ALERO AYIDA-OTOBO

Alero Ayida-Otobo is a Transformation Strategist with invaluable understanding of Sector-wide reforms in Africa. She is passionate about reforming educational and health systems and transforming individuals and institutions. A graduate of Somerville College Oxford University, the Bartlett School of Architecture and Town Planning, University of London and the London Business School, Alero is the Founder/CEO of Incubator Africa, a Human Development Agency that operates on the African Continent that mobilizes and equips Africans to collaborate and actively participate in strategic reform activities.

She has served on several boards including the largest bank in Nigeria, Union Bank Plc, the International Alumni Board of the London Business School and was the Founding/CEO of Haggai Investment and Trust Company. She is Co-Founder & Board Member, Teach for Nigeria, Chair of Slum2School Africa and Chair of the Association of Directors and Educators in Nigeria (ASDEN).

Alero is a British Chevening Scholar and a 2000 recipient of the British High Commission’s Award for Outstanding Performance. In 2007 the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) gave her and some members of the Transformation Team at the Federal Ministry of Education the “Excellence Award in National Development & Reformation Strategy”. Recently Alero completed her first book “Reformers Arise”. The book’s sole objective is to activate a people of dignity and integrity whose vision is to change the African narrative. Blessed with three beautiful children Alero recently marked her 60th birthday and spent an afternoon with KONYE NWABOGOR talking about her purpose You are the champion of a myriad of causes that touch on transformation. How did you get started?

My passion revolves around solving deep rooted societal problems through a special breed of change agents called “reformers”. I care about nation building and live and breathe reformation. So when exactly did this journey start? It is difficult to say. A culmination of activities ignited and equipped me on reformation. First, I was part of a major move of God that impacted and produced major players in the economic and political space including our Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; Dr Oby Ezekwesili, former Minister of Education and former Vice President for Africa, World Bank; Mrs Sola David-Borha, former CEO Stanbic IBTC and now the Chief Executive, Africa Region, Standard Bank of South Africa Limited; Mr Ben Akabueze, Director-General of the Budget Office for Nigeria; Mr Kayode Pitan, Managing Director, Bank of Industry – to name a few. This move activated something deep in many of us. Secondly, joining the Transformation Task Team of Dr Ezekwesili in 2007 when she was appointed Federal Minister of Education set me on a journey of asking questions – why do some nations develop and others struggle to see change happen? Why do some individuals successfully transform sectors and spheres of society and others fail woefully? Answering these questions has led me to establishing an Incubator that ignites, activates, equips and unleashes change agents called reformers! How do you define the challenges of our times, and what is it that motivates the work that you do?

The biggest challenges that we face as a nation, is how to develop the human potential of our people. The talents and gifts of over a 100million people locked in and constrained by poverty. We have ‘nations’ in Nigeria that are uneducated and malnourished. The number of out-of-school children is the equivalent of two ‘Finlands’ and four ‘Singapores’. We have one of the highest infant and maternal mortalities in the world. This is why Incubator Africa, a development agency for social entrepreneurs is focused on four key spheres – Education, Health, Agriculture and Media. The first three you can see why from the challenges I highlighted. But why Media? I strongly believe we can’t change Nigeria unless we change the narrative. Cultures and mind-sets are changed through the power of words and visuals. Media goes way beyond the usual newsprint and television programmes. What new narratives do we need to permeate our national psychic and infuse our national DNA? Are we ready to raise the media bar and create some phenomenal narratives!! Do you find that people are genuinely receptive to the idea of transformation? How has it being so far?

People are fed up. People are yearning for major change and are realizing that talking about it does not make it happen. People are realizing that we each have to take responsibility and take certain major decisions that says: “If I don’t do this perhaps no-one else will.” As I move around and talk to the next generation I am astounded by the growing desire to see monumental change. People are tired of the superficial. They are tired of the status quo. The disruptors are getting agitated and they are emerging. We have run successfully our flagship programme – The Young Reformers Programme (YRP) and are amazed what these young reformers are doing in their sphere of influence.

The biggest challenges that we face as a nation, is how to develop the human potential of our people. The talents and gifts of over a 100million people locked in and constrained by poverty. We have ‘nations’ in Nigeria that are uneducated and malnourished. The number of out-of-school children is the equivalent of two ‘Finlands’ and four ‘Singapores

What are some of the tools you employ in the process of passing out your message?

This is an interesting question. I had to think about it. I have written a book, spoken in several African countries especially in East Africa. I love to midwife and mentor young aspiring reformers and influence them through social media. We have a Facebook Page – “Reformers Arise”. Most recently we set up a physical incubator – the Education Hub in Lagos City Hall. This is a “Catalyst Centre forTransformation”. It’s a state of the art creative space that encourages solution carriers to design their dream solutions and collaborate with others as they execute. We run our Young Reformers Programme and Dream Centre programmes from the Hub. In a society like ours, what are the some main barriers to reformation?

One of the main barriers is corruption. Reforming sectors, industries and systems means you will be stepping on toes. You will be shining light into opaque systems and insisting on modifying wrong structures and ways of doing business. There are often significant resistance to changes like this. Other barriers to reformation that may surprise you is our neglect of the poor; indifference to suffering and lack of compassion. On another level is our unwillingness to deliver on agreed services whether in the quality of our education and health care delivery or in the provision of services in telecommunication, transportation and housing. Reformation is hard, is tough but it is doable. We are looking for people who are undaunted and unstoppable. If you had to pick one main problem facing Nigerian citizens today, what would it be and