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: System AI; News; 14 December 2018; Hits: 484

Intervew Session With Olumide Ibikunle By The Interview Unit

ADE PHILIPS: Without wasting too much time, our audience will like to meet you.

IBIKUNLE: Thanks for having me. I’m Olumide Ibikunle. A millennial. A Nigerian from the South-West region, and an optimist about the potentials of Nigeria. I’m adept at telling stories with numbers in financial statements. So, it goes without saying that I earn my living from the financial services industry. Beyond work, I am an avid supporter of noble causes and work on social impact projects involving the advancement of quality education, decent work and economic growth.

ADE PHILIPS: Amazing. Can you tell us about your family, and your relationship with them?

IBIKUNLE: My nuclear family is larger than the average - seven individuals. I have one elder sibling (the only lady) and three younger ones. I’m closer to my elder sister than anyone else and it’s not hard to see why. We’re in the same age bracket and everyone else is far behind.

I relate with my younger siblings on the standard basis of big brother and younger brothers. (I need your help for this. Can I get some money for this? Can you help me look through this application for an internship? What do you think about this term paper I just wrote? Do you think I’m doing the right thing by opting for Corporate Law over Litigation?). Essentially, I’m there to help all the time, and also ensure they’re making progress at life.

With my parents, it’s also relatively cordial. You know, the regular stuff; I hope you’re not overworking yourself? I hope you’re praying? Go and get yourself a woman, you’re not getting younger.

It’s an interesting family to be in, not minding the individual challenges we have once in a while. I appreciate the fact that they respect my opinions and contributions and would not make key decisions without getting me involved.

ADE PHILIPS: You said you are from the South West region of Nigeria. Can you briefly tell us how it was for you growing as a Yoruba boy?

IBIKUNLE: Discipline was at its peak, and I think more so in my family. I’m grateful for the lessons, even while I think there could have been other ways to pass messages across.

Sound education was non-negotiable, as it is for the average Yoruba family. You either study or you face the prospect of becoming a nonentity. It guaranteed you a better life and the ability to afford the basic things.

Play was secondary. You don’t get to choose what you want to eat. Everyone eats the same thing.

The point in all of these is that I grew up in a very principled. I learnt lessons. While I’m grateful for my strong cognitive abilities, I have poorly developed psychomotor skills today because of the kind of upbringing I had. I can’t dance to save my life. I can’t play a lot of games/sports. I don’t watch a lot of movies. I don’t play musical instruments. I think it’s important to achieve a balance, and that’s what I’d try to give my own kids.

ADE PHILIPS: To the next question. What was life like throughout your education from primary to secondary school and what was the SSCE exam like for you?

IBIKUNLE: Like I highlighted earlier, education is key to middle-class Yoruba people. Maybe more so for my own family because we were not so middle class. Throughout primary school, I had to be in first position. I was in second place once in Primary 1 and I cried because I lost to a girl. My dad was always on hand on prize giving days to strut down the aisle with me to take pictures, as the star boy.

High school for the first one or two years was pretty much the same while I was in a private school. And then I moved to Iganmode Grammar School, Ota, where I met wizards. It was tough, but I eventually settled in and carved a niche for myself with debates and essay competitions even though I was science-oriented.

I was science-oriented not because I wanted to, but my folks felt it was below my abilities to be commercially-oriented. Most of my extended family members (even my own father) were either bankers or business people. So it didn’t make sense to do it. I had to stand out by being in the sciences. I was doing fairly well, but I was not so interested. I knew more about political systems and the economy than I knew Chemistry.

Much later, this probably proved a blessing in disguise. I had taken my UTME exam and scored 270 (even though I took only half of my math questions). I felt comfortable, thought it was not necessary to study so hard for my SSCE. Had applied to a couple of schools to study computer science already.

And then I had a D in Chemistry. No school was willing to take me into Computer Science. I cried bitterly. But for the first time ever, my father didn’t spank me. He rather encouraged me. He said I could do whatever I wanted to do, and this was only a minor setback.

I then applied to study Accounting, as I had Economics and other courses, and was accepted. That was the beginning of my foray into the finance space.

DEBAYO: Can you tell us the school you applied to?

