Reindorf Baah Perbi | Professionalism and Integrity Exemplified

INTRODUCTION

This instalment in the 50 Inspiring Living Leaders series had to be completed by the end of April 2025 to coincide with the seventy-fifth birthday of an African colossus in the finance world, Reindorf Kofi Baah Perbi. In the interest of full disclosure, this retired deputy Senior Partner of one of the ‘big four’ global accounting firms in Ghana, KPMG, is my own biological father. If it is true that “Success is having people who know you best, love and respect you the most,” then I dare say this is a success story. 

‘RBP’ or ‘Uncle Perbs’, as he is affectionately called, is a Fellow of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants globally as well as a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana locally. Because of the integrity with which Reindorf Perbi has lived and led as a finance professional with significant impact in several spheres of life over the last seven decades, his progenies have been honoured to put the name “Perbi” on their family charity (Perbi Family Foundation), executive leadership education consultancy (Perbi Executive Leadership Education–PELÉ), media company (Perbi Paradigms) and on their education technology establishment that has served nearly 20,000 children across the length and breadth of Ghana, Perbi Cubs.

GROWTH

Born Aloft

In the year 1950 in the Gold Coast—as colonial Ghana was called—when the shriek of a baby boy pierced the quiet, dew-saturated and cold morning in April atop the Akuapem mountains of the eastern regions of this British territory, little did the indigenes of Mampong know what sort of Ɔdehye (royal) had been born. It was a Friday, and he was appropriately called “Kofi,” the Akan name given to such Friday-born boys, like Kofi Annan, the late United Nations Secretary-General, who was also an April-born; only a dozen years earlier and in the Asante capital of Kumasi. 

Kofi would later be formally christened Reindorf Baah Perbi by his Methodist goldsmith and bar-owner father, Robert Kofi Perbi, and his farmer-mother Florence Asamoabea. ‘Baah’ because he was named after his paternal grandfather who bore that name. His given German name, Reindorf, is said to have been taken from a certain ‘Doctor Reindorf’ whose name (and maybe deeds?) the baby’s father apparently fancied a lot. He was the third of eight children, all from the same pair of biological parents except for the eldest who was of a different mother.

Early Education

Reindorf Baah Perbi attended the local Presbyterian primary school until he qualified for Adisadel College in Cape Coast, an all-boys secondary school established by the Anglicans in 1910, four clear decades before the young Perbi was born. In those days, that was quite a trek from the Eastern to the Central Region of newly-liberated Ghana.

Neat, orderly and principled, Reindorf won the affection of his friends and teachers alike. It was at Adisadel that Reindorf sat for both his Ordinary and Advanced Level certificate examinations. He became Head Prefect in 1969. The Chapel Prefect in that leadership cohort, Sir Sam Jonah, would later become a lifelong friend and CEO of Ashanti Goldfields, listing it on the New York Stock Exchange.

Reindorf’s maternal uncle took particular notice of his potential and would invite him to spend his vacations with him wherever he was stationed in the country as a bookshop manager of the Methodist Book Depot. R.B. got admitted to study Mathematics in Sixth Form and at the University of Ghana, Legon, a move that took him off his innate desire to pursue Medicine. He had also developed a passion to be a teacher, and he surmised any degree would qualify him. Later, he would get to vicariously live the doctor dream through his firstborn son, Dr. Yaw Perbi.

Due to unforeseen difficulties with the Mathematics course at Legon, Reindorf later had to backpedal from that and head to the School of Administration to pursue accounting. That would turn out to be his true calling—for the rest of his life.

Cementing the Calling

After graduating from the University of Ghana with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) Admin., R.B. would later deepen his professional credentials by qualifying as a chartered accountant (ACCA) and put the icing of a number of certificates and diplomas: Post-graduate Diploma in Industrial Management (Finance) from the Research Institute for Management Science, Delft, in the Netherlands; Accounting Software Systems (Notely Cahill Systems, Ireland); Management Development (Centre for Management Development, Lagos Nigeria); Leadership Training (Haggai Institute for Advanced Leadership Training, Singapore); Plant Based Nutrition (T. Colin Campbell Foundation, Cornell University, USA); KPMG Partners Development Program (Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa); and a Regional Course on US Government Auditing.

Spiritual Formation and Fervency

Although the Akuapem region is dominated by the Presbyterians—thanks to the Basel missionaries incredible work of evangelizing the mountains and settling there due to the coolness of the weather and minimal mosquito presence that the high altitude blessed it with—this particular Perbi family in Mampong was Methodist in persuasion. So here was Reindorf, born Methodist, elementary-schooled Presbyterian and secondary-schooled Anglican. How ecumenical!

Reindorf’s father was an active member of the local Methodist church, and especially active in the Singing Band. He was a nominal Christian though as evidenced in his running a brisk beer bar  business (drinking spot). During his secondary school days, Kofi Baah trekked all the way to Tamale in Northern Ghana as a 15-year old to a Scripture Union vacation camp where he had a special spiritual encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ that would change his life forever. With evangelistic fervor, he would begin to challenge and change things in his family and later marry a lady who had had a similar high school spiritual encounter through the same ministry of Scripture Union. R.B. would later become the President of the University Christian Fellowship with his would-be wife as President of the fellowship’s branch in her campus hostel of residence, Volta Hall.

Cutting His Teeth in the World of Work

Reindorf’s first job out of university was his National Service at the Accra Polytechnic from 1973 to 1974 where he undertook teaching and researching for a Technical Education Books Project. Then for the next three years (1974-1977), he worked in accounting at Peat Marwick Cassleton Elliot & Co. (what would later evolve into KPMG) as a Trainee Accountant responsible for performing audits and internal control reviews for several client firms.

From those humble beginnings, R.B. rose to become Chief Accountant at the Social Security Bank Ltd. (now Societé Generale) from 1977 to 1985, with accounting and treasury functions, financial administration of the bank involving managing the production of periodic reports for management information, as well as for the Board and annually for shareholders, serving on Finance and House Committees. He was  directly in charge of the Accounts Department, Stores and Warehouse and Procurement; assisting in evaluating applications for medium and long term financing. This would land him in the most epic of professional and national crises.

SUCCESS

A Test of Tests in Integrity

Speaking of RBP as ‘Integrity Exemplified’ always takes one back to a Social Security Bank (SSB) experience where as Chief Accountant some of his staff misconducted themselves, including forging his signature on several payment vouchers to defraud the bank. One of the conspirators was a businessman. When the truth finally surfaced, they were convicted and sentenced to death by a Tribunal. Shortly after, they were killed by firing squad in 1985.

Integrity pays, even to the extent of saving one from the jaws of death itself! In appreciation of Dad’s exemplary integrity about eight years ago, I penned and published the following around Father’s Day 2017: 

“If there ever was a man of integrity I could vouch for it is my father: Reindorf Kofi Baah Perbi. In fact, even way back in the 1980s during his days as Chief Accountant at the then Social Security Bank (now SG-SSB), when his signature was forged and monies stolen it was his integrity that saved him. Everyone vouched for him: “Chief would never do such a thing,” they convincingly told the authorities.

“Those were the heady days of revolution and military rule in Ghana so he had even received a pre-judicial slap or two already when he was picked up by soldiers and sent to Gondar Barracks. After several weeks of tribunal hearings (and I remember us going to fetch him from tribunal hearings after we had been picked up from Ridge Church School), eventually, the perpetrators were found, tried and shot via firing squad. It was no joke. One of them, I believe, is still on the run—he must be still running now or dead from running.”

Illustrious Career at KPMG

Reindorf Perbi rose to become Deputy Senior Partner of KPMG Ghana, having been admitted as a partner in 1988. Previously Head of Audit for many years during which he was Engagement Partner for a number of KPMG clients (some of which will soon be listed) but in his last years he was in charge of Quality & Risk Management, and HR & Training. 

In 2003, he was appointed Head of Assurance for KPMG West Africa cluster and represented the region in many KPMG Africa meetings. In a previous capacity as Partner in charge of Advisory Services with KPMG Ghana, he was involved in a number of assignments in the parastatal sector, including:

• Conducting financial information study for Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (funded by the World Bank),
• Team member in charge of finance for USAID funded Government of Ghana Primary Education Project (PREP) which was to grant funding as well as to assess capacity of the Ministry of Education in managing funds,
• Assisting in organisational restructuring and design of accounting manual and management information systems,
• Advising, as Liaison Partner, on the design, development, selection and implementation of a computer-based mortgage accounting system.

Diverse Industries, Same Integrity

A survey of RB’s consulting and auditing experience reveals a wide range of industries—petroleum, mining, financial, manufacturing, service, construction, transportation (including shipping), telecommunications—touching on public and private sectors alike. Taking Government, for example, he was the Co-ordinating financial consultant for Stabex 1991, Urban II & III, and Small Holder Rehabilitation Project (IFAD funded) for the Ministry of Agriculture as well as Finance consultant for USAID-funded Ministry of Education Primary Education Project (PREP). He was responsible for providing overall quality, reviewing of financial statements and management letters and authorising the release of the audit report of the Local Government Development Project (Urban III). Then there was the financial audit of the Urban Transport Project. Also a key Ministry of Health project.

Regarding the private sector, Reindorf was the Engagement Partner for Shell Ghana Limited, Total Petroleum Ghana Limited and previously Mobil Oil Ghana Limited. In fact, for thirteen years (1994-2007) he led the strategy, planning and supervising of field work plus preparation, supervision and review of financial statements and reports. This was for the separate companies till their merger in October 2006. RB also served for three (3) years as Energy & Natural Resources liaison partner for KPMG West Africa in the Africa region. He audited companies involved in the provision of mining services as well as gold prospecting. 

Reindorf Perbi’s audits of financial institutions have included big names like Standard Chartered Bank Ghana Limited, Ghana Venture Capital Fund Limited, CAL Bank, State Insurance Company, GT Bank Ghana, and Bank of Ghana. Regarding the latter, this was an eight-year period (2001-2009) of being the Engagement Partner for the audit of the Central Bank of Ghana, checking the checker. RB’s audit of other miscellaneous companies included those in the manufacture and sale of cosmetics and pharmaceutical products, and hardware, various companies in telecommunication and shipping and private-public ventures including audit of a company involved in Ghana’s National Electrification Project.

Global Trust, Local Thrust

Of particular intrigue is the fact that a significant number of projects of global funding partners like USAID, International Development Agency, the European Union and the World Bank being implemented locally would have Reindorf Perbi as the lead engagement partner. And by local I mean in Ghana or even within the West African sub-region. Some of RB’s financial audits of the European Union, European Development Fund and European Economic Commission have been CSSVD Phase 1 of Stabex, Ministry of Health support programme (CHIM Project no. 8 ACP GH03, 2003), Ghana Audit Service (Project no. 8 ACP GH02 in 1998 and 8 ACP TPS in 2003), setting the strategy, planning and supervising field work, preparation and review of reports.

