guide and anchor, leading me in the way/what I should do per time.

One More Thing you intend to do or are working towards and some steps/decisions/skills you are making/learning to achieve it ?

I am working towards acquiring an advanced degree in Public Administration. I am also considering enrolling in a leadership course in a recognized institution. This is all geared towards enhancing my skills and competence to maintain the leadership role I presently occupy as well as increasing my capacity as I forge ahead in my career.

It is also important that even as a leader, you have a teachable spirit. This is necessary as it keeps you open to learn what you would not have known if you always consider yourself superior or more knowledgeable than others. Gabriel Okeowo

Other words of wisdom/encouragement;

My biggest advice to anyone would be find what you are passionate about and be consistent. Success is found in consistency. Connect with people who can mentor you, this can expose you to ideas you did not know. Also, remain grounded spiritually, I really believe when a person is consistent and diligent and walks with God, He blesses such individual and provides support and insight to reach beyond their background and break barriers.

My greatest challenge is the increasing knowledge gap I need to fill as I advance in my career in order to keep me relevant and positioned for better opportunity. This gap not only serves as a challenge but remains a constant drive for me to keep learning and become better. Gabriel Okeowo

My name is Ore-Oluwa Ekanem Solana, a trained Pharmacologist turned entrepreneur. I run a series of businesses under my company, Bedazzle Innovations Multi-Services Limited and also own a budding personal brand as a business coach/strategy planner. I currently work part-time as Head of Strategy and Business development at Kentparse consulting, a marketing firm based in Lagos, Nigeria. I am married; Christian and totally in love with all that I do (Business is fun!). In my not so many spare times, I sing, dance, watch movies, read, and travel and host a few mini-get-togethers. 

How did you come about the decision of what you currently do/a brief history of your career choices that have led you up to this point? 

My current career path borders around strategy planning and business development and I’d say this career path chose me. Years ago, I was fresh out of school with a degree in Pharmacology and a passion for events planning and fashion designing. I had picked up my interest in fashion long before going to university and learnt to cut and sew from a seamstress; my interest in events management on the other hand sprung up while planning my department’s customary week-long events/activities when I was in my third year, at that point I knew I wanted to become an entrepreneur. I decided to make good use of my time while awaiting my National Youth Service Corps posting, so I took classes in both events management as well as fashion designing and afterwards started my business. As the years went by, my business interests evolved. I had to leave events management to focus solely on fashion (more like fashion took over); fashion further evolved from us making ready-to-wear African outfits to full blown, custom-made/personalized outfits embellished with rhinestones. My company further evolved in its fifth year when we launched 4 other projects cut across various other industries (asides fashion). One of these projects exposed me to a lot of aspiring and start-up entrepreneurs; and helping them solve business problems with the knowledge and experiences I had acquired (as explained above) launched me into my present career path. I strongly believe that as I get better at this, I’ll be open to more and more career paths in my entrepreneurial sojourn. I am at the point in my entrepreneurial life where I am no longer afraid of launching any business idea, failure isn’t new to me, I’ve learned that it’s just part of the process.

 What inspires or drives you? 

I draw my greatest inspiration from God, getting to know Him personally has empowered me greatly and gives me the confidence that “impossible” doesn’t exist. Therefore, I am able to look beyond obstacles and see possibilities and I am driven to strive for more and more……and more.

I also draw inspiration from autobiographies and works of seasoned entrepreneurs home and abroad: Richard Branson, Warren Buffet and our very own Sam Adeyemi, Ibukun Awosika, Folorunsho Alakija and Bukky George. The fact that they succeed against all odds and are still waxing strong gives me a great deal of hope and encouragement.

I do what I do because I love it, I am extremely good at it and it makes me very happy.

I am at the point in my entrepreneurial life where I am no longer afraid of launching any business idea, failure isn’t new to me, I’ve learned that it’s just part of the process. Oreoluwa Solana

What skills or habits did you develop along the way that helped you get here and helps you in keeping up with the demands of what you currently do?

I have a personal habit of continuous improvement. I do not rest on the knowledge I have gained, rather I stay updated by buying and reading business books. When I got tired of reading books, I switched to audio books. I also use my travel/commute time as my study time and even on international flights, I listen to audio books instead of watching a movie or sitcom. I also attend a lot of seminar/training on entrepreneurship, some free, some paid for. I am a knowledge junkie and I utilize this knowledge I obtain to run my business. This quest for knowledge broadens my world view especially regarding entrepreneurship.

Asides technical skills, it is important and highly necessary to acquire business skills. Anyone can have technical skills; however the one with business skills is the true entrepreneur. Oreoluwa Solana

I do not rest on my oars, I strive to get better at what I do every day and I have learnt that asides technical skills, business skills are important and business principles are generally the same everywhere, the only real difference is the choice of product and/or service. Therefore, if I master the principles, any product/service I plan to launch can be “plugged in and played”.

I had to learn to be prudent, to keep my expenses as low as possible. I learnt how to keep proper books. One habit I cultivated from the onset was to treat my business as an entity. This meant that the business’ money was BUSINESS MONEY and was in no way Ore’s money. From time to time, Bedazzle (the company) and I have loaned each other money and have always paid back.

I have had a law firm on retainer from the onset and as years went by, also hired an accounting firm on retainer. Working with these professionals helped set the growth phase foundation of my company.

 I draw my greatest inspiration from God, getting to know Him personally has empowered me greatly and gives me the confidence that “impossible” doesn’t exist. Oreoluwa Solana

What other things/area of your life do you have to juggle with your work and how do you find a balance? 

Family life, spiritual (Church) life, work life, these three pretty sums it for me. Balance takes discipline and some sort of determination. I work round the clock but I am only accessible to customers from 9a.m to 5p.m on weekdays. My office phone stays on for 24 hours (even on weekends), However at 5pm every week day, it goes on silent mode so I can ease into family time. Missed calls get returned with apologies as I reiterate that it is an office line with no one to tend to it after official hours. Church life is governed by family time. Sometimes work extends past official hours and into weekends. When this happens, I figure out the best way to balance everything by apportioning time frames to each one or I just focus on one per time; family first (chores, meals etc) and then work until it’s done.

I have a personal habit of continuous improvement. I do not rest on the knowledge I have gained, rather I stay updated… I do not rest on my oars, I strive to get better at what I do every day. Oreoluwa Solana

What is the most challenging thing you have to deal with in your work or business and how do you tackle it? 

Company Law and taxation, both are so broad. I tried to read up on some of them but ended up more confused, so I hired a law firm and an accounting firm on retainer and have them explain the confusing terms and policies to me in layman terms in addition to handling all legal and accounting needs of my company. I recommend getting specialists to deal with areas or aspects of your business that you do not have the technical expertise to handle.

Do you have a spiritual practice? If so, has this influenced or helped you in your work or decisions in anyway? 

Absolutely, knowing God has helped me in more ways than I can count. He floods my mind with ideas and concepts and strategies that I no longer need to ask questions like ‘why’ or ‘how’; I just act on each one as I catch the Rhema. I pray every day and read a daily devotional. I trust God with my business (He is the CEO; I am the COO) and He always shows up when I need Him. Most times I act on the ideas/concepts/strategies God gives me not knowing what I am doing, only to end up at business mixers/workshops/seminars and hear seasoned entrepreneurs teach about these things and I am just left amazed. I have no formal business training (my Degree is in Pharmacology) asides a Certificate in Entrepreneurial management yet the wisdom I have acquired in my 7.5 year entrepreneurial sojourn could not have been revealed by flesh and blood. I owe it all to God.