IBIKUNLE: I got accepted into Babcock’s Accounting program as one who didn’t have an elementary background in Accounting. But I remembered my father’s admonition that I could be whatever I set my mind to be. I was determined to prove him right. From the get-go, I got crazy with books. Read everything and anything. And from my first year till the end, I led the class.

I was clear about who I wanted to be, so it was easy to stave off distractions and dig in. For the first two years, I did nothing but study. No social groups/gatherings. No fun. I had to cover up ground for what my mates knew that I didn’t study in high school. And it paid off handsomely.

I think it helped that I had a lecturer who particularly picked up interest in me that first year. But I was also highly motivated.

For many graduates here, your third year is literally the most important. That’s so because most times, it determines what grade you graduate with. So, I put in as much effort as my first two years, but also began to delve into other things... student leadership, social impact, speaking engagements, school representation, internships. All was in a bid to transit into a well-rounded individual.

DEBAYO: Seems you had a very challenging experience at Babcock. Pushing further, what academic achievement are you most proud of? And what is (are) the driving force(s) that led to it?

IBIKUNLE: There are lots of them really. I made my first 5.0 grade in the first semester of my second year. And that was it for a long time till my final year when I graduated top of my department and faculty.

The driving force is pretty obvious. In my head, I was motivated to prove my father right, and I also had a picture of who I wanted to be. I wanted to be able to tell this story. We all realize how sweet ‘grass to grace stories are’.

GRACE: Would you say it’s easy to have a first class?

IBIKUNLE: I graduated with a final CGPA of 4.73. I calmed down from Year 3 second semester because by then it was certain that I was graduating with a First Class degree (except something really drastic happened) and then I also needed to develop other capacities. I had in mind to graduate with a first class degree from Day 1 (remember my driving force?) and probably even lead the entire school, so it was easy to focus and get things done.

I think by now it should be pretty obvious that getting a first class is EASY... but also difficult. Easy when you’re highly motivated and will give a lot to making it happen. It’s the easy stuff— study, study and study more. Go the extra mile with your term papers and projects. Be emotionally intelligent with your lecturers. Don’t regard any course as unnecessary. Don’t regard any test as non-essential. It’s difficult for most students to do all of this because they don’t have a clear driving force and have competing alternatives.

GRACE: Can you tell us what students can do to have your kind of result?

IBIKUNLE: I think my last few answers have highlighted these. Do the EASY stuff. Be motivated from Day 1. CONSISTENCY.

I’d harp on the last point because we all know people (and I have a lot of them) who started out strongly but were unable to keep the fire burning. That happened to me in high school. I wasn’t going to let it happen again.

GRACE: Given your kind of background, did you experience challenges with your finances?

IBIKUNLE: I wasn’t born into Dangote’s family. My folks were relatively comfortable, but it was difficult. My sister was also in a private university at the same time I started out. So, my folks were having to pay millions of naira annually in tuition and living costs. It was pretty difficult in my final year, as dad’s business saw a steep decline (it was the recession in Nigeria), but we pulled through.

I’d assure you that the majority of people who go to private universities in Nigeria don’t necessarily do so because they can afford it, but they want to circumvent the poor state of the Nigerian educational system. How long do you wait before you get an admission that you clearly merit? When you get in, do you get the grades that your efforts deserve? How long before you’re done due to the incessant strikes?

GODWIN: What would you consider as the greatest challenge throughout your days in the university?

IBIKUNLE: There were lots of challenges. But I think my inability to pay fees in the final year stands out at the top of the pile. I was going to lose my convocation and Best Graduating Student Medals.

GODWIN: How did you scale through?

IBIKUNLE: I had some money. But the entire school rallied for me. We raised 170% of the funds in 2 days when they found out it was me.

GRACE: Have you ever had trouble with lectures or supervisors? If so what did you do?

IBIKUNLE: I think everyone does at some point. But I rarely did, and I highlighted this point earlier. Be emotionally intelligent with your lecturers. A lot of times, they’re the difference between you graduating in flying colors and otherwise. I was the class representative from year 2, so I had very cordial relationships with most of them. Not to curry favors, but to ensure you have a smooth ride. My supervisor in final year gave me so much of a leeway with submission deadlines on my project. But I had been a very good boy for 4 years.