The Ghana Living Standards Survey 4 was a joint European Commission-World Bank Project (No. 7 ACP Gh 035-35, 2001) that Reindorf Perbi was financial auditor of as KPMG’s engagement partner. R.B. was the concurrent partner who ensured that all matters relating to reporting consideration were taken into account regarding the financial audit of Pan-African Institute for Development (PAID).  He reviewed the working papers and reports submitted by the field staff, ensured that all quality control considerations were met and led discussions and presentations of our reports. This was a project in Burkina Faso, financed by the Netherlands Government, which involved checking compliance of project expenditures with approved budget, accounting of all revenues and reporting on the same.

Family Matters

With all these gargantuan projects under his watch, RB managed to form a flourishing family. In fact, he had strategized with his wife for her to take a seasonal and less time-demanding professional route in order that they might fend well for the children.

R.B. married the first child of the celebrated ethnomusicologist Emeritus Professor J.H. Kwabena Nketia, Akosua Adoma, at the University of Ghana in 1977. She would end up as a professor of history at the same University and between them have four (4) children–two boys and two girls: Dr. Yaw Perbi (The HuD Group, Kwiverr, Lausanne Movement), Mrs. Amma Eleblu (PriceWaterhouseCoopers), Adwoa Konadu Perbi (Gates Foundation) and Nana Nketia Perbi (Stanbic Bank Ghana). At the time of writing, R.B. and Akosua had 11 grandchildren.

SIGNIFICANCE

On Saving a Nation

All of Reindorf Perbi’s professional gravitas would come to bear on saving his nation Ghana from political mayhem when the Supreme Court hearing the 2012 election petition challenging the legitimacy of declaring President John Dramani Mahama as President settled on KPMG “as referees in counting pink sheets exhibits produced before the court as evidence of alleged irregularities in the December 2012 presidential elections.” The court, presided over by Justice William Atuguba on May 9, 2013, “took the decision after the exact number of pink sheets exhibits had become a dispute between the petitioners and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), a respondent in the case.” The presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, his running mate, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, and the Chairman of the NPP, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey had alleged that gross and widespread irregularities took place on the face of the pink sheets from 11,842 polling stations.

The hearing of the substantive petition began on April 17, 2013 and had been muddied by inconsistency of the vital electoral documents that are signed on the ground, at polling stations, by representatives of the various political parties. This was a serious and sensitive matter that some had even described as a “Pink Sheet “War.”” As deputy senior partner of KPMG at the time many like me had no doubt that the nation as a whole and the process itself was in safe hands knowing the calibre of a professional Mr. Perbi was and the depth of character he and the KPMG brand he had helped grow from the late 1970s and then the mid 1980s possessed. And we were not disappointed.

Led by the senior partner, Mr. Joe Winful, KPMG presented 15 copies of their final report to the registrar of the Supreme Court by 9am on June 24, 2013. As Mr. Winful intimated on behalf of KPMG, “We worked thoroughly and tirelessly, including weekends and sometimes up to 2 a.m., in order to finish the work on time.” He emphasized how “We have done our professional work diligently and are prepared to defend our work when called to testify in the case.” The character, competence and care of RB and co. no doubt contributed to the salvation of the nation.

Education as Bedrock

Reindorf Perbi is not only the proud product of solid education but a prime promoter of it, from sponsoring his own external family to broader initiatives in his hometown of Mampong, Akuapem. This belief in education has seen him volunteer to serve on the boards of significant educational establishments in Ghana like Achimota School and Akosombo International School as well as a five-year tenure on the University of Ghana Council. There are times when he has stepped in the classroom himself, whether in teaching Leadership and Management at Haggai Institute or as a former part-time tutor in accountancy at the University of Professional Studies and Government Accountancy School, Asylum Down, Accra.

Awards

Mr. Reindorf Baah Perbi’s illustrious work has not gone unnoticed. He has been the recipient of several awards, spanning his school days to this post-retirement era. As a budding leader myself, I remember being so inspired by the citation in the book cover of a copy of Spiritual Leadership that I chanced upon in his vast library. That citation acknowledged his excellence in leadership of the University Christian Fellowship of the Ghana Fellowship of Evangelical Students (GHAFES) as its president in the early 1970s. He has also had the privilege of being a former honorary auditor of Scripture Union Ghana.

Not too long ago, the International Needs Ghana board presented the Ray Harrison Distinguished Service Award to Reindorf. He was board chair in 1988 during those crucial days when International Needs ventured into the Trokosi system to rescue young women from the claws of a system of shrine slavery. You may read more about that here. This campaign gained attention all over the world.

Also, many who didn’t know that the farming genes from his parents weren’t as suppressed as they thought were caught by surprise when in 2009 RB won the Best Cattle Farmer in Wetsonya, Eastern Region of Ghana at the National Farmers Day awards. He is a Lifelong Fellow of the Oxford Club, USA.

Membership of Boards

The following are some boards and councils that Mr. Perbi has served on, and in some cases chaired:

• Institute for Christian Impact (chair of the board until recently)
• Guaranty Trust Bank (Ghana) Limited board  (2017-to August 2018)
• University of Ghana Council (2017 – 2021)
• KPMG West Africa board (2005-2007)
• Institute of Chartered Accountants (Ghana) ICA(G) council
• Ghana-Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (GNCBB)
• International Needs (Ghana) board (1985 – 2000), board chair
• International Needs Network (New Zealand) (2006 – 2012), as External International Board member and Treasurer
• Adisadel College Endowment Fund (Vice-chairman)
• Legon Interdenominational Church (LIC), Council of Elders
• Haggai Institute Alumni Association of Ghana (board chair)
• Senior Advisory Committee for Ghana Fellowship of Evangelical Students (GHAFES), Chair
• Nketia Music Foundation, Chair
• Genius Youth Club, Patron

Publications and Presentations

Reindorf is a powerful presenter and prolific writer in both his personal and professional capacity. This can be traced back to his student days in both the second and third cycles. In the first dozen years of his work life, one of his moments of shining was as a Rapporteur-General during the Association of Accountancy Bodies of West Africa (ABWA) maiden conference in Abeokuta Nigeria (1986). He still prides in his “The Accountant and the Control of Corruption” article in The Professional Accountant, a magazine of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG) two decades ago (2005). To two key audiences–Ghana’s Minister of Finance as well as the Council of ICAG–he presented a key paper that year after on “The Need for Change in Government of Ghana Financial Year.” That same year was his lecture on “The Professional Accountant and the Public Interest” to the Joint Professional Bodies Association Continuing Professional Development.

RB has presented umpteen times as a member faculty for Leadership & Management workshops and training of Haggai Institute Alumni Association of Ghana and is a contributor to the LIC Magazine, the publication of the Legon Interdenominational Church (at the University of Ghana) where he’s been worshipping for the last thirty plus years. He on occasion preaches there, and in other churches, as well.

Twice, Mr. Perbi has been a speaker at the HORASIS Global Conference (2018 and 2019). RB has visited/attended meetings and conferences/ training in 39 countries in Africa, Europe, U.S.A, Canada, South America, Asia and the Middle East.

Retirement? Not Really.

After a cumulative thirty-two (32) years at KPMG (1974-1977; 1986-2015) Reindorf Kofi Baah Perbi retired as Deputy Senior Partner of KPMG Ghana in April 2015, where he had provided direct  assistance in managing the Ghana Practice, as well as been the Partner in charge of Quality and Risk Management, Ethics & Independence, and Human Resource. He had earlier been leading Management Consulting, Audit, Receivership & Liquidations and Special Engagements. RBP served as a member of KPMG’s Executive Board for West Africa also, a key role that would take him to various countries in the sub-region like Sierra leone, Nigeria and Burkina Faso, 

At his retirement, it was humbling to hear how many of his Accounting, Management Consulting, and Audit colleagues honoured him for this one thing: integrity. I sat at those banquets (yes, there was more than one! Lol!) soliloquising, “I want that. When all is said and done, that’s the kind of man I want to be!” Mr. Perbi is in what I would call “active retirement” as he, among other things, serves as a very involved Executive Chairman of CEDARS Investments Ltd., which he founded in ? and is a recent director of the Adansi Rural Bank Plc. He often travels out of Accra on various adventures within the country.

Governor-in-Chief and Advisor-in-Chief

‘Chief’ is a nickname his contemporaries from Adisadel College have for RB (we’ll save that story for another day). With all the amazing life and leadership experiences underneath his belt, including equipped with in-depth knowledge in Governance, Petroleum, Mining, Manufacturing, Financial and Construction sectors, it is no wonder that a year after retirement, Guaranty Trust Bank (Ghana) appointed him to their board as Independent Non-Executive Director, describing him as “a seasoned accountant and investment consultant.” Reindorf’s five-year membership of the ACCA Global Forum, for Risk & Governance, spanned his pre and post-retirement periods  (2012 – to 2017).

RB has served as Council Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (Ghana) and on several governance and advisory boards. As Consultant/Head Reviewer of the Quality Assurance and Monitoring Unit, Mr. Reindorf B. Perbi ended his consultancy tenure with the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana as lead reviewer in 2021, after a fruitful three-year period spanning December 2018 to December 2021. RB has served as a member of the University of Ghana Council, sometimes presiding over and dissolving the sessions of the Congregation/Graduation, sitting in for the Chancellor Kofi Annan (2008-2018) or Mary Chinery-Hesse (2018-present).

PELÉ

Mr. Reindorf Baah Perbi serves as an audit and governance consultant at PELÉ where authentic and customised relationships and resources are offered to C-level executives to grow personally, succeed professionally, and become significant societally. We just could not resist  leveraging his immense experience and expertise to help many others to be and do the same–and more.

CONCLUSION

Here is an inspiring global leader who represents many unsung heroes. Whether as a Chartered Accountant or Management Consultant, Reindorf Kofi Baah Perbi has been and/or orchestrated the financial and managerial backbone of many companies to ensure shareholder value without fanfare and with hardly any online presence. RB has led a quiet and peaceable life, retained faithfully his wife and family and as in his corporate life, has been the trellis that has held up all sorts of vines to flourish.

Reindorf has wealth that we know is earned and a name that is even better than riches, giving his descendants the pride to carry the name and the courage to place it on various commercial as well as social ventures. The name has opened many doors. If integrity had a face, it would be that of R.B. Perbi, an African colossus in finance and a poster child of integrity. And we who know him best, love and respect him most. That, is success. 

 

Post Script: At his seventy-fifth birthday dinner in Accra on 28th April 2025, RBP was pleasantly surprised by the dual launch of the Perbi Family Foundation (finally formalising the immense philanthropy of the family locally and globally) and of his full autobiography project to be published by the end of 2025, DV.