I have learnt that asides technical skills, business skills are important and business principles are generally the same everywhere, the only real difference is the choice of product and/or service. Therefore, if I master the principles, any product/service I plan to launch can be “plugged in and played”. Oreoluwa Solana

Other extracurricular, social or philanthropic enterprise:

I facilitate skill acquisition trainings at the Yes I Believe Academy, YIBA, Lagos and have spoken at four United Nations youth programs in Lagos, three of them on entrepreneurship at the World Youth Skills day and the fourth one was on science at a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) event to celebrate the world’s day for women and girls in science.

I also currently run one-on-one advisory sessions for aspiring entrepreneurs, start-ups and micro and small businesses. I brainstorm on their ideas with them and help them carve a clear path for their business.

In October 2017, I helped raise funds to support women with breast cancer in Nigeria, under the platform of Cancer Aware and currently donate monthly to the organization’s SupportHER project.

I can be very Margaret-Thatcher-y yet quick to lend a helping hand.

I trust God with my business (He is the CEO; I am the COO) and He always shows up when I need Him. Most times I act on the ideas/concepts/strategies God gives me not knowing what I am doing, only to end up at business mixers/workshops/seminars and hear seasoned entrepreneurs teach about these things and I am just left amazed. Oreoluwa Solana

One more thing you intend to do or are working towards:

I am working hard to get my company to the level where we can partner with investors from major markets outside the country looking to get into the Nigerian Market. I am also looking to consult for more strategy and business development teams of start-ups and SMEs. Investing (time and funds) in scalable start-up ideas and getting a Masters Degree in Entrepreneurship are also on my list.

I recommend getting specialists to deal with areas or aspects of your business that you do not have the technical expertise to handle.  Oreoluwa Solana

Other insights or words of wisdom/encouragement you would like to share with the readers?

You do not start living until you free yourself of stereotypes and labels. Embark on a journey of self-discovery, know the real you and be true to thyself. Do what makes you happy always.

Forget labels, don’t wait to name or understand an idea; JUST DO IT, the name will come forth someday.

Do not be afraid to fail; in business, failure is good. It shows you are on the right path; you just have to check for what component is bad, fix or tweak it and forge ahead. Oreoluwa Solana

No one ever got rich overnight…….except they won the lottery. Be prepared to work hard

Asides technical skills, it is important and highly necessary to acquire business skills. Anyone can have technical skills; however the one with business skills is the true entrepreneur.

Never leave God out of the equation. He loves you and wants to be involved in every aspect of your life. Strive to get to know Him better as each day goes by and learn to live your life like it depends entirely on Him. He will so show up for you in more ways than the human mind can phantom.

Be kind.

You do not start living until you free yourself of stereotypes and labels. Embark on a journey of self-discovery, know the real you and be true to thyself. Oreoluwa Solana

Thank you

Ore-Oluwa Solana

I am Ebenezer Anifowose, I have a bachelor’s degree in Anatomy from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Oyo State and a master’s degree in nutrition with Public Health Management from Sheffield Hallam University, UK. I am passionate about health education and I look forward to a world where no one will have to die from a preventable disease.

What do you do/where do you work? 

I am the founder of Healthucate Nigeria, a health promotion social enterprise which works to promote positive behaviour change for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. I have also worked with some local and international NGOs as a public health specialist with expertise in monitoring and evaluation of health interventions to eradicate malaria in Nigeria. Through Healthucate, I have developed Nigeria’s first health and fitness board game which will launch in a few weeks (www.lifechamp.org). Other products and ideas I have developed at Healthucate include www.foodfactsng.org, and www.healthbux.com.ng

Asides Healthucate, I also manage Ebenny Innovative Consults, a business and brand consulting firm which specialises in business start-up advisory, brand consulting and professional writing services which includes writing CVs, business plans, proposals, policy and other forms of business documents. I am an author and have written two books, Handling the Teenage Years (still available for free downloads at www.purposefulteen.wordpress.com) and The Winning CV Blueprint, available on Amazon  (www.amazon.com/dp/B07DM5JVVX) and you can download a free chapter via Facebook messenger (http://bit.ly/WinningCV2)

How did you come about the decision of what you currently do/a brief history of your career choices that have led you up to this point? 

My career path has been one of uncertainties, self-discovery and a pursuit of passion and I have learnt that with passion, dedication and a desire to be a problem solver, the path becomes clearer and the best always works out. I wanted to study medicine at the University, but I was offered a place in Human Anatomy. By my final year of undergraduate studies, I was unsure of what direction I was headed with my career but the electives I took in physiology piqued my interests in nutrition and physiotherapy. After a brief stint in a supplement company and my knowledge of preventive health became clearer, I made up my mind to pursue nutrition as a career. To make that switch from Anatomy to Nutrition, I knew I had to get a postgraduate degree and I wanted to do it outside my home country, so I could get the best quality education available globally. At that time, public health was a popular postgraduate course but because I had defined what I really wanted to do, I set out trying to search for a course that would be a perfect fit for me and I discovered nutrition and public health management.

My career path has been one of uncertainties, self-discovery and a pursuit of passion and I have learnt that with passion, dedication and a desire to be a problem solver, the path becomes clearer and the best always works out. Ebenezer Anifowose

After my postgraduate studies, I got a job offer as a data consultant in Society for Family Health, an indigenous NGO working on a malaria project. While doing that and other stints with various NGOs, I continued to execute my ideas and projects through my own company. I had registered Healthucate Limited immediately I returned to my home country after my master’s degree and I set to work to design and develop a health and fitness board game which is part of the grand objective of Healthucate to promote health education using creative mediums to empowers people to make positive dietary and lifestyle choices. However, since Healthucate is not profit driven but focused on community development, I had to think of other things to do to generate income. This was why I decided to commercialize my professional writing skills for crafting good CVs and proposals and this translates to the other business I currently run, Ebenny Innovative Consults (Ebenny Inc).

What inspires or drives you, why do you do what you do? 

My biggest drive is helping people, my career choices, businesses and social enterprise revolve around helping people. Once I can afford it (time, money, resources, skill). I am up for a task if it will make people’s life better or easier. This underlying drive is also what inspired and settled my career choice, as I came to the realization that if certain diseases are preventable, why should people come down with them out of ignorance. This is what drives me to continue to innovate as a public health nutritionist.

What skills or habits did you develop along the way that helped you get here and helps you in keeping up with the demands of what you currently do?

Having passion for what you do is important, like I said earlier, my desire to impact people through education and coaching has helped me to keep thinking of one more thing I can do. Another important skill is proper communication and people skills; because of what I do, I interact with different people from different backgrounds and I have learnt the necessity of having a good working relationship with people. This is a skill I had to develop over time, but the payoffs are huge as sound emotional intelligence helps you manage people and their expectations. Leadership skills are also important, it is not enough to be passionate or want to help or lead people, you must learn how to lead and not just assume you know how to lead. I believe leadership is best learnt by understudying a leader and developed through taking up leadership responsibilities. Time management skills, proper planning and focus has also helped me.

However, I think the biggest skill that I have found useful is the ability to think like a problem solver and absorb whatever opportunity to learn that I find. For example, my company Ebenny Inc started as a means to solve a problem I encountered when I went for my compulsory national service year (NYSC) in 2011.  I was reposted to serve in Ebonyi State, Nigeria and on arrival, I wished there was a way I could access information such as best place to cut my hair, to shop for quality gadgets, clothes and so on. I even wished there was an easy way to map out the city and find my way around. When I saw that no one was going to grant my wish, I stopped wishing and thought of doing something about it myself.