GRACE: How was your social life?

IBIKUNLE: Almost zero. Well, you can put that down to my upbringing, not necessarily the fact that I wanted to make a first class. They’re not mutually exclusive.

EMMANUEL: So as you've pointed out earlier that you started taking part in social activities while in the University at your 300 level. Can you tell us some of the posts you've held apart from being the class representative?

IBIKUNLE: I was Vice President of my Departmental Association. I was President of the Graduating Class in my Chapel. I was Team Leader for Enactus in my School. Directed several social impact projects. Presided over several electoral committees and graduating class committees.

EMMANUEL: Wow! What an awesome leadership post you have here! So who were your mentors while all these were going on in your university days and throughout your lifetime?

IBIKUNLE: I’ve always had mentors my entire life. I think the mistake a lot of people make is to have role models and term them mentors. No formal agreement whatsoever, no communication.

I’ve had mentors for different facets of my life, and you’d probably not know them because they’re not very famous people. They’re people who’re doing great in certain aspects of life and are VERY ACCESSIBLE. If your mentor is not accessible to you, it’s pointless having them. Then again, they must also be able to count on you.

EMMANUEL: What are the things you miss most about being an undergraduate?

IBIKUNLE: It’s a lot easier when you’re a student, I tell you. You have breaks from school. You probably have parents who give you money occasionally, and you don’t have to worry about bills or pressure. Just do great at school. For those who’re graduates, how’s it going?

EMMANUEL: There is a popular belief that life after school is a survival contest considering how stressful, demanding and frustrating it is. Considering your current achievements, would you say it is easy?

IBIKUNLE: I think the more relatively accomplished you are, the higher the expectations.

You’re expected to do well for yourself and do a lot for others too, even when you’re not very buoyant. It’s all about perception. So, I think it’s a lot more difficult.

EMMANUEL: Mmm... I guess your profession has been your major achievement. Can you briefly describe your profession, how you undertake?

IBIKUNLE: I get people reaching out to me every day. If they’re not trying to get some ideas for their businesses, they’re trying to see if they can tap some personal/business funding. Otherwise, they’re looking to get my opinions on other life matters. It’s stressful. If you don’t answer WhatsApp chats after 30 minutes, you’re proud and conceited. If you do, they take all of your time. If you don’t send money, you’re stingy. If you do, they come back for more. The expectations are a lot, we learn and develop as the journey progresses.

I used to be an Investment Research Analyst. In that role, I was an advisor to people looking to make investments in the markets, including fixed income instruments, currencies, commodities and also provide insights on the macroeconomic space and how it affects their investments.

However, I recently joined one of the World’s top 4 banks, and what I do is quite the same thing, only that I’m not advising investors, I’m advising the Bank’s management/board.

Satisfaction is the bane of progress. There’s always bigger hurdles to surmount, new heights to aim for and new grounds to break. Stay hungry, Stay foolish!

GODWIN: Do you have any strong determination as a child concerning your future and if so, how has it turned out? Any changes to how you saw it then and now?

IBIKUNLE: Not much has changed, really. Only the path is becoming a lot clearer. I always thought I could save the world literally. I mean, I wanted to take care of all the people who didn’t have much to eat or where to live, send their kids to school and do so much more.

But as I grow older, I realize that there’s so much one individual can do. In your own little corner, pick what you want to do and face it squarely. You’ll find success in it.

Bill Gates doesn’t go about trying to build cars. He’s chosen software and he’s probably the best at it. Dangote’s chosen cement and is probably the best at what he does as well. That’s why they’ve found success. Even in their social impact efforts, they’re intentional. They have a focus strategy. Bill’s focus is healthcare. You can’t do everything, but you can do a few little things in big ways.

GODWIN: This is really helpful. Can you shed some light as an economic analyst what your view is about the effects of the current covid-19 pandemic on the economy of Nigeria and the world?

IBIKUNLE: Life and work as we know it is undergoing some dramatic transformation as we know it.

Factories shut

INTERVIEW SECTION WITH OLUMIDE IBIKUNLE BY THE INTERVIEW UNIT