 

ENDNOTES

1. John C. Maxwell 
2. Yaw Perbi. “I Don’t Care How Good You Are–If You’re Not a ‘Walkie Talkiie’. www.yawperbi.com https://yawperbi.com/dont-care-good-2if-youre-not-walkie-talkie/
3.  Ibid.
4.  Ivy Benson. “Ghana: Supreme Court Contracts KPMG.“ All Africa. 10 May 2013. https://allafrica.com/stories/201305101597.html
5.  Ibid
6. Samuel K. Obour. “KPMG report ready.” Graphic Online. June 24, 2013. https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/politics/kpmg-report-ready.html
7. My Joy Online. “KPMG done auditing pink sheets.” MyJoyOnline.Com. June 1, 2013. https://www.myjoyonline.com/kpmg-done-auditing-pink-sheets/
8. Samuel K. Obour. “KPMG report ready.” Graphic Online. June 24, 2013. https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/politics/kpmg-report-ready.html
9. Ibid.
10. Ghana. International Needs. https://ineeds.org.uk/countries/ghana/
11.  Yaw Perbi. “I Don’t Care How Good You Are–If You’re Not a ‘Walkie Talkiie’. www.yawperbi.com https://yawperbi.com/dont-care-good-2if-youre-not-walkie-talkie/
12. Ben Ackah-Mensah and GTBank. “GTBank Appoints a New Director to its Board.” 31 August 2017.
13. https://www.gtbghana.com/media-centre/press-releases/gtbank-appoints-a-new-director-to-its-board
14.  University of Ghana, Legon. “UG Holds July 2018 Congregation Ceremonies.” 23 July, 2018. https://old1.ug.edu.gh/news/ug-holds-july-2018-congregation-ceremonies
15. https://old1.ug.edu.gh/pad/sites/pad/files/u6/paddocs/NOVEMBER%20CONGREGATION%20COLLEGE%20OF%20HUMANITIES%20UNDERGRADUATE%20PROGRAMME-min_0.pdf

Medical History is One of Health Leadership

Doctors Perbi and Biaye exploring the Dakar campus of Cheikh Anta Diop University,
including the frontage of the original medical school block built over 100 years ago.

It’s not for nothing that the Ghana Medical Association (GMA),  in a January 2024 press release following a November 2023 Annual General Meeting, asked all medical  doctors to thenceforth express their titles as ‘Dr. (Med)’ and ‘Dr. (Dent.)’ for dentists/dental surgeons. While they had their own valid reasons, including patient safety, personally it has coincided with a season where I keep meeting people who have always assumed my ‘DR’ title is because I’m a ‘book doctor.’ While I’m currently struggling to keep afloat in the middle of one such doctoral programme, of the latter kind, I’ve been a ‘body doctor’ since 2005.

In Dakar, Senegal on the Monday after St. Valentine’s Day, I experienced a rush of all sorts of memories—good and ugly, and even plain bad—when I took a pilgrimage to one of Africa’s oldest medical schools. My guide, an alumna of the said medical school, Dr. Rebecca Biaye, did a phenomenal job. Seriously, she could moonlight as a successful, paid tour guide but then again, until she’s done with her Dermatology residency her nights aren’t quite hers—she’s often on night duties at the hospital.

Back to medical history. Of course, Africans had medical doctors even before Hippocrates (the so-called ‘father of Medicine’) but in modern history the oldest medical school in Africa would be the faculty of medicine at Cairo University in Egypt, founded in 1827. From northeast we move deep south, where University of Cape Town in South Africa takes the silver medal (1912), and then out way west with bronze going to Cheikh Anta Diop University (formerly University of Dakar) where in 1916, the French created the “École Africaine de Médecine” (African Medical School). The University of the Witwatersrand (1919), also in South Africa, is a close fourth. 

If anyone has cause to believe this order above is not accurate (for example a university may have started, yeah, but its med school came up much later or did start on paper but the first actual intake was several years down the line) do assist me to rectify the above narrative. My own med school, the University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS), missed the top five mention on the continent having been first planned way back in 1919, but only taking its first students in 1962, a whole 14 years after the main University of Ghana itself had been established.

Apparently, the most recent medical school in Africa was founded in 2023, according to an article in the British Medical Journal, with more than half of all Africa’s medical schools—public and private alike—opening since 2004. Incidentally, just a day before the said Dakar pilgrimage, I bumped into the co-founder of the private Accra College of Medicine (founded in 2013), Rev. Professor Adukwei Hesse, an Internal Medicine professor of mine. His co-founding wife, Prof. Afua Hesse, also taught me Paediatric Surgery. Ghana’s other private med school, Family Health Medical School, was also founded by my Obstetrics & Gynaecology lecturer, Prof. Yao Kwawukume, and his wife Dr. Susu B. Kwawukume. I’m proud to have lectured in both medical schools on non-medical topics which medical students badly need to be more rounded and holistic in their formation for higher, wider and deeper impact, especially leadership and entrepreneurship! (Oh, don’t get me started!) These kinds of thoughts and (mis)deeds for which I’m better known may be why the uninitiated assume I’m a ‘book doctor’ rather than a ‘body’ one.

A 100-year old baobab tree in front of the Cheikh Anta Diop University’s original medical school block

Health Leadership in general, and Doctor Leadership in particular, is vital yet often taken for granted. The last time I made a presentation on the importance of leadership and coaching to the Ghanaian medical fraternity during the Ghana College of Physicians’ & Surgeons’ annual Medical Fiesta (in 2022), I cringed and cringed when a former dean of my alma mater opined that medical students had too much of a course load to ‘add’ studying leadership. For ‘A Leadership Primer,’ literally the title of Dr. Robert Grossman’s incisive article, I highly recommend  Dr. Robert Grossman’s incisive article on Doctor Leadership here. His introduction alone resonates with the title of this article, “Lessons from Medical History for Today’s Health Leaders.” Indeed, all of history is but a record of the rise and fall of leaders and leadership. Hear Grossman: “We know from history, and sometimes from personal experience, that the importance of leadership cannot be overstated. Whether in politics, business, sports, or academia, the person at the helm can alter the course of history. Yet to date, there is a sentiment that medicine (and radiology in particular) has failed to produce its share of leaders.”

Working IN medicine (clinician) requires a wholly different mindset, process and skill set from working ON medicine (leader). To be fair to the “book doctor” describers of this prescriber, I haven’t practised clinical medicine in over 15 years. But I’m always quick to add, as I coach, train, and speak on leadership in over sixty countries that “once a doctor, always a doctor.” It’s only that I work more on the software now [the mind(set)/thinking], rather than just the hardware [body].” Frankly, though–if we all will be honest–it’s the software that really runs the show, even running the hardware. N’est-ce pas?

Postscript
As our contribution to stopping the gaping leadership deficits we find among entry level workers and even with some C-level leaders, Perbi Executive Leadership Education (PELÉ) is rolling out a slew of online leadership lecturers for personal digital learning and mastery. Come to think of it, all medics should be getting enrolled for free. After all, our lives are in their hands. They had better know what they are about!

MANSA MUSA–THE RICHEST MAN THAT EVER LIVED AND THE STOP MARKET (yes you read right, not ‘stock market’).

An artist’s impression of Mansa Musa with his hordes of soldiers. HISTORYNMOOR/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/CC BY-SA 4.0

In the fourteenth century Mansa Mūsā, emperor of the medieval Mali Empire of Africa, made a trip whose ripples were felt decades later. For the uninitiated, Ghana, Mali and Songhai were three of the greatest empires of the western part of Africa, south of the Sahara. Mūsā’s Mali empire spread 2,000 miles (3,219 kilometers) from the Atlantic Ocean to modern-day Niger. Some reports indicated it would take a year, at the time and with their means of transportation, to travel that breadth. The 14th-century traveller Ibn Battūtah noted that it took about four months to travel from the northern borders of the Mali empire to Niani, the Malian capital in the south. Mali formed a rich 24-city network of cities  

Mūsā the Man

Mansa, which means ‘sultan’ or ‘emperor’ in the Mandinka language of West Africa, was immensely wealthy, prodigiously generous and profoundly pious. The empire’s source of riches was the natural resources of two highly productive gold fields renowned for some of the purest and most prized gold in the world. Nations scrambled for pure gold, especially for the minting of national coins in which they took much pride.

Mansa Mūsā took a legendary trip to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, to perform the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage with an entourage of 60,000 people, including a personal retinue of 12,000 slaves, all clad in brocade and Persian silk. On this trip were countless court officials, soldiers, griots (singing poets) and 500 slaves ahead of him each carrying a gold-adorned staff as he himself rode on horseback. Included in this Malian caravan were 80 baggage camels, each carrying 300 pounds of gold.

Either the grandson or the grandnephew of Sundiata, the founder of his dynasty, Mansa Mūsā came to the throne in 1307 (some reports record 1312) and took the said Mecca trip in the 17th year of his reign.  His route from his kingdom’s capital of Niani (northeastern Guinea today) on the upper Niger River would take him first to Walata (Oualâta, Mauritania) and on to Tuat (now in Algeria) before making his way to Cairo.

Typically the journey to Mecca and back took a full year with long layovers in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. So en route, emperor Mansa Mūsā made a stop in Cairo to visit the Sultan. That stop… Well, the historian al-‘Umarī, who visited Cairo twelve years after the emperor’s visit, found the inhabitants of this Egyptian city, with a population estimated at one million, still singing the praises of Mansa Mūsā. 

The Stop Market

To quote al-‘Umari, “The man flooded Cairo with his benefactions. He left no court emir… no holder of a royal office without the gift of a load of gold. The Cairenes made incalculable profits out of him and his suite in buying and selling and giving and taking. They exchanged gold until they depressed its value in Egypt and caused its price to fall.” That stop, stopped the market.

Apparently, so lavish was the emperor in his spending (one writer put it as “handing out gold like it was candy”) that he flooded the Cairo market with gold, thereby causing such a decline in its value that a dozen years later the market had still not fully recovered. It is believed that this visit caused many Muslim kingdoms in North Africa and others of European countries to desire to come to Africa. The rest, as they say, is history.

An African Leadership

The year of this much-talked-about trip was 1324. What does your history tell you was happening in the region of the world you hail from at the time? Since many Africans have been compelled to learn European history for obvious (colonial) reasons, we know that the 1300s were pretty dark days in Europe, fuelled by religious craziness, unfettered superstition and taken to the nadir by the arrival of the bubonic plague. Also known as Black Death, this pandemic killed an estimated 50 million people in Europe alone. Meanwhile the Black sultan Mūsā and his sub-Saharan African peoples were flourishing in ‘unimaginable wealth.’

This detail is from Sheet 6 of the Catalan Atlas showing Mansa Musa crowned in gold. BIBLIOTHÈQUE NATIONALE DE FRANCE/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

An elaborate 14th-century map called the Catalan Atlas features a prominent illustration of Mansa Musa seated on a plush throne, crowned in gold, holding a sceptre in one hand and a large golden orb in the other (see photo above). So says the map’s description:  “This Moorish ruler is named Musse Melly [Mansa Musa], lord of the negroes of Guinea. This king is the richest and most distinguished ruler of this whole region on account of the great quantity of gold that is found in his lands.”