This was when I thought of publishing an advertorial and publication which I called “MoneyWise  Corper” The publication had the map of the state capital, and address of popular places. I had decided to give out the first edition free and sought for advertisement from businesses to fund the production and I was able to raise just about 30% of the printing cost but I went ahead to publish it. Thankfully, I did not spend a fortune to get it done because I designed and published the publication myself. I was able to design and publish the advertorial myself because I had learnt about design and print while I served as the production secretary of the Nigerian Fellowship of Evangelical Students as an undergraduate.

I think the biggest skill that I have found useful is the ability to think like a problem solver and absorb whatever opportunity to learn that I find. Ebenezer Anifowose

Serving in that role meant I was in charge of all graphics design and printing productions of the 500-student member body. Meanwhile I could not use any graphic software prior to that time. I did not realize the responsibility that was placed on me until a day to our weekly bible study session. I was told to produce the outline and I almost freaked out. Here I was, I had never used CorelDraw neither did I have any idea of how to print at the press. I was supported by my predecessor for the first week’s production and I afterwards had to self-teach myself CorelDraw and with time learnt the ropes of the printing industry. That opportunity to learn while serving in that role changed my life. It was this skill I relied on to publish my magazine as a corps member and till date it still serves me, as I still design my company graphics including logos, fliers, brochures, banners and so on myself.

When I saw that no one was going to grant my wish, I stopped wishing and thought of doing something about it myself. Ebenezer Anifowose

Can you give some insight into a task or responsibility you had to handle and how you were able to achieve it? 

A very recent example is a project I worked on between April and May this year. The project was the replacement campaign for mass distribution of Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) in Ogun State and I served as a local government coordinator for one of the local government councils. This role came with the responsibility of providing support to the local government team which included the director of public health, the health educator and malaria focal officer. It also meant I had to support 20 Ward supervisors who were matrons, many of which were old enough to be my mum. I also had to provide training and guidance to about 400 persons within the 7 weeks project. The success of my role required me to rely so much on my people skills to deal with the different personalities I had to work with. At the end of the project, I was not surprised that across the LGA, we achieved 92% of our target. I will say again that people skills is very important, because it is not enough to have technical expertise of what you do or have other great attributes, if you do not keep mastering how to relate and communicate with people, it can hinder success.

That opportunity to learn while serving in that role changed my life…and till date it still serves me. Ebenezer Anifowose

What other things/area of your life do you have to juggle with your work and how do you find a balance?

I juggle my family responsibilities as a husband to my lovely wife and a father to my awesome son. I also run a Facebook community; Learn to Write- where I coach hundreds of people on how to write winning CVs, applications, proposals, business plans and grant applications and I am committed to my local church assembly. Finding balance is an ongoing project but I have learnt to prioritize and adopt a daily routine which I can stick to.

I will say again that people skills is very important, because it is not enough to have technical expertise of what you do or have other great attributes, if you do not keep mastering how to relate and communicate with people, it can hinder success. Ebenezer Anifowose

Do you have a spiritual practice?If so, has this influenced or helped you in your work or decisions in anyway? 

Spirituality for me is a lifestyle and my faith in Jesus is my most important relationship. I find comfort from the busy world in my private worship life and I also fellowship regularly with other believers in my local church assembly.

Other extracurricular, social or philanthropic enterprise: 

I volunteer from time to time with Junior Achievement Nigeria, Leap Africa and other opportunities I can make time for. For me, it is more about giving back and dying empty, so as much as it lies in my power, I live to make a difference in the lives of others. I am passionate about supporting teenagers to make the most of their teenage hood and from time to time, I speak to teen aged audiences on various topics that matter to them.

One more thing you intend to do or are working towards: 

I ‘used’ to be a reader and I have read a lot of books in my lifetime especially while growing up in my early twenties but in the last few years, I do not seem to find the time to read the books I want to. Right now, I am working my way towards incorporating more reading into my routine and I am doing this through audio books, so I can listen while on the move and I love it. I am currently listening to my first audio book and the experience is thrilling.

For me, it is more about giving back and dying empty, so as much as it lies in my power, I live to make a difference in the lives of others. Ebenezer Anifowose

Other insights or words of wisdom/encouragement you would like to share with the readers? 

I have lived by some very basic guiding principles which include;

Do unto others as you want them to do to you.

Never treat others based on other people’s opinion of them, always give people the benefit of doubt that they are good at heart. Don’t judge them before you even meet them.

Treat everyone with respect but give more respect especially to the people who do for you what you cannot do for yourself or have the time to do for yourself i.e your gate man who opens your office gate or the cleaner who cleans your toilet.

Always give people allowance to offend you and when they do, forgive them. Then when you forgive them, never treat them the way they have treated you. Do not repay evil for evil but rather repay evil with good.

Know people for who they are and accept their strength as well as flaws. All you need to do is set boundaries and deal with them responsibly in ways that you do not invite their weaknesses to your doorstep. For example, you have a colleague who is lousy. I mean really lousy and everyone knows he is. It is futile to pick an offence when this colleague of yours runs his mouth at you for no reason. You already know who he is and how that is his natural proclivity, so your part is to have personal boundaries that can help you deal with such person responsibly.

Hone your skill, that talent you have can be developed and then turned into a means of generating income. Before I started charging for editing CVs, I was already helping family and friends rewrite their CVs since 2011 and I remember organizing career workshop and mock interview sessions for other corps members in Ebonyi. With time the hobby became an income stream that has generated a lot of encouraging feedback.

Know people for who they are and accept their strength as well as flaws. All you need to do is set boundaries and deal with them responsibly in ways that you do not invite their weaknesses to your doorstep. Ebenezer Anifowose

Thank you

Mr Ebenezer Anifowose

Public Health Specialist // Professional Writing Consultant

www.linkedin.com/in/ebenezeranifowose

www.instagram.com/opeldexter

My name is Dolapo Enejoh, I am a public health nutritionist, food adventurer, food storyteller, blogger, health enthusiast, consultant and founder of the Nutritious Lifestyle. I am a graduate of biochemistry from the Federal University of Technology, Minna and I also have a master’s degree in human nutrition from the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.

What do you do/where do you work? 

I work in the Development sector as a Development Consultant & Research advisor. I have worked as a Consultant Public Health Nutritionist with a United States based Non-Governmental Organization where I planned programs (nutrition and health interventions), carried out nutrition assessment of children in communities, referral of malnourished children for therapeutic feeding, micronutrient supplementation for women and children, health promotion, monitoring, evaluation and research. I served as the research lead for a recent study on the waiting time for patients to see a doctor, a DFID funded project under the Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy (ISGPP) in partnership with Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Nigeria.

How did you come about the decision of what you currently do? What are some of the career/academic choices that have led you to this point?

When the time came to go for my first degree, my initial plan was to study pharmacy but due to the competitiveness in Nigerian Universities, I went in for biochemistry instead with the intention to make a switch to pharmacy in between the program. However, by my second year, I fell in love with biochemistry and decided not to pursue trying to switch over. In my fourth year, I became really interested in Nutritional biochemistry and that started my interest in Human Nutrition. Upon graduating, I had a clearer picture of what I wanted to do in my career so I set out to seek opportunities. I had to start out by volunteering for several International non-governmental organizations with the aim of acquiring experience in the area of Family Health, HIV/AIDS, Nutrition and Agriculture. I also got certifications in the area of Project management, because I knew my desired career goals would require me handling projects later. I engaged schools and organizations in free seminars and projects in my area of expertise while using the opportunity as a learning curve. I also worked in a food regulatory organization, this experience birthed my desire to seek further training in the field of human nutrition, so I decided to go for my master’s degree in Human Nutrition. After my second degree, I started working as a public health nutritionist.

