Board Impulse Thoughts (BIT) – A little BIT for everybody

63rd Board Impulse Thoughts with Oluwakemi Oggar and her views and assessments of the upcoming and last 12 months

1. Which were your biggest learnings over the past 12 months?

The past year came with a whole lot of learning both personally and professionally. Eventually, challenges come as a part of our various journeys through life and while the process is usually quite uncomfortable, in the end, my philosophy remains - I either win or learn.

I learned in the past year to become truer to myself and that trying to gain the acceptance of everyone is a futile endeavor from which nothing good can come.

I relearned the place of strategic relationships and that it’s wiser to build in the time of peace.

I learned that It’s ok to quit if something no longer serves its purpose, I saw a lot of good people struggle with their mental health holding on to what no longer serves its purpose. You don’t want to get to the top of your ladder just to realize you’ve been leaning against the wrong wall.

I learned that Sacrifice cannot be avoided, to go up, you must give up – time, resources, whatever it takes.

I learned the place of giving back – mentoring over 5 ladies and seeing their steady growth gave me a tremendous sense of accomplishment.

I learned the importance of having a career sponsor, to help navigate the higher corridors of influence and get you a seat at the table.

I learned that we need to be kinder to each other, everyone is going through something. Words spoken cannot be taken back.

2. What is your WHY?

I believe a lot of people need a lot of self-awareness and it impacts on how they relate and respond to situations and other people. 

3. What are your observations on executives over the last 12 months, did they change their habits and attitudes?

Last year was majorly an emergence from Covid. Executives tried to get their employees back to the office to establish a sense of normalcy. However, due to the undeniable productivity by most employees during the lock down period, most executives were able to make a compromise with the hybrid model especially as technology now supports this. We also see more town hall meetings to foster engagement with staff even at lower levels. However, some executives also took on a more bullish approach to improving their bottom line, such as digital transformation, inclusion, and diversity programs. We also saw some layoffs and restructuring to rebuild and harness the strength of the continuing employees in a leaner structure to minimize cost and improve efficiency. 

4. What do you expect from 2023?

There is so much going on around the world and I’ll focus more on Nigeria where the impact of the ongoing war seems to hit on every front.

The war in Eastern Europe has left the country with insufficient gas, causing long queues, exhausting commute from extreme traffic and higher cost of purchase. The ongoing war will most likely cause more fall in oil prices which negatively impact Nigeria as it has high dependency on its revenue for its FOREX reserves.

The planned election in Nigeria also leaves Nigerians and investors with some level of uncertainty about 2023. There is a strong drive by the youth to get their voices heard. We will see if it’s only a movement on social media alone or if the agitations online will translate into actions at the polls.

Moreso, the “mass” emigration of the educated populace to other developed countries while leaving a void also creates opportunities for those who choose to stay and improve on themselves to seize those opportunities.

it’s not all doom, we expect some positive outcomes from the recent commissioning of the Lekki deep seaport which will improve trade, open our borders, and provide employment to many.  

I expect to see more mergers and collaboration among organizations for increased market shares, reduced cost of operations and better access to resources.

Oluwakemi Oggar is from Nigeria and studied at the Obafemi Awolowo University and went on to complete her MBA at the University of Leicester, UK. She is currently the Commercial lead (Nigeria) for Upstream Mobile Services Limited where she is responsible for providing strategic operational and commercial leadership for account related engagement across several Telcos.

Her focus is on helping organizations maximize value from products purchased, building, and motivating high-performing teams and increasing client retention rates by rapidly identifying unique customer needs and establishing rapport.

She is passionate about mentoring other women to become better versions of themselves.