A Gold Bar for your Thoughts

This is no tall tale. Even today, evidence of Mansa Musa’s resplendent reign still stand, like the Djinguereber Mosque, in Timbuktu, Mali, which he commissioned to be built en route back from Mecca in 1327, paying the Granada (Spanish) architect Abū Ishā al-Sāhilī who had travelled back with him from Arabia 440 pounds (200 kilograms) of gold. 

Mansa Mūsā’s army general had captured Timbuktu as a side show during the long Mecca pilgrimage. Emperor Mūsā would choose to spend significant time there on his way back to his own capital, eventually growing Timbuktu into “a very important commercial city having caravan connections with Egypt and with all other important trade centres in North Africa. Side by side with the encouragement of trade and commerce, learning and the arts received royal patronage” (Encyclopaedia Britannica). Eventually, three madrassas, including the still-standing Djinguereber, composed the University of Timbuktu, inscribed on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1988. The famed Malian city of Timbuktu was home to one of the largest libraries in the medieval world.

According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Under Mansa Mūsā (1307–32?), Mali rose to the apogee of its power.” From the look of things, Mansa Mūsā the Black emperor may have been the richest man to ever live. Sorry, Solomon. In fact, Celebrity Net Worth puts his net worth at $400 billion in today’s dollars, making Emperor Mūsā  nearly twice as rich as Jeff Bezos. Amazing.

When it comes to Mansa Mūsā the Malian Maestro, however, too many get stuck on the money, but de Graft-Johnson concurs there’s more to legacy than gold: “The organization and smooth administration of a purely African empire, the founding of the University of Sankore, the expansion of trade in Timbuktu, the architectural innovations in Gao, Timbuktu, and Niani and, indeed, throughout the whole of Mali and in the subsequent Songhai empire are all testimony to Mansa Mūsā’s superior administrative gifts. In addition, the moral and religious principles he had taught his subjects endured after his death.”

Wait a minute. Stop. Where is all of Africa’s gold today; and where are her leaders of the Mansa Mūsā stock—immensely wealthy, prodigiously generous, profoundly pious, grand legacy-leaving?

 

References

De Graft-Johnson, John Coleman. ‘Mūsā I of Mali.’ https://www.britannica.com/biography/Musa-I-of-Mali 

Galadima, Bulus and Sam George. 2024. Africans in Diaspora, Diasporas in Africa. Langham Global Library: Cambria, UK.

Roos, Dave. 2024. ‘African King Mansa Musa Was Even Richer Than Jeff Bezos, Some Say.’ https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/mansa-musa.htm

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf | A Beacon of Resilience, Determination and Leadership: Africa’s Premier Democratically Elected Female President

“If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough. The size of your dreams must always exceed your current capacity to achieve them.”— Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

INTRODUCTION

At a gender equality conference organised by the Kwara State Government in Nigeria, Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf shared a poignant moment, stating, “I was jailed twice and sent on exile from my own country because I chose to be a resounding voice for the people.” ^[1]  Johnson Sirleaf, a Liberian politician and economist, holds a remarkable place in history as the first woman elected president of an African country, a feat the United States of America is still struggling to equal. Her leadership and resilience make her a fitting inclusion on Perbi Executive Leadership Education’s (PELÉ’s) list of 50 inspiring leaders, as her tenure redefined the role of women in African governance and global leadership. This essay delves into the extraordinary life of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, focusing on her personal growth, remarkable achievements, unwavering resilience, and lasting impact. The following paragraphs will explore how she rose to prominence, her significant contributions to leadership and gender equality, and the challenges she overcame in her journey to become Africa’s first elected female president.

 

GROWTH

Early Years

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was born on October 29, 1938, in Monrovia (Liberia) to Jahmale Carney Johnson and Martha Cecelia Johnson (née Krueger).[^[2] Ellen enjoyed a peaceful childhood marked by a strong sense of community, where the extended family system meant that everyone looked out for one another.^[3] In an interview with the Academy of Achievement, she reflected: “During my childhood and up until the time when I was moving up professionally, the country was a great place to be. Everybody knew everybody. It’s a small country, small population. So it was easy to move around, easy to pursue what one wanted.” ^[4] This statement underscores the close-knit nature of Liberian society at the time, highlighting the social and political environment that shaped her formative years.

Ellen’s experiences during her childhood laid the foundation for her future leadership, illustrating how a supportive community can foster resilience and ambition. 

At age 17, Ellen married James Sirleaf, a young agronomist who had a degree from the University of Wisconsin.^[5] After having four sons in quick succession, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf embraced the role of homemaker while many of her peers pursued professional paths. ^[6] Her husband, James Sirleaf, worked for Liberia’s Department of Agriculture and to help support the family, Ellen took a job as a bookkeeper at an auto repair shop.^[7]  When James received the chance to study in the United States, the couple left their children with grandparents and travelled to America together.^[8] While James worked toward a graduate degree at the University of Wisconsin’s School of Agriculture, Ellen enrolled in accounting courses at Madison College of Business^[9]. Upon their return to Liberia in 1965, James resumed his position in the Agriculture Department and Ellen began working in the Treasury Department, which would later become the Ministry of Finance.

 

Education

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf received her early education at the College of West Africa in Monrovia, Liberia. Her academic journey continued in the United States, where she studied economics at the University of Colorado Boulder. ^[10] She furthered her education with a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government in 1971.^[11] This strong educational foundation played a crucial role in shaping her future as a leader and economist.

 

Public Service

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s journey as a prominent political voice in Liberia began with her impactful speech at her high school alma mater in 1971, where she boldly criticised the government.^[12] This marked the start of her advocacy for accountability and reform in her country. Prior to this, in 1965, she served in the Treasury Department, and by 1979, she had been appointed Minister of Finance. In this role, she implemented measures aimed at addressing the mismanagement of government finances, demonstrating her commitment to improving Liberia’s economic governance. [13]

Her personal financial integrity made her popular but not without clashes with the two heads of state of Liberia she served under during their respective tenures. [14] She served in various governmental roles and implemented fiscal reforms aimed at stabilising Liberia’s economy. Her tenure in these positions earned her both admiration and criticism, but her dedication to improving her country’s welfare never faltered. According to Archives of Women’s Political Communication of Iowa State University, Sirleaf became the president of the Liberian Bank for Development and Investment (LBDI) in 1980 but had to flee that same year to Kenya as a result of an increasingly suppressive military government.[15] 

In Kenya, she served as the vice president of Citicorp’s Africa Regional Office in Nairobi but later moved to Washington, D.C. where she became the senior loan officer at the World Bank and the vice president for Equator Bank.[16] 

From 1992 to 1997, Sirleaf was the director of the Regional Bureau for Africa of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). During these years, Liberia was plunged into civil war and Ellen ran for president in the 1997 election of Liberia but came second place.  “I felt I’d earned the stripes and I could compete as effectively as anybody else. I’d gone through all the trials and tribulations of political life and also had enough, I believe, international exposure, professionalism. And also, I didn’t think there was anybody who could be as competitive, given my experience, background in some things. I thought I was a formidable candidate, and I proved to be right.” Ellen gave this explanation when she was interviewed by the American Academy of Achievement.[17] 

 

SUCCESS

Presidency

Sirleaf’s path to the presidency was not easy. Liberia, a country marred by civil wars and economic instability, needed a leader who could steer it towards peace and prosperity. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf won the 2005 presidential election and took office on 16 January 2006.[18] She was elected the 24th president of Liberia and the first elected female head of state in Africa. Gloriously, Ellen won re-election in November 2011. According to the Global Leadership Foundation (n.d.), Johnson Sirleaf (during her two terms as president) focused on rebuilding the country, attracting over $16 billion in foreign direct investment.[19]  She also attracted more than $5 million in private resources to rebuild schools, clinics and markets, and fund scholarships for capacity building. She successfully negotiated $4.6 billion in external debt forgiveness and the lifting of UN trade sanctions, which have allowed Liberia to once again access international markets.[20]  She increased the national budget from $80 million in 2006 to over $672 million in 2012, with an annual GDP growth rate of more than 7%. Her remarkable leadership and economic foresight not only revitalised the nation’s economy but also positioned Liberia as one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies during her tenure.[21]

 

Africa’s Iron Lady

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has been a steadfast advocate for peace, justice, and democratic governance—values that carried profound significance in a nation plagued by dictatorship and civil war. Despite the inherent dangers of opposing undemocratic regimes, often backed by warlords or led by them directly, Ellen courageously criticised leaders whose actions she believed were harming Liberia.

Initially, she supported Charles Taylor’s efforts against the oppressive regime of Samuel Doe. However, as it became evident that Taylor’s motives were self-serving and centred on consolidating power and personal enrichment, Ellen distanced herself from him. Reflecting on this during an interview with the Academy of Achievement, she remarked: “His motives were selfish, and he was there to take power and to enrich himself… That’s when we started to distance ourselves from him.”[22]

No woman had become president in any African country at the time Ellen contested for the seat of the president in Liberia. Although she came second in her first attempt and was charged with treason by the Charles Taylor government,[23] propelling her to go into exile, Sirleaf returned to Liberia in 2003 to chair the Commission on Good Governance, which oversaw preparations for democratic elections after civil war had resumed in Liberia by 1999. While in exile (in Ivory Coast), she established a venture capital vehicle for African entrepreneurs and founded Measuagoon, a Liberian community development NGO.[24] 

 

In 2005, Ellen ran for president in Liberia where she came second in the first round of voting (after George Weah) and on November 8, 2005 she won the runoff election and was sworn in on January 16, 2006 as the 24th President of the Republic of Liberia, two years after the nation’s bloody civil war ended. 

 

Given this context, it is not surprising that Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is known in international circles as ‘Africa’s Iron Lady’.[25]  Reflecting her bold and ambitious outlook, she famously wrote in her memoir, This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa’s First Woman President, “If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough. The size of your dreams must always exceed your current capacity to achieve them.”.[26] 

 

This statement encapsulates her philosophy on ambition, courage and pursuing goals that push boundaries and inspire growth.

 

SIGNIFICANCE

Sirleaf’s election as President of Liberia was a beacon of hope for Liberia, signalling a new era of stability and progress. During her presidency, Sirleaf focused on rebuilding Liberia’s infrastructure, revitalising the economy, and promoting reconciliation among its people. She implemented policies aimed at improving education, healthcare, and women’s rights. Under her leadership, Liberia made significant strides in recovering from the devastation of years of conflict, although challenges remained.

 

As president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf served as the chairperson of the Mano River Union, where she spearheaded initiatives aimed at fostering political stability and economic cooperation among Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, and Côte d’Ivoire.[27] She was also a founding member of the International Institute for Women in Political Leadership.[28] In 1999, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) appointed her to a committee investigating the Rwandan genocide, showcasing her commitment to human rights and justice. Additionally, she chaired the commission for the Inter-Congolese Dialogue and was selected by UNIFEM as one of two individuals tasked with investigating the impact of conflict on women and their roles in peacebuilding efforts.[29]

In 2011, Sirleaf was re-elected for a second term in a run-off vote, achieving an overwhelming majority.[30] Her leadership and advocacy for women’s rights and regional cooperation have left a significant mark on both Liberia and the broader West African region.