What inspires or drives you, why do you do what you do? 

My passion for healthy living inspires me greatly. I am a firm believer that even if our health system in Nigeria is not as strong as it can be, if people have access to education and the right tools to help them make a healthier lifestyle change through eating the right foods in the right proportion, living in a hygienically clean environment, desisting from abusing drugs and committing to exercising more; we will be on our way in the right direction to a more healthier population. I am really driven because I work with the vulnerable population (women and children) and my work puts me in a place where I can make significant impact to the health and life of these people.

What skills or habits did you develop along the way that helped you get here and helps you in keeping up with the demands of what you currently do?

For me, the first thing is having the proper mindset and that is a mindset of excellence. Whenever I try to do a time travel of how I got here, I am amazed because if you had met me some fourteen years back, you would have been shocked at this newly emerged personality I have become (that’s why you should never judge anyone by their present story or their current outlook on life). People really do change! At that time, I was timid, afraid, never wanting to explore anything new, I was so complacent and okay in my comfort zone. I finally got to a point where I became tired of being average, this led to a mindset shift and reorientation and since then I have trained myself to never stay in my comfort zone and always think of excellence in whatever I do.

Another mindset I have imbibed is thinking of how to be better and brighter at every point. If there is anything the information age and technology age has taught me, it is that whenever a product is made, plans are immediately underway to create a better and updated version of that product; innovation is key. I believe this is how we should see ourselves and our work, we should always ask ourselves, how can I be better, how can I create an update or upgrade to what I have just done or created.

Another skill I have learnt is believing in myself and refusing to get deterred or discouraged by negatives. I remembered when I was interviewing for my job, I had passed the written and oral stage and was then informed that I did not possess field experience and some other key skills such as monitoring and evaluation. I immediately started telling the interviewer about all the transferable skills I have, making it clear that I was ready and able to learn and acquire any skill required of me in the future. The information that I did not have some of the qualities they wanted could have weakened me on the spot especially considering that I had a first and master’s degree and graduated with a second class upper honors and merit honors in them respectively but I have learnt that irrespective of what comes my way, feeling bad or discouraged should not be my first reaction, rather putting on a good posture and selling myself and brand to the best of my ability will yield a better result. We all have amazing dreams and aspirations but the ability to make adjustments in your dream space and be a fast thinker on your toes leads to positive progress in your personal development. I believe we can match any role and conquer any obstacle.

Another skill that has helped me being open to new learning opportunities and challenges. This has helped me showcase as well as develop my skills. When I started my job, I was on-boarded as a public health nutrition intern with entry level remuneration but I made up my mind to learn and acquire any skill that will be required of me in the future.

I finally got to a point where I became tired of being average, this led to a mindset shift and reorientation and since then I have trained myself to never stay in my comfort zone and always think of excellence in whatever I do. Dolapo Enejoh

Another habit I have imbibed is reading and researching, especially reading and keeping myself up to date with new innovations in my specialized area. Reading broadens your horizon and knowledge-base and gives you innovative ideas to suggest or incorporate in your business or organization which makes you stand out. Research is very important in every field, business and organization; this has gradually become part of my work life. I do a lot of research both within and outside my work zone.

Learning how to relate with people is also an important strategy to have. In my work, I deal with professionals, people with no formal education, people who speak different languages and people from different cultural background. The way I go about my work depends on whoever I am working or relating with at that time. I have learnt flexibility and how to blend myself into the culture of people as well as earn the basics of their language.

One of the challenging things you have to deal with in your work or business and how do you tackle it?

The most challenging thing in my work is helping people unlearn regularly repeated behavioral patterns that does not yield results in order to learn and accept new habits, attitude, and behaviors. This is quite challenging because of cultural norms, background and the lack of interest in change. A tool I find useful and interesting is using social behavior change communication. Developing visual aids and other information, education and communication materials and media has helped me to communicate positive behavioral change and encourage people to discontinue several old practices. For example, encouraging pregnant and nursing mothers to practice exclusive breastfeeding, embracing immunization for children, using family planning methods and generally helping people to engage a healthier lifestyle becomes easier when I am able to show and convince them about the benefits they will gain if they embrace a new way of doing things. I think of it as showing people the difference between using a manually operated car or an automated or electric car, both cars have the possibility to get someone to the desired destination but one can decide to choose the more stressful or less stressful option.

I believe this is how we should see ourselves and our work, we should always ask ourselves, how can I be better, how can I create an update or upgrade to what I have just done or created. Dolapo Enejoh

Do you have a spiritual practice? If so, has this influenced or helped you in your work or decisions in anyway?

Yes, I live with the understanding that I am nothing without my God my maker. I seek to know His directives for my life by spending quality time in the place of prayer and studying the Bible. I take time out to retreat, reflect, pray and meditate. This is very important to me as it centers and guides me through the noise that exists in the world.

Other extracurricular or social enterprise outside of your work? 

Nutrition, food and health blogging is one of the extracurricular activities I am usually engaged in. I love to showcase some of the meals I cook in my kitchen and I promote the use of kitchen technology to reduce workload and get cooking done in a quicker and more exciting way. Advocacy, sensitization, nutrition education and empowerment for teachers and caregivers in crèches, primary and secondary schools in Nigeria is also one of my social commitment. I also volunteer as a Guest speaker on the “Well-being” show at one of the prominent radio stations (WE FM) in the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria.

We all have amazing dreams and aspirations but the ability to make adjustments in your dream space and be a fast thinker on your toes leads to positive progress in your personal development. Dolapo Enejoh

One more thing you intend to do or are working towards and some steps/decisions/skills you are making/learning to achieve it?

Currently, I’m working towards starting my Doctoral, launching my food product line, releasing some e-books on nutrition. I have also been playing around with data analytics and the use of diverse software to solve problems. You know one thing I love about God is that He made humans and gave us the capacity to create things and bring solutions to our world. We only need to do some soul searching and self-discovery on all we are meant to do and be. Time is of the essence, we must work and carry out our life’s assignment as if our whole life is dependent on it. Let us continue to seek to know because there’s always one more thing we can do.

Reading broadens your horizon and knowledge-base and gives you innovative ideas to suggest or incorporate in your business or organization which makes you stand out. Dolapo Enejoh

Thank you

Dolapo Enejoh

My name is Dr Christian Harrison, a Nigerian and the first out of a family of three. I am happily married and blessed with two lovely kids. I lost my Dad at the age of 12 and was raised by my mother. I attended King’s College Lagos and the University of Lagos for my high school and undergraduate education respectively before I moved to the United Kingdom for my postgraduate studies where I still reside.

What do you do/where do you work?

I am a Lecturer in Management, Strategy and Leadership in the School of Business and Enterprise in the University of the West of Scotland, United Kingdom. I am a recognized scholar in the field of Leadership and Entrepreneurship and work across the globe on research projects. I am very active in teaching and I am the Program leader of MSc Leadership and Management. I also lead a range of modules namely; Making it Happen: Leadership and Change, Leading Change, Leadership, Leadership and Professional Development, Entrepreneurial Leadership, Leadership Theory and Research, Business Organisation and Ethics and Strategic Business Project. I deliver these modules to undergraduates and postgraduates including Master of Business Administration MBA and Doctor of Business Administration DBA students.  I am also the author of numerous research papers on Leadership which is my major research interest and serve as the Director of Studies/First Supervisor of several PhD and DBA students. Furthermore, I am an active member of the British Academy of Management (BAM), Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE), International Council for Small Business (ICSB), Centre for African Research on Enterprise and Economic Development (CAREED), Higher Education Academy (HEA), Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), National Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST) and serve on several review panels and committees. Additionally, I am an external examiner to other UK universities such as Manchester Metropolitan University. I work extensively as a consultant, speaker and trainer on leadership skills development within organisations. I am the author of the book entitled ‘Leadership Theory and Research: A Critical Approach to New and Existing Paradigms’, which is published by Palgrave MacMillan.

