My path to project management wasn’t linear. It was a whirlwind of classrooms and leadership roles, each shaping me into the conductor I am today – orchestrating projects within and beyond the education sector.
I had always wanted to be a project manager, who would take on massive projects that would share the destinies of people around the world.
Fresh out of university, I ignited my passion for education as a subject teacher in rural Kwara State in Nigeria, The Giant of Africa. Wrangling teenagers wasn’t easy, but it honed my organization, communication, and adaptability – all crucial for project management.
The next few years saw me teaching in various schools, further refining my teaching skills and introducing me to student development, a vital piece of the educational puzzle. In 2015, my journey took an unexpected turn. A supervisory role at Ajeast Nigeria Limited forced me to apply my “teaching skills” to train and manage a team. It was a crash course in communication, team coordination, and performance management, proving my skillset transcended the classroom. All these turns in my career journey never deterred me.
Fast forward to 2021. Education beckoned again, but this time with a leadership upgrade. As Supervisor of Schools for New Globe (Lagos’ EkoExcel program), I led a sprawling educational ecosystem of multiple of thirteen schools, which had close to eighty Teachers and over thirteen thousand students. There are times I visit my riverine school and the water level is low/ down, I am left with two options, is either I wait till the water level rise or I sleep over. This is one out of many challenges that came with the job.
I could have decided to stay idle and complain about the system instead of looking out for opportunities to serve as a means of connecting myself to mentors of interest and pushing despite the inherent obstacles in my situations.
Collaborative leadership, data-driven decisions, problem solving and continuous coaching became my instruments for achieving program goals. Some of This experience sparked my interest in managing projects, revealing how project management principles apply to both simple and complex tasks.
Now, at Uniek Ideas Consulting, I leverage my skills as a Project/Program Manager. I lead educational projects (EQUIP 1000), a project that is designed in the next five years to support over five hundred thousand educators across twenty-five African country that are French and English-speaking countries alongside Project GCP.
A revolutionary innovation in the tech space designed to help individuals with fantastic ideas, transform their ideas into reality. Project CGP is the main driver of the platform for EQUIP 1000 and is going to give birth to other platforms in other areas and sectors like aggrotech, biotech ecommerce, etc. Tackling everything from needs assessments to implementation and impact measurement.
At last, my persistence has paid off and I now have a platform to deploy my project management skills. Now on a global scale. Indeed, dreams come through and I can finally make my impact on Africa and the world at large.
I use my story as a form of inspiration and encouragement to women in Africa and all over the world to not see glass ceilings as an obstacle, but rather a reason the push and attain their visions.
Beyond my professional pursuits, I am an entrepreneur with a passion for selling apparel. Selling apparel provides flexibility in terms of product selection, pricing strategies, and target markets. Additionally, I derive immense joy from indulging in my hobbies of baking and cooking, for me cooking/baking is a therapeutic activity that allows me relax, unwind, and express creativity in the kitchen as well as engaging in volunteer work.
Throughout my journey, a few constants have emerged: a dedication to empowering others through education, strong communication and relationship-building skills, and a knack for strategic planning and execution. I’m a lifelong learner, constantly seeking ways to expand my skillset.
My unique background in education has equipped me perfectly for project management. As an educator, I understand the needs of teachers and students. I also bring a systematic mind, organizational prowess, and leadership skills to navigate complex projects. I’m passionate about driving positive change, and my track record speaks for itself.
Dear young people in Africa I urge you to take the path of being that agent of change you want to see. It is all in your hands. I also want to encourage every African woman out there; you can be more and do more. Never let the society limit you.
African women rising up the ranks in power
African women are increasing their influence on global leadership, politics and business.
More African women are joining and rising up the ranks of the world’s 100 most powerful women, according to Forbes, as they grow their influence in shaping the policies, products and political fights defining the globe. World Trade Organization (WTO) director general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the former Minister of Finance in Nigeria, has moved the highest on the continent by four places
from position 91 in 2022 to 87 in this year’s Forbes “World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” rankings.
Okonjo-Iweala, the first African woman to lead the WTO, made it to the list for the seventh time in 2023 since her debut in 2011. The 69-year-old has also hinted at a growing number of African women who may not be in the world’s 100 most powerful, but whose global influence is on the rise. In her words, “Congratulations to all the women on this list working hard to make a difference,” Okonjo-Iweala said on twitter (X).
New entrant Mpumi Madisa, the chief executive officer of Bidvest Group, a South African services and distribution company with nearly 130,000 employees and a $4.7 billion market cap, is now the second-most powerful woman in Africa, according to the publisher.
Over the last three years, Bidvest has delivered annual growth in headline earnings per share in excess of 20 per cent and created more than 6,000 jobs in 2023, according to the group’s 2023 annual report, published in October.
Bidvest has built up a $1.49 billion (R28 billion) war chest as it looks for growth opportunities in South Africa and other markets where the company operates.
Madisa, ranked 88th in the global Forbes 2023 list, became the only black female chief executive of a top-40 company on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange when she took the helm of the listed company in 2020. In November 2023, she was named the 2023 Sunday Times Business Leader of the Year.
Madisa raced ahead of Tanzania’s President Samia Hassan and Nigerian media mogul Mo Abudu, whose rankings have also improved, signifying a spirited growth in influence among both political and business leaders on the continent. At 44 years, she is the youngest African woman on the Forbes list.
Samia Hassan, who is marking her third consecutive appearance on the Forbes rankings, saw her star rise slightly, coming in at number 93, up from 95.
Hassan is the first female President of Tanzania. She took over in March 2021 following the death of President John Magufuli. The former Vice President began her political career in 2000.
Hassan’s achievements include a strategic focus on infrastructure development, building regional ties and contributions to a range of global discourses, after moving the country away from her predecessor’s increasingly isolationist policies.
The country recently received global recognition in key sectors, such as tourism and logistics, which are contributing to the growth of its economy. Thanks to recent growth, the country is on course to surpass Kenya as East Africa’s largest economy.
Ruth’s story is a critical pointer to the amazing feats that African women can accomplish despite the glass ceilings that ancient history and the society has place above them. Breaking this glass ceiling is and should become the new normal.
The writer is Ruth Funmilayo Ayorinde. She hails from Ondo Town in Ondo State a state in Nigeria, the world’s most populous black nation. She asserts herself as a high-energy, proactive individual who drives impactful change.
She holds a Bachelor’s / Master’s degree in Comparative Study of Religion. Post Graduate Diploma in Education and various online training and certification.
Ruth is currently the Project/Program Manager leading educational projects (EQUIP 1000) in Nigeria and Africa.
Source: www.asaaseradio.com , www.businessinsider.com , www.aljazeera.com