Throughout her career, Sirleaf’s commitment to her country, Liberia, remained unwavering despite facing personal and political challenges. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, stands as a towering figure in African politics and global leadership. Her journey from an economist to becoming Africa’s first elected female head of state is not only a testament to her perseverance but also a symbol of hope and progress for gender equality and democracy worldwide.

Post-Political Life

In March 2018, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf launched the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development which has been specifically designed with dedication to promoting women’s aspirations for development in Africa.[31] 

In May 2019, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) appointed Ellen as Goodwill Ambassador for the health workforce. The WHO explained Ellen’s appointment in the press release stating that, “following the Ebola epidemic in Liberia in 2015, she oversaw the expansion of Primary Health Care and the creation of more than 4,000 new health worker jobs as part of the post-Ebola response.”[32] 

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Ellen stepped down from her role as Goodwill Ambassador for the WHO’s health workforce to serve as co-chair of the WHO’s Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPR), alongside Helen Clark (former Prime Minister of New Zealand).[33] 

In 2020, she was also appointed to the Development Advisory Council of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) which counsels the DFC on approaches to enhancing development impact.[34] Ellen as well became a member of the High-Level Group of Personalities on Africa-Europe Relations from 2020 till date. 

She currently serves as a Member of the  Advisory Board of Brenthurst Foundation[35], and member of the Board of Directors of the Mastercard Foundation.[36]

 

Awards and Honours

In 2011, President Sirleaf was jointly awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize for Peace. This  generated a pre-election controversy wherein other Liberian presidential candidates complained that the Nobel Committee was interfering with Liberian politics by awarding the prize so close to the election. Ellen is also the recipient of The Presidential Medal of Freedom—the United States’ highest civilian award—for her personal courage, and unwavering commitment to expanding freedom and improving the lives of Africans.[37] 

Her many honours also include the Grand Croix of the Légion d’Honneur, France’s highest public distinction, and being named one of Forbes’ “100 Most Powerful Women in the World.” She was one of six “Women of the Year” (Glamour, 2010), among the 10 best leaders in the world (Newsweek, 2010) and top 10 female leaders (TIME, 2010). In 2010, The Economist called her “the best President the country has ever had.”[38]

Sirleaf Johnson has been awarded honorary doctorates by more than 15 institutions, including: Tilburg University (Netherlands), the Nigerian Defence Academy, the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Harvard University, Rutgers University, Yale University, Georgetown University, the University of Abeokuta (Nigeria), the University of Minnesota, Furman University of South Carolina, Brown University, Indiana University, Dartmouth College, Concordia University, Langston University, Spelman College and Marquette University.[39]

CONCLUSION

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s influence extends far beyond her presidency; she remains actively engaged in global initiatives that advocate for peace, development, and women’s empowerment. Her legacy as a trailblazer in African politics is profound, inspiring future generations of leaders, particularly women, around the world.

Sirleaf’s life and career are testaments to resilience, determination, and exceptional leadership. From her beginnings as an economist to becoming Liberia’s first female president and a Nobel laureate, her journey exemplifies the transformative power of dedicated public service. The impact she has made on Liberia and beyond highlights the crucial role of strong leadership in nurturing democracy, peace, and sustainable development.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is not merely a historical figure; she is a beacon of hope and inspiration for people everywhere, embodying the potential for positive change through unwavering commitment and vision.

 

References

1. Premium Times. (n.d.) “I was jailed, exiled for defending Liberians – Former President Johnson Sirleaf.” Available: ttps://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/418003-i-was-     jailed-exiled-for-defending-liberians-former-president-johnson-sirleaf.html?tztc=1.     Retrieved July 2, 2024.
2. My Heritage. (n.d.) Ellen Sirleaf (born Johnson) born 1983. Available: https://www.myheritage.com/names/ellen_sirleaf. Retrieved July 2 2024. 
3. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf—All Achievers. (2008) .Available: https://achievement.org/achiever/ellen-  johnson-  sirleaf/#interview. Retrieved July 2 2024.
4. Ibid. 
5. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. (2024) “Ellen Johnson Sirleaf”. Encyclopedia         Britannica:https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ellen-Johnson-Sirleaf. Retrieved July 2 2024. 
6. Bourlin, O. (2013). Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (1938-). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/johnson-sirleaf-ellen-1938/. Retrieved July 2 2024. 
7. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf—All Achievers. (2008). Available: https://achievement.org/achiever/ellen-       johnson-        sirleaf/#interview. Retrieved July 2 2024.
8. Metzlar, M. (2021). Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: Exile, Election, Exile, Election – a long way of becoming president. Available: https://raffia-magazine.com/2021/01/25/ellen-johnson-sirleaf-exile-election-exile-election-a-long-way-of-becoming-president/
9. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf—All Achievers. (2008). Available: https://achievement.org/achiever/ellen-       johnson-        sirleaf/#interview Retrieved July 2 2024.
10. Amana A. (n.d.) Ellen Sirleaf: An Amazon’s Journey in Active Politics and Leadership. Available: https://www.amazonswatchmagazine.com/governance-in-heels/ellen-sirleaf-an-amazons-journey-in-active-politics-and-leadership/. Retrieved July 2 2024.
11. Archives of Women’s Political Communication. (n.d.) Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.         https://awpc.cattcenter.iastate.edu/directory/ellen-johnson-sirleaf/. Retrieved July 2 2024. 
12. Ibid. 
13. Ibid. 
14. Britannica; The Editors of Encyclopaedia. (2024) “Ellen Johnson Sirleaf”. Encyclopedia         Britannica:https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ellen-Johnson-Sirleaf. Retrieved July 2 2024. 
15. Ibid.
16. Gilpin, R., & Hsu, E. (2008). Is Liberia’s Governance and Economic Management Assistance Program a” necessary Intrusion?”. United States Institute of Peace.  Available: https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/PB-May2008-Is-Liberias-Governance.PDF. Retrieved July 2 2024.
17. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf—All Achievers. (2008). Available: https://achievement.org/achiever/ellen-       johnson-        sirleaf/#interview Retrieved July 2 2024.
18. Ibid
19. 19. Global Leadership Foundation.(n.d.) “Ellen Johnson Sirleaf” President, Liberia 2006-2018:           https://www.g-l-f.org/who-we-are/members/ellen-johnson-sirleaf/ Retrieved July 2 2024.
20. 20. Ibid
21. United Nations (n.d.). First Female President of Liberia & Nobel Peace Laureate. Available: https://www.un.org/en/conf/migration/assets/pdf/Ellen-Sirleaf-Bio.pdf. Retrieved July 2 2024.
22. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf—All Achievers. (2008) . Available: https://achievement.org/achiever/ellen-       johnson-        sirleaf/#interview Retrieved July 2 2024.
23. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2024). “Ellen Johnson Sirleaf”. Encyclopedia         Britannica:https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ellen-Johnson-Sirleaf. Retrieved July 2 2024. 
24. Ibid.
25. United Nations (n.d.). First Female President of Liberia & Nobel Peace Laureate. Available: https://www.un.org/en/conf/migration/assets/pdf/Ellen-Sirleaf-Bio.pdf. Retrieved July 2 2024.
26. Johnson, E. S. (2009). This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa’s First Woman President.
27. Columbia World Leader Forum. (2012). Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Available: https://worldleaders.columbia.edu/directory/ellen-johnson-sirleaf. Retrieved July 2 2024.
28. Mastercard Foundation. (n.d.) President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf:   https://mastercardfdn.org/people/ellen-johnson-sirleaf/. Retrieved July 2 2024.
29. Ibid
30. Metzlar, M. (2021). Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: Exile, Election, Exile, Election – a long way of becoming president. Available: https://raffia-magazine.com/2021/01/25/ellen-johnson-sirleaf-exile-election-exile-election-a-long-way-of-becoming-president/
31. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (2024). Building a Legacy of Leadership and Knowledge in a Center of Excellence. Available: https://ejscenter.org/. Retrieved November  29 2024.
32. World Health Organization (2019). Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf appointed as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Health Workforce.  Available: https://web.archive.org/web/20200715054041/https://www.who.int/hrh/news/2019/EJS_good-will-ambassador-hwf/en/. Retrieved November  29 2024.
33. Miller J. (2020). Veteran female leaders to head WHO COVID-19 review amid anti-globalism barbs. Available: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-who-panel/veteran-female-leaders-to-head-who-covid-19-review-amid-anti-globalism-barbs-idUSKBN24A2U3/. Retrieved November  29 2024.
34. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (2024). Ellen Johnson Sirleaf joins the Development Advisory Council of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. Available: https://ejscenter.org/. Retrieved November  29 2024.
35. The Brenthurst Foundation (2024) Leaders Invested in the Economic Development of Africa. Available: https://www.thebrenthurstfoundation.org/people/. Retrieved November  29 2024.
36. The Mastercard Foundation (n.d.) Available: https://mastercardfdn.org/board-of-directors/. Retrieved November  29 2024.
37. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf—All Achievers. (2008) . Available: https://achievement.org/achiever/ellen-       johnson-        sirleaf/#interview Retrieved July 2 2024.
38. United Nations (n.d.). First Female President of Liberia & Nobel Peace Laureate. Available: https://www.un.org/en/conf/migration/assets/pdf/Ellen-Sirleaf-Bio.pdf. Retrieved July 2 2024.
39. Ibid

 

“Can You Go Beyond High Performance”?

 

 

“Can you go beyond high performance?” That’s a penetrating question Jason Jaggard, founder and CEO of the executive coaching firm Novus Global, asks in his powerful and popular article that bears that title.  My good friend and StrengthsFinder coach, Dan Leffelaar, who is COO and partner at Novus Global, had exposed me to the company after he joined.  Later he would introduce me to one of their very competent coaches, Joseph Thompson.  It was Joseph who then drew my attention to this article even before we would have our first formal coaching session. By the way, I’ve said it before and it’s worth repeating, never hire a coach who doesn’t have a coach!

 

DIFFERENTIATION–OR WHATEVER YOU CALL IT

It is not uncommon for managers to categorize workers in the marketplace into three: low performers, performers and high performers. Over a decade ago, I remember reading about this idea from long time General Electric CEO Jack Welch’s book Winning.  He called it differentiation, separating the sheep from the goats.  According to Jack, differentiation is a process that requires managers to assess their employees and separate them into three categories in terms of top performance: top 20 percent, middle 70, and bottom 10. Then—and this is key—it requires managers to act on that distinction.