Brief history of your career/academic choices that have led you up to this point:

All my life, I have always wanted to be a source of change, I wanted to change the lives of others and to be the solution to people’s problems. This drove me to study Pharmacy. I graduated with a first-class degree in Pharmacy and practiced as a pharmacist, assuming managerial positions before moving into the field of Management. I chose to change career course because while practicing as a pharmacist, I felt this void as I wanted to reach a greater number of people.

I knew right from my early years in school that I loved teaching, this is why the aspect of pharmacy practice I enjoyed best was counselling. Teaching has always been second nature for me. I can remember clearly when my Dean told me that I would get into academia at one point. I refused to take it seriously but here I am back to my first love.

I got into this position after obtaining my MBA from the University of Aberdeen Business school where I graduated with a distinction and was the valedictorian. I also possess a PhD in Business from the University of West of Scotland and other postgraduate research and teaching qualifications in my repertoire.

“All my life, I have always wanted to be a source of change, I wanted to change the lives of others and to be the solution to people’s problems.” Dr Christian Harrison

What inspires or drives you, why do you do what you do?

I always tell my students that to succeed in every activity you need to be driven. Life becomes empty when there is nothing to drive you. I am driven by two main things:

Firstly, and most importantly, my drive is to help others, that is the reason why I am in academia and why I studied pharmacy in the first place. I want to add value to the lives of others and my greatest joy comes from knowing this has been achieved. At the recent launch of my new book; Leadership Theory and Research: A Critical Approach to New and Existing Paradigms, the feedback I got from people telling me I have affected their lives positively brought me joy and strengthened my drive. There is no greater joy than knowing that people have achieved great heights by your support and encouragement.

Secondly, I am inspired by arduous tasks. I have gotten to where I am today because of the challenges I have faced. As I said previously, I lost my dad early, but I determined within myself that I would not live a disadvantaged life rather I would seek to achieve even more than what people who had their dads would achieve. I made up my mind to live in a way that if my dad were alive, he would be proud of me and I think I have done that. This mindset makes me see challenges as opportunities. The problem I see with a lot of people is that they become demotivated by the negatives. For me, this is usually the reverse, I derive joy by facing what others believe can’t be done. I can remember when I started my MBA in the University of Aberdeen Business School, I did not have a strong business acumen as my background was in Pharmacy. There were people from various walks of life with better experiences and business degrees, however I graduated with a distinction which the MBA program had not issued in a while. This was because I made up my mind from the start that I would attain this, it was a great feat and I wanted to achieve it. I refused to look at my shortcomings and worked hard. This paid off and I attained that uncommon distinction and was the valedictorian of the MBA class

“The problem I see with a lot of people is that they become demotivated by the negatives. For me, this is usually the reverse, I derive joy by facing what others believe can’t be done.” Dr Christian Harrison

What skills/habits/strategies did you develop along the way that helped you get here?

I believe the habits a person develop early in life are important in shaping who they eventually become. There are so many skills and habits I believe has been useful in getting me to this level. However, I don’t think I will be able to explain all of them within this space, so I would only elaborate on the key ones;

Envisioning for me ranks as one of the top skills. It is important that you have a clear vision, you need to know where you are going to and have a mental picture of what the future will look like. For example, while doing my PhD, I had a clear picture of what I wanted from it. I knew I wanted to be Leadership Scholar. I had a clear timeline for achieving this. The inability to envision is a problem that hinders people while a lot of the people who do envision stop at being day dreamers. It is important that you back up any vision with a plan. It is not enough to have a dream, you must ask yourself, how can I achieve my dreams? You must create a strategy to achieve those dreams. No dream can be achieved by just sitting on a couch, hard work and smart work is necessary to achieve any dream. We all have 24 hours in a day and we all need to make the best use of it. I don’t sleep for more than 6 hours in a day. I don’t prescribe that you follow my sleeping routine as we all have different energy/stress tolerance. However, anyone who spends more time sleeping than is necessary would end up wasting significant time of their life.

Another habit that has helped me is learning from my failures. Many people believe failing is bad however the greatest feats I have achieved was after failing the first time. You need to ask yourself what did I do wrong the first time? How can I ensure that this project/paper would be accepted? I have written multiple papers in highly ranked peer reviewed journals and this did not happen immediately. You get rejections at first, but you need to pick yourself up, learn what you did wrong and move forward. Failing is part of the process but staying in failure is not an option for me; I have to get it right.

Goal setting and commitment to achieving them is important, it feeds back to envisioning that I mentioned earlier. It is important that the goals you set are not mediocre, your goals must challenge you. If the goals you set can easily be achieved, then it is not worth striving for! I set demanding goals for myself, before I started writing my book, I had already decided the time frame to accomplish this goal. Most people ask how I was able to get this done despite my immense workload as well as family commitment. How did you write this book within two years? The answer is set goals and be diligent and disciplined to see them to fruition.

Finally, self-development is paramount. You need to understand yourself, your strengths and weaknesses. No person is perfect and there is always room for improvement. The mindset of self-development makes me aspire to be better every day. I put in conscious effort to develop myself either through formal training or by self-directed study (i.e. reading). I have a busy schedule and this comes at a price. Nevertheless, I am willing to pay the price. I read during the early hours of the morning when other people are sleeping. I also attend formal training on areas I want to learn more. Continuous learning is vital for success and has made me who I am today.

“Failing is part of the process but staying in failure is not an option for me; I have to get it right.” Dr Christian Harrison

Can you give some insight into a task or responsibility you had to handle and how you were able to achieve it?

As an academic, I have handled several tasks but the one that comes to my mind was an event that I organized two years ago in my University. I organized a Teaching Excellence, Scholarship and Impact Symposium. The event was designed to support our community of Business scholars and practitioners by identifying good practice and excellence in teaching. This event involved three keynote speakers that are award winning National Teaching Fellows. They shared on how their innovative practice in the delivery of learning and teaching has enhanced and transformed the student learning experience.

Organizing this event was quite challenging and time consuming. It took up a lot of my time and the initial response was not encouraging. However, I did not give up. I persevered and was determined to make this event a great success. I made use of my interpersonal skills to ensure that the keynote speakers would be available. Most importantly, I had to convince the proposed participants of the benefits they would accrue from the event. This involved intense publicity, formal and informal discussions because I know people would only be involved or buy into a project if they know they would gain from it! I was self-motivated, and this helped me inspire others to be involved. I actively listened to what they wanted from the event and I was able to build a team of individuals that were ready to go the extra mile for me.

At the end, this symposium attracted a lot of scholars and participants. Furthermore, I received excellent feedback from the participants, the Senior Leadership team of the Business School and the British Academy of Management (BAM) executive team.

“It is important that the goals you set are not mediocre, your goals must challenge you. If the goals you set can easily be achieved, then it is not worth striving for” Dr Christian Harrison

What other things/area of your life do you have to juggle with your work and how do you find a balance?

As stated earlier, I have a lovely wife and two kids, so I have family commitments to juggle with work. I need to be a husband and dad at the same time! This is not easy, especially when you live in UK where you do not have the extended family support system available in Nigeria. Nevertheless, I have been able to strike balance. The key to me is time management, I am very organized and have a to-do list of my activities. This goes back to what I said initially about planning. My family is very important, so I create time for them. It only means I have to work harder to strike the balance.

