Dear Folks,
Last year, I decided to curate the stories of Young African Professionals who have moved back to Africa and their journeys as they settle in and make a life for themselves in the Motherland. My aim has been that perhaps sharing their stories, might motivate others to do the same. So far, this series has proven to be a source of endless inspiration for me and I hope for you as well.
Fittingly, our next blog post on “Moving Back to Africa“, comes from the Republic of Guinea. This young man’s story is incredibly inspiring, and is an example of what the future of Africa would look like if more young people thought like him. I was so inspired by what he had to say, to the extent I emailed his interview piece to friends, so they could read his amazing journey beforehand. So in his own words, AGUIBOU LY
INTERVIEW Your background (country of origin, where you attended school, and your course of study). AL: I am originally from Guinea West Africa. Left for the USA after High School to pursue a BS/BA in Finance at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte. What inspired you to return to Africa? AL: I graduated in 2008 and right at the start of the financial crisis in the US. As a finance major I guess I understood that the opportunities were elsewhere. I also always wanted to go back home after school and I considered it as a sign to get the hell out. I researched US companies involved in West Africa and Guinea in particular and after a lot of phone calls I landed in a Satellite Company based in Tampa Bay Florida. I spent one year there and managed to convince them to open an office in Guinea, Conakry; my home.
What are you engaged in now that you have returned? AL: I wear multiple hats but my main activity (90%) is as the Regional Sales Manager for ITC GLOBAL; a fast growing satellite connectivity provider to the extractive sector. I was lucky to have witnessed the company grow from a 10 Millions / Year company in 2008 to a 100 Million dollar company now and I am proud to have been part of that hard work.
Also, as it is hard to come back to Africa and not notice the vacuum in certain markets, I established with my Father an IT Infrastructure and Equipment Distribution Company where we represent and distribute major International brands like Siemens; Bombardier Transport; Motorola Solutions etc.… for the yet to mature but high potential Guinean Market.
What would you say is the best part of relocating/ working and living in Africa so far?. AL: I would say proximity to family and friends, the social life, which in the US we were really distant from, but most importantly I love the fact that everything is to be done in Africa. There is not one week that goes by without me seeing an opportunity to build a business in a particular sector. Also meeting other young Africans like myself in the multiple countries I visit for work ( I have been to over 20 African Countries so far) and resonating with the youth of the continent.
What would you say is the hardest part of relocating/working and living in Africa so far?.
AL: I would say the mentality and logic on the ground. I think because of the importance of the social context, people tend to be dependent on one person for everything; from their food to fuel for their vehicle. This phenomenon is interesting and part of our culture but really dangerous as it makes people less productive and reduces the pace of the continent as a whole. An example of this phenomenon is the high population of beggars in the streets. Kids that should be in school spend up to 12 hours a day in the streets begging and women with no visible handicap do the same carrying little infants on their back exposing them to all kinds of pollution and sun damage. Its good to help each other but the best way is well delivered in a proverb: “do not give out fish give out fishing lessons”. This I think would make the biggest difference.
Are there any specific “perks” in your opinion of living/working Africa as opposed to if you had stayed overseas?. AL: I would say plenty. In Guinea I can easily meet the prime minister if I wanted to, as some way or another he will be part of my immediate or intermediate network. Being home makes you benefit from networking power that was initiated generations ago before you were even in the picture and I think it’s a major factor in success. In the US it would take a couple of back flips to meet the county sheriff for a personal meeting. Also the fact of being US educated and Bilingual automatically puts you into the elite and you have a bigger opportunity to have an impact socially or professionally.
Why would you strongly recommend that other young African professionals think of coming back to Africa to work?. AL: Simple, everything is already done in Europe and America. However, everything is yet to be done back home and it cannot be done without the well traveled and educated youth. I tell my friends that none of us can afford to have only one job; we should all have as many jobs and businesses as we can manage as the numbers are against us. What industries do you think are looking the most promising/have the potential to recruit heavily?. AL: Construction! Again everything is yet to be built in Africa and more than half of the biggest construction sites in the world for the next 25 years will be in Africa. So supply chain management, project management;, engineering, Telecommunication, Process control all of this will be needed.
What would be your advice in terms of how someone can successfully find a job in Africa?. AL: Find out what you want to do, find a company that will permit you to do it, and pitch it to them that they should do it in Africa. Make a list of the companies that have projects in your home country and cold call their HQ . Also hit Linkedin to get to someone involved on the project and from there send out your resume and show them you want it but most importantly, that you are the right person for the Job. INFORMAL QUESTIONS
What would I find you doing on weekends or on weekdays after you come home from work? AL: I guess weekends are for the social scene; going out to the club, spending time with the family, playing basketball, cruising out to the Islands off the coast of Conakry, visiting waterfalls or going to the beach depending of the weather. Lots of things to do.
By relocating back to Africa as a young African professional?.
AL: I hope to add my modest part in building the continent of the future. In five years’ time I see myself?. AL: Married! In the prime of my career with a couple of kids.
What is one ironic thing you have seen/noticed since you’ve been back that has inspired you and giving you hope about Africa’s progress?. AL: When I left Guinea in 2003 it took a great lobbying and financial effort to buy a sim card and it was a set back of up to 500 dollars to acquire a phone number. When I came back to Guinea in 2009, I bought a Sim card for about 1 Euro and it had about 1 Euro worth of airtime pre-loaded. In other words, the SIM card was FREE. The only thing that changed between 2003 -2009, in terms of Telecommunications in Guinea, is that MTN had entered the market in 2006 and drove quality up and costs down for consumers. Competition at its best, I think that this phenomenon should be duplicated in other sectors as well.
Thanks for sharing your story!!
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