 

This three-level categorization is common in management practice

 

Whatever different percentages one uses to divide the three levels (and some just use the Pareto principle to divide the top 20% from the remaining 80%), the questions the people in each band ask themselves that result in their kind of performance are intriguing:

• Low Performers–“What is the least we can do to get by–and not get caught?”
• Performers–“How can we be good at our job?”
• High Performers–“How can we be the best?”

Often the morale of the story is “be the best,” be a high performer. Or, in the precious words of my dad’s alma mater (in Latin), Vel primus vel cum primis.  To wit: either the first or with the first. But that is precisely the problem. High performers typically stop growing because they feel (or are made to feel) they are the best, or among the best, and have hit their peak when that is far from the truth!  That’s the challenge of comparing ourselves to others instead of to our own potential.  Don’t forget the saying that “in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.”  What is high performance about one eye just because everyone else you’re compared with is blind?

In fact, not only does Jason point out two common mistakes of high performers here but Novus Global as a practice firmly believes “attracting and retaining high-performers is a mistake and doing so creates a predictable set of problems.”  You probably have met a lot of high performers who are still unhappy. Barring greed and envy, could Abraham Maslow’s observation be the cause?  “If you plan on being anything less than you are capable of being, you will probably be unhappy all the days of your life.”

 

META-PERFORMANCE

So “can one go beyond high performance?” remains the question. “What comes after high performance?” I’m glad you asked. “If your team doesn’t have a clear and compelling answer to the question “What comes after high performance?” then you absolutely have an unnecessary cap on the possibilities of your leadership and the impact of your organization,” says Jason.  The answer lies in a word he’s coined: meta-performance.  And this is “meta” is not like “meta-data” but “meta” as in “metamorphosis,”  like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly. A meta-performer isn’t committed to being the best (“how dull,” Jason says)… a meta-performer is committed to constantly exploring capabilities.

 

An introduction to Meta-Performance

 

Unlike “What is the least we can do to get by–and not get caught?” (Low Performers), “How can we be good at our job?” (Performers) or “How can we be the best?” (High Performers),  Meta-Performers ask themselves, “What are we capable of?”  That is a potent question in and of itself, but to process that with a competent and caring coach is even more powerful!

I often say to people, I may not have been the best of medical students (I was a low performer) but I was a very good doctor (high performer).  But as good a doctor as I was, the question of what I was capable of sent me on a totally different trajectory from my peers, from authoring books and motivational speaking through military experience and peacekeeping with the United Nations, to pastoring, restarting life as a Canadian immigrant and becoming CEO of a number of non-medicine related ventures, some with a budget of a few million dollars.

Meta-performance is akin to what my mentor John C. Maxwell calls The Law of the Rubber Band: Growth Stops When You Lose the Tension Between Where You are and Where You Could Be.  The meta-performance life happens somewhere between feeling ‘just right,’ taut enough to be best at tying things up, to tearing up because we fail to embrace our God-given limits. Often times, we are poor judgers of thse book ends, and having a discerning coach to assist on this journey is vital.

 

“IMPOSSIBLE” ACCORDING TO WHO?

In what area(s) of your life have you lost your stretch and settled? Create some specific means for stretching in these areas of your life.  Go back to your 2021 goals and ensure they’re not only S.M.A.R.T. but that they also STRETCH. Remember, “Only a mediocre person is always at his best,” saysW. Somerset Maugham, putting things in a way that hits home, hard.  “Ouch,” says the best performers.

Walt Disney used to say, “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”  I know the feeling, a little bit.  Nelson Mandela was right: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”  I find it not only a powerful meta-performance question to ask “What am I capable of?” but also in line with that to inquire, “What sort of person must I become to be capable of that?” Then with Almighty God’s help, “just do it,” do the “impossible.”

Integrity: Without It Nothing Works

MAN ENOUGH: Fatherhood as a Sacred Responsibility Every Man is Armed For | By Rev. Fr. George Ehusani & Dr. Yaw Perbi

Introduction

Father’s Day is marked annually on the third Sunday of June in many countries across the world. It is a fitting day not only to celebrate the gift of our fathers (and husbands), but also to highlight some of the elements of the unique and sacred vocation of fatherhood. As responsible fathers ourselves (by God’s grace), we take this opportunity to celebrate fatherhood and to encourage all and sundry that what we have been called for, we have been simultaneously designed for and divinely equipped enough to accomplish.

 
 

The Source of Fatherhood

In many religious traditions, God the Almighty Creator is recognised as the Pre-eminent Father. God is the One to whom the title of Father truly belongs in an original and primary sense, because God is the Source, the Creator and the Sustainer of the Universe. Human beings are only called fathers in a derivative, participatory, imitative and secondary sense, since in some way through procreation, human agents do partake in the generative process. From this point of view, the fatherhood vocation is a profound and an inestimable privilege for the adult male species. But this privilege of sharing in the human generative process and being addressed as father, like the Almighty Father, comes with critical responsibilities that cannot be shirked on a wide scale without significant deleterious consequences for the entire society and for multiple generations.

For the purposes of this article,  by fatherhood we refer to all men, fathers and fathers-to-be, biological and functional alike. Fatherhood is a profound phenomenon that calls for a great measure of accountability on those who knowingly assume the task, or those who have the task foisted upon them by circumstances. We can describe fatherhood as a function, and not simply a title or a name. The father plays critical, irreplaceable roles that shape the lives of the children. He is the progenitor, the source of identity, and the one who enables the children to have a definite sense of self. He lays the foundation for the children that leaves a long lasting impact on future generations. The father is the primary provider, the sustainer, the protector, the guardian, the teacher, and the role model of those who call him father.  He is the emotional anchor and the wellspring of stability for not only the children, but also the wife and others who live with them. The father inspires the children, nurturing their dreams and aspirations, encouraging them to reach for the stars and pursue their passions and God-given purpose. He instils confidence and builds self-esteem, paving the way for his children’s success in life.

 
 

The State of Fatherhood

Fatherhood is characterised by love and tenderness, but also discipline, decisiveness, courage and sacrifice. Fathers ideally possess an innate instinct to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of the members of their families over their own, ensuring that the wife and the children are shielded from the vagaries of life. With their effort to provide for the family, fathers teach their children the value of hard work, responsibility, diligence, integrity and perseverance; and in this way, equipping the children with the required tools to navigate life’s inevitable challenges and disruptive circumstances. The father is the source of stability and the rock-solid shoulder to lean on, amid the chaos, the insecurity, the instability and the uncertainties of life. He is the source of encouragement, reassurance, and hope, at the most difficult times in the life of the family members.  Indeed, fatherhood is a godly enterprise. The fatherhood vocation is an invitation to live out in the concrete circumstances of family life, the human potential for responsibility, commitment, deferred gratification, courage, and sacrificial (selfless) love.

Yet, the number one crisis of the Twenty First Century appears to be the absence of the fatherhood role model. Many young people today are “fatherless,” not because they have no male parent alive, but because their male parent has either been completely absent from their lives, or they have been a source of scandal and trauma, and they are remembered only with pain, regret, and resentment. Thus, often lacking in models of positive masculinity to emulate in their growing years, many young men are today struggling with a variety of character defects that amount to negative masculinity, including the psycho-emotional abuse of their wives, actual physical battering, and remorseless infidelity. Many young men have little or no sense of commitment to their families or responsibility for the children they have brought into the world.

Many children have indeed had their innocent minds defiled and their delicate sensibilities assaulted, as they watched their fathers beat their mothers or heard them vomit venomous invectives on the ones they called their wives. While many young men struggle with what they saw in their formative years, and sometimes they have ended up exhibiting the same traits of negative masculinity in their own marital relationships, many young women on the other hand, have grown up with deep-seated resentment and hateful feelings against the male species in general, on account of what they saw as gross injustices and inequities, or glaring imbalance in power relations between their fathers and their mothers. In many cases what they witnessed as children is the callous and blatant abuse of power and privilege by the menfolk. And it doesn’t help that in the effort to emancipate and affirm women and girls over the last half-a-century, positive masculinity has suffered both direct and collateral damage.

The global celebration of Father’s Day this year is a most fitting occasion to remind the men—the fathers, the would-be fathers and the father-figures in our society—to spare a moment to reflect on the enormous privilege and the sacred responsibility that come with fatherhood, and to work in concert with other individuals and groups, towards overcoming the gross anomaly of toxic masculinity that contradicts all the lofty ideals of fatherhood outlined above. Far from being a bully, the husband who often doubles as father, is ideally “one who cultivates, nourishes, tills, and tends” the wife and the children. The male headship of families in our society is not something to be achieved through domination and coercion, but through a high sense of responsibility, commitment, and sacrifice. Today, experts in the Christian Scriptures hold that even the allegedly controversial statement of St. Paul in Ephesians Chapter 5, that wives should be submissive to their husbands, is (in the context of the entire passage and in the context of the teachings and practical examples of Christ), not an endorsement of any form of misogyny, to be expressed in psychological abuse, wife battering or domestic terrorism. Instead, the husband is admonished to love, cherish, and honour his wife.

 
 

The Supply of Fatherhood

While gender-based violence (and such) tends to be associated with males’ abuse of power, perceived or real, a concomitant but often missed cause of such negative masculinity actually comes from a place of inadequacy. Hurting people hurt people, insecure people make others insecure too. Men who abuse others often do so from a place of feeling inferior or being too small in the head or heart to handle perceived or real threats to their person or towards what they care about. On this Fathers’ Day, we call on all men—fathers and fathers-to-be alike, both biological and functional fathers—to know that they have all that is needed and have all that it takes for positive masculinity. You are enough, man enough. Abusing others doesn’t make you a man; it actually makes you less of a man. Even less of a human.

In encouraging men to rise up to life’s challenges and to live out their God-given identity and purpose, the expression used in many contexts is “man up.” However, inherent in ‘manning up’ is the danger that one has to harness some ethereal resources and put forward a personality that is neither them nor theirs. On this Father’s Day, again, we sound a clarion call and offer an alternative paradigm to ‘manning up’: man enough! You are man enough. Where you feel or fear a lack of wisdom, courage or strength, call to the ultimate source and intricate designer of fatherhood Himself: Father God. Author and apostle James concurs: If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5, Amplified Bible) Being a good man isn’t just good for others, it is good for you. One has such a sense of fulfillment and happiness having accomplished the purpose of one’s being.

 
 

Conclusion

Finally, recognising that many young men today have not had the good fortune of being raised or mentored by exemplary fatherhood role models, perhaps individuals and organisations, and especially religious groups, who are sufficiently invested in the promotion of positive masculinity for the wholesome development of our society, must begin to take on the project of healing our youths of their traumatic experiences with toxic masculinity while growing up, and forming the boys particularly in the above outlined principles and practices, values and virtues of ideal fatherhood. Men, you are man enough. Happy Father’s Day.

 

 

This op-ed is an initiative of the Ford Foundation Office of West Africa towards ending Gender Based Violence.

The writers:

 Rev. Fr. George Ehusani, Executive Director of Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, Abuja Nigeria.

