Power Women of the Diaspora: Global Leader’s Keys to International Career Success

What is your response to critics of Africa in the diaspora, in terms of business opportunities (i.e. reports of corruption, stereotypes and issues with infrastructure and resources?)

While there is no disputing the fact that Africa has its challenges, often, its story is rarely portrayed in the right context. Corruption is not [just in] Africa. It’s a phenomenon that is prevalent the world-over, with varying degrees depending on the efficiency of the systems in place. Many countries in Africa have aggressively set out to reduce, if not totally eradicate, the human interventions that give rise to corrupt practices. For example, the Nigerian Pension industry, since the radical reform, saw the end of ghost workers and mismanagement of funds, and introduced the Contributory Pension Scheme. This is largely due to the elaborate structures that have extensive checks and balances through the separation of management and custody of pension funds.

I believe the lack of adequate infrastructure across Africa should be viewed as an opportunity rather than an impediment, given its vast resources. I always invite [skeptics] to visit Africa to see for themselves the endogenous opportunities that abound. From power, to telecommunications, to housing, to public infrastructure; investors are prioritizing Africa as the next destination. Again, in Nigeria, the pension funds are disposed to investing in infrastructure projects in partnership with savvy global investors to advance the economy. Furthermore, private equity funds, that a decade ago would not invest in infrastructure projects in Africa, are now setting up dedicated African Funds for infrastructure. I am a firm believer in the African renaissance, and the continent’s role in an increasingly interdependent global economy.

What are your 3 tips for young women seeking leadership success, in Africa and abroad?

The first point is that success doesn’t come easy. Every aspiring leader must have unassailable integrity and an irrevocable commitment to the pursuit of excellence in all fields of human endeavor. The second, is that career choices must be well-thought. Efforts must be made to avoid joining [a] bandwagon. Third, and most important, all actions in the course of one’s career must be geared toward adding value and promoting the common good.

What is the key to balancing work/ family life, and how important is this to you?

Women naturally excel at multi-tasking and make juggling, even the most demanding work with the home-front, appear easy. Personally, I am a proponent of the fact that virtue steers a middle course. To that extent, family-life is sacred regardless of the pressures of work. It may simply be eating one meal a day together, going off on a weekend break, or playing a game of Scrabble. The point is: consciously creating time to bond with family, irrespective of the activity engaged in. Fortunately, women in Africa have the added advantage of an incredible extended family support system that makes work and family- life balance considerably easier.

If you knew then what you know now, what career advice would you give to your 21-year-old self?

Be daring. Take on more challenges. Do not curb your aspirations.