Do you have a spiritual practice? If so, has this influenced or helped you in your work or decisions in anyway?

Yes, God is my source. Regardless of all I have said it is important that you put God first. He has blessed us all with great capabilities and potential and we need to acknowledge his presence in our lives. Our mere existence is not by our might but by his grace.

Have you led, motivated or supported others in anyway, and how have you done so?

As I stated previously, my greatest joy is helping others. The sky is limitless and there is great room for everybody at the top. I started leading and supporting others at an early age. I was the President of the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students (PANS) in the University of Lagos and served as the voice of the students. It was a great experience as I worked with different people and it helped me to understand others better.

Supporting my colleagues is important to me. I mentor and develop new colleagues on contemporary teaching practice in Higher Education because of my expertise in teaching and learning. I am instrumental in assisting these new colleagues in the development of their professional identities. I challenge them to think more broadly about their practice and professional development. My support is not only restricted to my colleagues but also my students.  I am also involved in mentoring, advising and supporting students especially at the doctoral level. I am a regular speaker at the Research Students Induction day where I mentor the students on the effective ways of managing the PhD supervisor and student relationship. This is important in improving the quality of the supervisory experience of students. I am also involved in the Researcher Development Scheme for Doctoral students where I deliver a workshop on Leadership. This short course takes a skill-based perspective and helps the participants reflect on their own leadership skills and consider how these might be enhanced. This is very important in their continuing professional development.

Are you involved in any other extracurricular, social or philanthropic enterprise outside of your work?

I am engaged in a range of extra-curricular activities that goes beyond my work in the University. For example, I am a member of the British Academy of Management (BAM). I am involved in delivering workshops and reviewing applications for grants to be awarded to people. In addition, I was instrumental in developing the BAM Education Practice Award which recognizes inspiring and impactful management education practice. These activities I do for free.

I have also delivered several workshops and training sessions on leadership for several charity organizations without any remuneration. I believe it is important that we all contribute our quota in making the society a better place. You cannot be a great follower if you do not understand leadership. Most of the problems we face in the world today is due to a leadership quagmire. My expertise has provided me the opportunity to offer expert advice and help people in the development of leadership skills/competencies required to succeed. I believe in challenging conventional wisdom by applying the entrepreneurial mind-set within the domain of leadership which is important in the creation of social, environmental and economic value in every society.

One more thing you intend to do or are working towards and some steps/decisions/skills you are making/learning to achieve it?

Of course, it is not surprising, I intend to be a Professor in Leadership so watch this space! This would entail publishing more books and papers in the field. This is not going to be easy but as always, I have my timeline! More importantly, I want to give back to the society. I intend to go back to Nigeria to add value and help the society. Effective leadership is important, and we have to be the catalyst for change. I believe my expertise in leadership will be valuable in making this happen.

Are there any other insights or words of wisdom/encouragement you would like to share with the readers?

It is important that you believe in yourself, there is no dream that cannot be achieved if you work towards it.

Challenges are there to motivate you.

Records are there to be broken.

There is always a light at the end of every tunnel.

Don’t look for reasons why it can’t be done rather look for reasons why it can be done! The greatest achievements ever made was after people had said this cannot be done.

My story is a clear case of this. I have been able to achieve these few things to date by believing in myself and trusting my God given abilities and potential.

If I could do this then you also can!

Thank you

Dr Christian Harrison.

My name is Olusegun A. Adesina and I am the head baker, chief decorator and creative director of DCL Bakery and Crafts, Lagos, Nigeria. I am also known as drumzcakelord which was coined to represent my passion for both drumming and baking.  I graduated with a degree in Agricultural Economics from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Oyo State, Nigeria.

How did you come about the decision of what you currently do? What are some of the career choices that have led you to this point?

My decision to be an entrepreneur was shaped even before I graduated from the University and my journey to becoming a sugar artist and pastry chef was born out of a desire to be empowered. During my studies, I did my Industrial training in a bank and after that experience, I knew I did not want to work in a bank or similar setting. I also attended a lot of empowerment seminars at that time, where there was a lot of awareness about limited job opportunities and the need to be empowered and obtain skills that can provide income if job opportunities were not forthcoming. I was also interested in joining the military (army, air force or navy) but the military recruits seasonally, so by the time I graduated, I already had my mind set on obtaining an entrepreneurial skill because I did not want to become a liability.

My first decision was to go into photography, as that was an area of interest for me. I bought a laptop with the savings I had and then started to save up for a professional camera to facilitate my training. Before, I could get the camera, my phone was stolen, and I had to divert the savings I had to buy a phone. This put a stall on my plans to start my photography training.

One day, I was seated in the living room and was listening to the discussion my mum and sister were having about her wedding. It was at this point it hit me that I could learn how to bake cake before my sister got married as that was also a creative skill. I shared my thoughts with my mum and sister and they agreed and supported me and my journey to becoming a cake artist started. I immediately took the opportunity to learn cake making from my sister who is a good baker instead of waiting to buy a camera. I found it easy to learn fast because I fell in love with the craft. I also dedicated a lot of my time to learning and trying new recipes. Asides from what I was learning from her, I spent time watching a lot of YouTube videos for design ideas and strategies.

The first four years of working as a cake artist, I was not focused on just profit making, rather I was focused on improving my craft and honing my skills. In my fifth year, I decided to expand on my skills and enrolled in a mixology training program at Liquor library bartending Academy, after this I also decided to travel to Abuja to enroll at Reddish Chronicles for a diploma in French pastries and baking. After these, I started participating in competitions, where I won in majority of them.

“by the time I graduated, I already had my mind set on obtaining an entrepreneurial skill because I did not want to become a liability.” Olusegun Adesina

What inspires or drives you, why do you do what you do?

I am driven by the ecstatic look on my client’s face when they see their cake. That feeling of being able to add value and make a person happy when they come to pick up or receive their cakes keep me going and drives me to keep improving on myself. Also, the support, positive feedback and comments from family and friends drives me. Knowing that I inspire these people is a major drive for me. My desire and decision not to be a liability also drives me, the way I see it is, when I am empowered, and I do my work, I become one less problem to my society and nation at large. Also, driving myself to do one more thing means I can inspire people to do better, to decide not to be liabilities to their family, society and the nation and most importantly, to believe in themselves and in the works of their hands. This has become a sense of purpose for me and it keeps me on my feet, striving to become better. God has been my greatest source of inspiration. I am where I am today because God has helped me this far. I am nowhere near where I aspire to get to but with God and my drive, I keep making progress.

What skills or habits did you develop along the way that helped you get here and helps you in keeping up with the demands of what you currently do?

Maintaining focus is very important. When I started, I stuck my head in the game and cut out distractions, even when I almost got sidetracked, I was able to regain focus. Another important habit is studying and learning from others, especially people who do better than you. I have some mentors in the craft and their work inspire me. I take my time to study what they have created, brood over their designs, ask myself how they were able to achieve that design or concept and then approach them with questions. When I can, I try to fit myself into their creative space, so I can follow their thought pattern that led to them creating most of their beautiful work. Prayer is also an important part of what helps me, I always ask God for direction and creativity and also for confidence to pull off those creative ideas.

I also ensure I avoid laziness, I make sure I stay updated with the trends in the cake making industry. I keep myself in the loop and I consistently learn, unlearn and relearn to avoid becoming obsolete or short of ideas. Time management and proper scheduling is necessary, I approach every job like a task that I must execute and complete within the stipulated time, so I ensure I stick to my schedule. I have also learnt to prioritize, for example, I am a drummer, but for me to ensure I meet up with the demands of my business, I stopped drumming at events and limited myself to drumming in church occasionally.