Dr. Yaw Perbi, Founder and Global CEO of The HuD Group, an international human development NGO (www.thehudgroupglobal.org).

Resilient Leadership

Introduction

Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

This popular Churchillian quote emphasises the importance of resilience for leadership success. In a globalised world that is often characterised by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA), resilient leadership is required to overcome hardships and setbacks. Leaders, business and political leaders alike, are required to equip themselves with the qualities and skills necessary to navigate themselves and those they lead through adversity.^[1]

 

The Resilient Leader

Resilience is explained as the ability to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions. In the context of leadership, resilience refers to the ability to bounce back, and lead effectively in the face of change, adversity and environments characterised by VUCA.

The true grit of a leader is how they perform during trying times. The quality in leaders that enables them to maintain composure – transmit such composure to those they lead – and make sound decisions during challenging times is resilience^[2]. Resilient leaders are focused on the continued pursuit of goals despite adversity and as referenced in the Sir Winston Churchill quote above,  have the courage to continue in times of success and in times of failure.  They have a high tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty and importantly, inspire confidence in themselves and those they lead during adversity.

Building Resilience

Resilient leaders possess certain skills and characteristics that enable them to thrive under harsh conditions – some  are discussed below. Any leader or organisation aiming to building resilience must cultivate these attributes and skills.^[3]

Positive outlook

It is the case of a half-glass full mindset. Resilient leaders are both realistic and optimistic. Realistic in the sense that they are well-grounded and do not have their heads in the clouds and optimistic to keep their sights set above the average person’s. Their optimism stems from the belief in their ability and the ability of their teams to overcome the current adversity and to create a positive future. Their focus quickly switches from adversity to solutions. Maintaining a positive outlook promotes emotional and mental well-being, which is required to overcome adversity. In the words of the accomplished military leader Colin Powell, “Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier”.

Adaptability and Flexibility

Resilient leaders have the willingness to adapt or modify strategies to address adversity and view change as an opportunity to grow and innovate. They encourage those they lead to cultivate a similar adaptive mindset. This requires flexibility in the ways challenges are evaluated and responded to. There must be the willingness to compromise and be receptive to different perspectives and possibilities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, organisations had to adapt and introduced strategies like remote working and moving services online. This required flexibility in work schedules – with a corresponding flexibility on the part of both business leaders and employees. The World Economic Forum’s  “Future Jobs Survey 2023” listed flexibility among the top five most important skills for workers in 2023.^[4]

Strong Emotional Intelligence

During periods of adversity and in VUCA environments, individuals become emotionally strained and resilient leaders must have the ability to manage their own emotions and those around them. Resilient leaders interpret and respond to the emotions and needs of themselves and those they manage. A high level of self-awareness and self-regulation is needed to build strong emotional intelligence. Resilient leaders are socially aware and manage relationships during adverse times. They read and make an effort to regulate the ‘temperature’ of the room. ^[5]

Problem-solving skills

At the heart of resilience leadership is problem-solving and a resilient leader is required to be skilled at identifying problems, critically analysing the problems and developing possible solutions to the problems. The resilient leader engages his team or followers to  chart the appropriate course of action for implementing the solutions. Problem-solving is on LinkedIn’s Top 10 Most In-Demand Skills for 2024.^[6]

Strong Support Network

Resilient leaders build and maintain a strong support system around themselves and know when to reach out for assistance. The support network includes persons with expertise in areas that the leader lacks expertise and includes individuals that the resilient leader is comfortable sharing personal and professional problems with. The support network provides emotional support necessary to maintain a healthy state of mind. Maintaining a healthy mental disposition is crucial for making sound and long-term oriented decisions during turbulent times. The support structure provides alternative perspectives and valuable insights.

In addition to the above skills and attributes, resilient leaders develop effective communication skills, healthy stress management techniques and trust in the teams or groups they lead. They learn from failure and continuously learn and improve – innovation is paramount. Resilient leaders adopt a behavioural model known as VUCA Prime to overcome the challenges posed by VUCA. VUCA prime refers to Vision, Understanding, Clarity and Agility. Leaders adopting VUCA prime present those they lead with compelling vision to overcome volatility; explore and experiment to provide understanding to reduce uncertainty; simplify complexity to provide clarity and lead organisational agility to adapt approaches to overcome ambiguity.^[7]

 

Conclusion

In the midst of growing uncertainty and adversity, resilient leaders come to the fore to steer their organisations to calmer waters and organisational sustainability. While it is important for leaders to be resilient, it is all the more important for them to foster resilient structures, systems and organisations. This ensures that in their absence, their enduring legacy is a resilient organisation that thrives in the face of adversity.

 

“More than education, more than experience, more than training, a person’s level of resilience will determine who succeeds and who fails. That’s true in the cancer ward, it’s true in the Olympics, and it’s true in the boardroom.” . . . Dean Becker (Founder, Adaptive Learning Systems) ^[8]

^{[1] Leading Through Change: Building Resilience in Leadership Skills. October 25 2023. The Economic Times. Retrieved 15th April 2024}

^{[2] Amy Modglin (2017-07-11) Why Resilience Is Necessary As A Leader. Forbes.com. Retrieved 15th April 2024}

^{[3] Matt Gavin (2019-12-17) How To Become A More Resilient Leader. Harvard Business School Online. Retrieved 16th April 2024}

^{[4] World Economic Forum (2023). The Future of Jobs Report 2023.}

^{[5] Lauren Landry (2019-04-03) Why Emotional Intelligence Is Important in Leadership. Harvard Business School Online. Retrieved 15th April 2024}

^{[6] Dan Brodnitz  (2024-02-8) The Most In-Demand Skills for 2024. LinkedIn. Retrieved 15th April 2024}

^{[7] Carol Mase (2023-09-18) VUCA Prime – A Leader’s Response. Management Library. Retrieved 15th April 2024}

^{[8] Coutu, D. L. (2002). How Resilience Works. Harvard Business Review, 80(5), 46–55 Retrieved 15th April 2024}

 

 

AKINWUMI ADESINA – Fostering, Feeding & Financing the Africa We Want

INTRODUCTION

The Nigerian economist Dr. Akinwumi “Akin” Adesina had barely cut his teeth in his new role as President of the African Development Bank (ADB) when he was named among the Top 100 most influential Africans in 2015.^[1] And for good reason. This former Nigerian Minister of State and C-suite leader par excellence is often described as “Africa’s Optimist-in-Chief”. The now two-term ADB Group President (elected 2015 and 2020) is a visionary and passionate speerheader of Africa’s transformation into a prosperous, green and hi-tech continent. 

AGENDA 2063 is Africa’s blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future.^[2] It is the continent’s strategic framework that aims to “deliver on its goal for inclusive and sustainable development and is a concrete manifestation of the pan-African drive for unity, self-determination, freedom, progress and collective prosperity pursued under Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance.”^[3] If that is Africa’s agenda for its 2063 mission, then Akinwumi Adesina is the man at the forefront, fostering, feeding and financing it.

 

GROWTH

He was born to an Ibadan farmer in the southwestern Nigeria state of Oyo on 6th of February, 1960.^[4] This child was given the powerful name “Akinwumi” which means “Bringer of pleasure, delight.” And that he would prophetically accomplish, from delighting his village school teachers to thrilling technocrats in the global halls of power.

All About Agric

‘A’ for Akinwumi. ‘A’ for Adesina. ‘A’ for Agriculture! From being born as the son of a tiller of the soil to studying Agricultural Economics at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels all the way to serving as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and holding senior positions in agricultural bodies around the world, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina’s life has all been about agric. 

From his village primary school, he also attended Baptist High School Ejigbo, Osun State,^[5] excelling enough to gain a much-eyed place at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) where he earned First Class Honors in his B.Sc. Agricultural Economics degree in 1981. And that was a first. Akin was the pioneer student to be awarded this distinction by the university,^[6] in its then 21-year history.^[7] Then the wonderful opportunity came to take full advantage of global education as an African international student in the United States of America’s midwest. 

Thus, Akin pursued further studies at Purdue University, Indiana and briefly returned to Nigeria, in 1984, to get married.^[8] The year after, he obtained his Master’s in Agricultural Economics ^[9] and bagged a Ph.D. in the same field in 1988, also from Purdue, where he won the outstanding Ph.D. thesis for his research work.^[10] Dr Adesina won the prestigious Rockefeller Foundation Social Science Fellowship in 1988,^[11] which launched him into his illustrious international career. He worked at the Rockefeller Foundation since winning the fellowship from the foundation as a senior scientist.

Idiosyncrasies

Akin is the bowtie man. There is hardly a public photo of him without his characteristic jacket and bowtie. Legend has it that his professor of Development Economics and Vice-Chancellor of his Nigerian alma mater during his undergraduate days, Prof Ojetunji Aboyade, “was always seen, moving from one class to the other, teaching, in his impeccable suit and bow tie”^[12] and that “Akin must have, probably, borrowed his dress sense from Ojetunji Aboyade.”^[13]

 

SUCCESS

Converting Books to Boots

There is an African saying of the Akan people of Ghana that translated says, “the real game of life is played on the ground.” And for Agriculture in particular, there’s no other way to play the game but on the ground. So having researched and theorised, how would the distinguished pursuits in the Ivory Tower roll out on the field? Dr. Adesina held senior leadership positions in some of the foremost agricultural institutions and bodies in the world.^[14] 

He was Principal Economist and Coordinator of the West Africa Rice Economics Task Force at the West Africa Rice Development Association (WARDA) in Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire, from 1990 to 1995.^[15] Dr. Adesina was also Assistant Principal Economist at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics. Then he took up the reins as Principal Economist and Social Science Coordinator for the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (1995-1998). Akin was Associate Director (Food Security) at the Rockefeller Foundation where he worked for a decade (1998-2008) in senior leadership positions, including as Regional Office Director and Representative for Southern Africa (199-2003) and Associate Director for Food Security (2003-2008).^[16] 

Until his appointment as the Honourable Minister of Agriculture in 2010, he was the Vice President for Policy and Partnerships for the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).^[17] Established nearly two decades ago, AGRA is an African-led, Africa-based institution “transforming smallholder agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives.”^[18]. AGRA’s vision is to contribute to a food system-inspired inclusive agricultural transformation across Africa, to reduce hunger, improve nutrition, and adapt to climate change.^[19]

Politics

In 2010, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina dared to dive into the convoluted world of Nigerian politics at the invitation of President Goodluck Jonathan, taking on the bread basket portfolio as Nigeria‘s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.^[20] Aptly described as “a bold reformer,”^[21] there is ample evidence for that assertion since as Minister of Agriculture in Nigeria from 2010 to 2015 “Dr Adesina turned the agriculture sector of Nigeria around within four years.”^[22] Under his tenure, Nigeria ended 40 years of corruption in the fertiliser sector by developing and implementing an innovative electronic wallet system, which directly provides farmers with subsidised farm inputs at scale using their mobile phones. Within the first four years of its launch, this electronic wallet system reached 15 million farmers, dramatically transforming their lives.^[23] In other words, he introduced unrivalled transparency into the fertiliser supply chain.^[24]