“the way I see it is, when I am empowered, and I do my work, I become one less problem to my society and nation at large.” Olusegun Adesina

What is one of the challenging things about your work?

It would have to be starting up. Cake making is lucrative but very capital intensive, so setting up a proper structure is not easy. However, if you are going to be successful, you have to keep saving and investing into the business to make sure you are properly equipped. Even after starting up, you would still need to keep investing into equipment and tools to make sure you stay updated in your craft.

Do you have a spiritual practice? If so, has this influenced or helped you in your work or decisions in anyway

Yes, I am a Christian and this has influenced how I run my business. I allow the Holy Spirit to direct my decisions as well as seek inspiration and creativity from God. Staying in faith also gives me the assurance that if I avoid complacency, the future will always be better.

 One More Thing you intend to do or are working towards and some steps/decisions/skills you are making/learning to achieve it?

I would like to learn French language to make me fluent, so I can access francophone African countries for training and empowerment programs. I would also like to go for my master’s degree in business administration to help me manage my business as my brand gets bigger. I also intend taking a painting and sculpting course to enhance my cake making skills in those areas.

“Another important habit is studying and learning from others, especially people who do better than you.” Olusegun Adesina

Other words of wisdom/encouragement;

The first thing would be to be diligent and have a mindset of wanting to be one of the best, if not the best at whatever your hands find to do. There is always a process and a price to pay to be successful. With due diligence, prayer, smart work, proper planning and strategy, I believe the sky would be the starting point. Have the mindset of a solution provider, this can make you creative about refusing to be a burden to the society.

To the youths specifically, I would say there is dignity in labor, avoid looking for quick money, work and ask God to bless what you do. It is only the blessing of God that has no sorrow attached to it. The most important thing is remaining consistent, if you choose to be consistent, before long, God will bless the work of your hands.

Thank you

Olusegun Adesina

DCL Bakery & Crafts

IG: @drumzcakelord

I am Abosede Oluranti Gbenga-Akinbiola. I hail from Ile-Ogbo, a suburb in Osun State of Nigeria. I am the sixth child in a family of ten. My late dad was a teacher and my mum a trader.  I am in my forties. I am married and blessed with three beautiful children. I am passionate about issues concerning women and the girl-child. My educational journey started at Saint Paul’s Primary school Gbongan, Osun state. After my primary school, I moved to Gbongan and Odeomu Anglican Grammar School for my secondary education. However, I only completed a year of high school at the school before moving to Akure to stay with my elder sister. Thereafter, I continued and finished my secondary education at Omoluorogbo Grammar School, Akure. In 1991, I gained admission into Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife to study Language Arts. I could remember going to the notice board with trepidation to check my name, on getting there, I was excited to find my name on the merit list. I graduated from O.A.U in 1997, spending seven years for a four-year course. This was not due to having extra years but it was the era of incessant school closure; shutting down schools for months and sometimes for a year. After my graduation, I was posted to Kebbi State for my compulsory youth service. My parents were scared about my going to the North, I was so young and naïve. We agreed that I will redeploy back home. However, when I got to Kebbi, I met people from my school and I decided not to redeploy again. I was posted to Kebbi State Broadcasting Service and was seconded to the radio station. So, I had a stint as a broadcaster presenting two programs. Corper’s forum and What do you know? (a quiz program). After I completed my national service in 1998, I was employed by the Oyo State Government as an Instructor and a classroom teacher at Estate High School, Akobo, Ibadan. My aspiration for greater heights propelled me to move to Osun State Polytechnic, Iree (a higher education institution) in 1999. Furthermore, in the same 1999, I started my Master’s program in Communication & Language Arts at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria where I graduated with a distinction. This program clearly paved my way to my doctorate program. I came to the United States in 2009 and began a doctoral program in Higher Education Administration at Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland in 2011. After many setbacks, ups and downs, having a baby, I finally finished my Ph.D. in March this year.

What do you do/where do you work?

Presently, I work as a Writing Fellow at the Morgan State University Writing Center. At the Writing Center, I provide academic assistance to students on course work and writing assignments. I mentor and guide students towards developing better writing skills/ cultivating the writer in the students. I facilitate students’ understanding of writing conventions i.e. by analyzing assignments, listening and responding to students’ drafts, and introducing students to various writing strategies. Also, I aid students’ understanding of the reader/writer relationship, the role of punctuation in the construction of meaning, the function of thesis, the rules of citation formats, prewriting, brainstorming strategies and organizational strategies. Basically, I help students become better writers.

How did you come about the decision of what you currently do? What are some of the career choices that have led you to this point?

It is an interesting story because I did not believe I could become a writing fellow in my institution. I had been searching for jobs on campus, because as an international student, my visa permitted me to work only on the campus. I kept on searching for a job that would be a good fit for my skills. In 2014, a friend called me to check if I was still job hunting, after I answered in the affirmative, she told me about the Writing Center. I sent my resume and cover letter to the director that night. She invited me for an interview and the rest is history. I believe my earlier jobs prepared me for what I am doing now. As I mentioned earlier, I began my career as a teacher at Estate high school where I prepared high school students for external examinations (JAMB, SSCE and UME). I also provided classroom teaching in English Language as a course to students in eleventh and twelfth grades. I coordinated the preparation of learning material for courses and devised relevant practical activities. Also, when I moved to Osun State Polytechnic, I prepared interactive and visual teaching materials. I conducted presentations on individual and group projects assigned to students in the courses being taught. I chaired committees which organized and directed workshops and seminars. All of these are what I do presently at the Writing Center.

What inspires or drives you, why do you do what you do?

I am driven by a sense of commitment and responsibility to the people who have gone ahead of me and the people coming after me. After God, my biggest source of inspiration is the women in my life, especially my grandmother, mother and elder sisters. I grew up at a time and in a community/culture where it seems the male child was more celebrated and as such, I probably would not have had the opportunity to see the walls of the university, nor would I be a doctorate degree holder today if not for my mother and elder sisters who stood their ground and were determined that any girl child in the family who desired to be educated would not be denied. They have served as a lifelong drive and my elder sister who is a trailblazer, as she just completed her tenure as the first female vice chancellor of Tai Solarin University of Education keeps pushing me. She was one of the people who kept pushing me to dream beyond Nigeria, to start writing papers and attending conferences. She helped develop my confidence and ability.

“I am driven by a sense of commitment and responsibility to the people who have gone ahead of me and the people coming after me.” Dr Abosede Gbenga-Akinbiola.

My grandmother Oyerinola  Anike Adegorite was also made a huge impact on me and taught me to value myself, she taught me that being a woman is not a setback rather it should spur my determination for success. My grandmother’s fearlessness was and is always a source of inspiration to me. She told us a story of when her father died and his siblings took her inheritance from her because she was a woman despite the fact that she used to go with her father to the farm. She took them to the native court, which was about four miles away. She rejected the 6 pounds she was awarded, and later appealed the judgment at the Onireke, court Ibadan, Oyo state. This was at a time when there were no vehicles so she used to walk for a day to attend the court session the next day. She did this for a year and won the case as the court gave her the land back. Despite the difficulty and the danger, she pursued the case to the end because of her belief that women should have a voice and not be relegated to the background. This background shaped my interests and passion in women and women issues, particularly education and empowerment.

I understand that I can be whatever I want to be irrespective of my gender. The realization that fulfilling my destiny and God ordained purpose is in my hands makes me avoid any form of complacency. Also, as a mother, I want to be a source of example to my children, especially the girls. I want them to know that their choices are unlimited and they should not settle. I want to inspire them and other women around me to dream more and dream bigger. This has created in a burden in my heart that keeps me on my toes and push me to keep reaching for more. A big eye opener for me was winning the American Association of University Women International Fellowship in 2013. It showed me the impact of support, especially financial support in empowering women’s education. I was surprised that some women can just come together, raise $20,000 and give it away without anything attached. Money raised through bake sales, yard sales and other means just because they want to empower and smoothen the educational path of women that they don’t even know. I met the women that provided my grant at a luncheon hosted for me and I kept thinking these are women like you and I, who are dedicated to providing help and support to others. It was a defining moment for me that further strengthened my resolve to help other women.

“The realization that fulfilling my destiny and God ordained purpose is in my hands makes me avoid any form of complacency.” Dr Abosede Gbenga-Akinbiola

I realize that the totality of who I am today and what I have achieved is because of the unquantifiable and unimaginable commitment and sacrifices of these various women in my life. I believe to whom much is given, much is expected, so the commitment to encouraging other women, open up a space for them and pass the torch to others drives me.

What skills or habits did you develop along the way that helped you get here and helps you in keeping up with the demands of what you currently do?

It is a combination of skills and strategies.

One of the strategies that has worked for me is not looking at things as mountains. This is because such portrayal can make something seem scary. If you do not attempt something, you would not know if it is possible. So one of my approaches to life is to tell myself, no matter what, it is possible and I can do it. Developing and imbibing this mindset has led to my mantra “it is doable, I can achieve whatever I want to achieve.” This has become a propelling force for me.

A second strategy is to be deliberate and intentional about whatever it is you want to do. This is what helped me throughout my PhD. I started with the clear intention that I was going to complete it, so even when people I knew stopped due to the challenges, I was ready to go through the challenges and even cut off somethings in order to achieve my goal. I was very committed in my mind that I was going to get the degree and was very deliberate that I did not just want to get my degree, but I wanted to get the best out of it.

A third strategy is prioritization; I have learnt how to focus on what matters the most at every season of my life. Each season of my life required that I changed my priorities in order to fit that season, it is important to be dynamic in shifting around what the top priority is at every point in time while remaining focused on the end goal. Throughout my career and academics, I had periods where I did not go for social gatherings or events in order to focus on my what I had before me. There was a time when I cut off my hair, because I figured the time I was spending in the salon making my hair could be spent bonding and interacting with my kids since I already had a busy academic engagement taking a lot of my time, when I did not have time to go out with my kids, I would create specific days for us to just spend time in the house watching a movie and eating popcorn. Prioritization has helped me find balance and switch from one stage of my life to the other.

“If you do not attempt something, you would not know if it is possible” Dr Abosede Gbenga-Akinbiola.

Another thing that has helped me to this point is being passionate about what I was/am doing. For example, I was able to go through the long challenging journey of my PhD because I was not just doing my project for the sake of my degree. I was doing something I was very passionate and interested in, this along with my mindset of getting the best drove me. My passion was fueled and shaped by my experiences as a professional woman within the Nigerian Higher education system. Do what you are passionate about and something that you can stand by. Always have your why.

In terms of skills and habits, Multitasking is very important. I had to take care of my children and home while working and studying. I would cook while studying at night. I had to balance going for my children’s school events, spending time with them and also forging ahead in my career. Multitasking has also helped me juggle other responsibilities outside my home and career/academics. I am also a member of a honor society, Golden key. I had to juggle positions I had within the society along with traveling for compulsory meetings, summits and volunteering roles. I also head a unit within my church and have other commitments.

I rely on the support of people around me. It is important to surround yourself with people who support your dreams and aspirations. They help ease the burden.

I seek constructive feedback from people as I recognize that I am not an island or a well of knowledge, so I always seek out people who are well informed in areas where I am not an expert in order to broaden my horizon. Another skill I developed a long time ago was reading, I love reading, and not just academic books, I read novels, papers and other contents. This skill helped ground my dissertation, I was able to do a thorough background research because I read a lot. Resilience is also important, there were days that pushed me to tears but resilience got me through. Moving forward will require that you develop resilience because challenges and setbacks will happens.

Can you give some insight into a task or responsibility you had to handle and how you were able to achieve it?

A specific recent example I can think of was when I was going to start my dissertation project and I wanted to reach the women I wanted to interview. The process was so tedious, as reaching a lot of them was quite difficult. I sent a lot of emails, made a lot of calls and kept trying. When one method did not work, I would look for another way to reach them or look for someone who could help me reach them. I had to be dynamic and return to the drawing board often to re-strategize. I also had to forfeit sleep on some days where I had to conduct online interviews at night because of the time zone differences. The process which could have been completed in one month took about a year but my determination, dedication, focus and resilience was what kept me till I got the results I wanted.

“It is doable, I can achieve whatever I want to achieve.” Dr Abosede Gbenga-Akinbiola.

Do you have an example of any other social enterprise that involves working with, supporting or encouraging people?

During my time as a lecturer in Nigeria. I was the coordinator for  Women in Technical Education. I learnt from my sister who was also in academia, so I was able to motivate women to go for more conferences and trainings, to write papers and be involved in more research. I also led the move to build a functional daycare center on the campus so women with babies could be productive at work knowing their children were well taken care of. I also volunteered with NGOs where I took part of outreaches and was involved in mentoring young women to aim higher and do better and I continue to do this in my current role as a writing fellow.

Do you have a spiritual practice? If so, has this influenced or helped you in your work or decisions in anyway

Yes. Prayer and fasting. God is my biggest backbone and support. There were times I came close to giving up on my dreams and desires, but in one way or another, God steps in and renews my hope and strength, which then propels me to push forward again.

One More Thing you intend to do or are working towards and some steps/decisions/skills you are making/learning to achieve it ?

My next move is considering a post doctoral role. I also want to publish some articles from my dissertation and possibly write a book based on my findings. I know I need to develop more skills to help me do this, so I am going for a retreat soon with the aim of learning more about publishing my findings. The important thing is to keep taking a step after the other, after you climb one step, look for the next one to climb.

Other words of wisdom/encouragement;

I want to encourage people, especially women who feel like they may be too old to set a new goal or have a new dream. I started my PhD in my forties and completed it with three children. You must understand that it is possible to achieve your goals and still balance other aspects of your life. There are many opportunities, but you must be bold and conquer the fear of the unknown, fear is a limiting factor. It is important that you know who you are and your capabilities and then keep developing on them. Dream bigger, it is what you dream of that you can work towards achieving. When you keep trying to move upwards, whether as a man or woman, there may be some hostility, whiplash, barriers etc but you must choose to remain committed and undeterred.

“You must be bold and conquer the fear of the unknown, fear is a limiting factor.” Dr Abosede Gbenga-Akinbiola.

Thank you

Dr Abosede Gbenga-Akinbiola.

“If you wish to move mountains tomorrow, you must start by lifting stones today” -African Proverb.

I believe success is found in the journey we take, the decisions we make and the choice to keep moving forward irrespective of what we do, where we find ourselves and w

ho we are.
Join me on a journey over the next few weeks as I learn from the lives of some people around me, from entry to top level professionals, small to mid scale entrepreneurs, community influencers and executives to see some of the decisions, skills and habits that have gotten them where they are and One More Thing they are pressing towards.
The goal of One More Thing is to remind you that success starts well before you become a big name or a big brand and progress no matter how small or slow eventually leads to big accomplishments.
As long as you keep doing One More Thing in the direction of your dreams, you are better off than staying stuck or complacent.
Be a part of the experience, there would be something to learn from at least one person. 

One More Thing will be featured on Tuesdays on musingsofelizabeth.com
Thank you.
#OneMoreThing
#roadtosuccess
#beinspired.