 President of ADB

Dr. Akinwumi Adesina is the African Development Bank Group’s first ever Nigerian CEO ^[25] and twice-elected. He was first elected President of the ADB Group on 28th May 2015 and unanimously re-elected for a second five-year term on 27th August 2020.^[26] The ADB, one of the world’s five biggest multilateral lenders, has been described as “an important but often unseen player in economic development.”^[27]

With Dr Adesina at the helm, the African Development Bank Group achieved the highest capital increase since its establishment in 1964 when on 31st October 2019, shareholders from 80 member countries raised the general capital from $93 billion to a historic $208 billion.^[28] The African Development Bank Group responded boldly and swiftly to the Covid-19 pandemic.^[29] On 3rd April 2020, the premier development finance institution launched a landmark $3 billion Covid-19 Social Bond followed by a Crisis Response Facility of $10 billion.^[30]

Fly in the Ointment

Success isn’t without struggle. While umpteen challenges could be cited in the illustrious career of Akin, perhaps the pinnacle of pain would be how his re-election as ADB President almost suffered a setback after some staff of the bank accused him of breaching twenty of the bank’s code of conduct, including “unethical conduct, private gain, an impediment to efficiency, preferential treatment, and involvement in political activities.” He denied the allegations and an investigation panel cleared him of all the allegations.^[31]

 

SIGNIFICANCE

Family and Faith

As earlier intimated, in 1984, during his international education at Purdue, Akin had returned briefly to Nigeria to get married to Grace Oluyemisi Adesina.  He and his wife, Grace, have three children, Rotimi, Emmanuel and Segun.^[32] While at Purdue University, Adesina and his wife, along with another couple, started a Christian group called the African Student Fellowship.^[33] 

Recognition, Awards and Boards

From his PhD days till date, Dr Adesina has been decorated with numerous awards, recognizing not only his personal successes but his societal significance.  In 2007 he was awarded the prestigious YARA Prize in Oslo, Norway for his leadership in pioneering innovative approaches for improving access of farmers in Africa to agricultural inputs.^[34] Adesina was the President of the African Association of Agricultural Economists from 2008 to 2010. He was awarded the Borlaug CAST Award in 2010 by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology,^[35] USA, for his global leadership on agricultural science and technology. He received the Distinguished Alumni Award from both of his alma maters in America and Africa: Purdue University in 2008, and from the Obafemi Awolowo University in 2009.^[36] He has published extensively and served on the editorial boards of several leading journals.^[37]                                                                                                    

In 2013, he was named as Forbes Africa Person of the Year.^[38] In 2019, he was again named as the Forbes Africa Person of the Year.^[39] The year before, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate degree by Afe Babalola University,^[40] to be followed by a barrage of other honorific doctorates, literally every other year (and thrice in 2022 alone!): Honorary Doctor of Science by the Federal University Of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria (January 28, 2020),^[41] Honorary Doctorate by the Federal University of Technology in Nigeria  in recognition of his global leadership in agriculture, food security, development finance, and good governance (February 2, 2022),^[42] Honorary Doctorate by Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, acknowledging his career achievements in agriculture, and the innovative High 5 development priorities for Africa, which he conceived shortly after his election as President of the African Development Bank Group in 2015 (May 8, 2022),^[43] Honorary Doctorate by Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, for his contributions to the field of economics (May 14, 2022),^[44] Doctor of Science by Veritas University Abuja (2023),^[45] and Honorary Degree of Doctor of Business Administration by Bayero University, Kano (March 2024).^[46] Nearly a decade before this string of seven began, Dr. Adesina was first awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Franklin and Marshall College, USA, in 2010, for his global leadership on agriculture and improving the lives and livelihoods of the poor.^[47]

In November 2012, Dr. Adesina was named as one of the 100 most influential Africans by The New African Magazine.^[48] Barely a couple of years into his political appointment as Minister of Agriculture, The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, conferred on him the second highest National Honor (Commander of the Order of Niger) for his outstanding service to his country over the last little while.^[49] In 2019, he was awarded the Grand Officer of the National Order of Merit of Tunisia.^[50]

In 2010, United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, appointed him as one of 17 global leaders, to spearhead the Millennium Development Goals.[4] Again in September 2016, Adesina was appointed by the same United Nations Secretary-General, to serve as member of the Lead Group of the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement.[16] On October 19, 2017, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina was conferred with the 2017 World Food Prize, ^[51]also nicknamed the “Nobel Prize for Agriculture”.^[52] On 29 February 2020, he was named African of the Year 2019 by one million readers of the African Leadership Magazine. On 14 December 2020, the Academy of Public Health, the flagship body of the West African Institute of Public Health, announced Dr. Adesina as one of the winners of its 2020 Distinguished Fellowship Award for his successful efforts in helping Africa to curb the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.^[53]

Societal Impact and Change

From food and youth to poverty and technology, Akinwumi Adesina fires on all cylinders. “He is a man on a mission to help Africa feed itself,” said the Forbes magazine of Adesina’s agricultural reforms while naming the agricultural economist and active Nigerian Minister of Agriculture “African Person of the Year” in 2013. “My goal,” said Dr. Adesina as he accepted the Forbes award, “is to make as many millionaires, maybe even billionaires, from agriculture as possible. 

“We are not doing well enough for Africa’s 477 million youths. We are not harnessing their skills, talent and creativity,” Dr Adesina told members of the Nigerian University of Technology and Management Board who recently called on him at African Development Bank’s headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.^[54] 

And as for white elephants, he’s hunting them to extinction. White elephants refer to the useless luxury projects that are often financed using international aid and built by foreign businessmen, and reek of corruption.^[55] Adesina calls for “intelligent infrastructure that is more productive, more competitive.”^[56] ”Finish off the white elephants,”^[57] is his war.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

CONCLUSION

Farmer’s son. Economist par excellence. Bowtie Man. Continent Feeder. Bold Reformer. Millionaire Maker. Banking Boss. White elephant Killer. Optimist-in-Chief. Man of Faith. Afrotech Advocate. Name it. He’s it. Dr. Akinwumi Adesina’s initial academic PhD gave hope; his eight honorary doctorates confirm faith has become sight. He has delivered. No wonder Aristotle claims excellence is a habit, for Adesina has been consistent in excelling from his university days till date, and been regularly publicly recognized for these over a span of 50 years. For a man so passionate about Africa, who believes poverty has no place in the continent, he seems to have gotten the fundamentals right: feeding her people and financing her economy, all on the back of the strength of her youthful population and promise of innovative information technology. There’s an Africa Africans want; akin to Wakanda. And there’s an Akin with the head, heart and hands at the forefront to make that future come true—fostering, feeding and financing it.

^[1] “Nigerians dominate New Africa’s 100 Most Influential Africans of 2015”. Vanguard News. 2015-11-24. Last retrieved April 2, 2024

^[2] “Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want.” African Union. Last retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[3] Ibid.

^[4] “Akinwumi Adesina: from farmer’s son to Africa bank chief”. African Spotlight. 28 May 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-09-22. Retrieved April 10, 2024.

^[5] “The Travails of Akinwumi Adesina.” Vanguard. June 13, 2020.  Last retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[6] “Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina”. High-Level Meeting on Drought National Policy. March 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-08-07. Retrieved April 16, 2024.

^[7] “The Travails of Akinwumi Adesina.” Vanguard. June 13, 2020.  Last retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[8] Delmar Broersma. 2017. God’s Surprises Along the Journey. pp. 89–93.

^[9] The President’s biography, African Development Bank, Last retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[10] “Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina”. High-Level Meeting on Drought National Policy. March 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-08-07. Retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[11] The President’s biography, African Development Bank, Last retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[12] “The Travails of Akinwumi Adesina.” Vanguard. June 13, 2020.  Last retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[13] “The Travails of Akinwumi Adesina.” Vanguard. June 13, 2020.  Last retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[14] “Akinwumi Adesina: from farmer’s son to Africa bank chief”. African Spotlight. 28 May 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-09-22. Last retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[15] “AfDB’s Akinwumi Adesina named 2017 World Food Prize Laureate”. CNBC Africa. 2017-06-26. Archived from the original on 2020-08-03. Last retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[16] “Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina”. High-Level Meeting on Drought National Policy. March 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-08-07. Retrieved April 16, 2024.

^[17] Ibid.

^[18] Who We Are. Our Story. AGRA. Last retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[19] Ibid.

^[20] “Interview: Akinwumi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture, Nigeria”. This is Africa. 30 July 2013. Archived from the original on 2015-01-12. Retrieved April 17, 2024

^[21] The President’s biography, African Development Bank, Last retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[22] Ibid.

^[23] Ibid.

^[24] “Nigerian is ‘African of the year'”. BBC News. 2013-12-03. Retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[25] “Biography”. African Development Bank – Building today, a better Africa tomorrow. 2019-04-04. Retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[26]  “Akinwunmi Adesina re-elected as AFDB president”. Sellbeta. 27 August 2020. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[27] Ibid.

^[28] The President’s biography, African Development Bank, Last retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[29] Ibid.

^[30] Ibid.

^[31] “Akinwunmi Adesina re-elected as AFDB president”. Sellbeta. 27 August 2020. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[32] Profile:Akinwuni Adesina, Ogala WordPress. 2011. Last retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[33] Delmar Broersma. 2017. God’s Surprises Along the Journey. pp. 89–93.

^[34] “Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina”. High-Level Meeting on Drought National Policy. March 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-08-07. Retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[35] Ibid.

^[36] Ibid.

^[37] Ibid.

^[38] “Nigeria’s Akinwumi Adesina named Forbes African of the Year”. BBC. December 3, 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[39] “African Of The Year”. Forbes Africa. 2019-12-18. Retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[40] “Afe Babalola University Confers Honorary Doctorate Degree on African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina”. African Development Bank – Building today, a better Africa tomorrow. 2019-02-08. Retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[41] “Afe Babalola University Confers Honorary Doctorate Degree on African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina”. African Development Bank – Building today, a better Africa tomorrow. 2019-02-08. Retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[42] “Akinwumi Adesina. African Development Bank Group President.” Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet. Last retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[43] Ibid.

^[44] “AfDB President, Akinwumi Adesina, Receives Honorary Degree In Ethiopia”. METRO DAILY Ng. 2022-05-16. Retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[45] “ADB Adopts Veritas as Centre of Excellence for Computer Coding.” Veritas University Abuja News. Last retireved April 17, 2024.

^[46] “Top Nigerian University honours African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina” AfDB News. March 6, 2024. Retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[47] “Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina”. High-Level Meeting on Drought National Policy. March 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-08-07. Retrieved April 16, 2024.

^[48] Ibid.

^[49] Ibid.

^[50] “Akinwumi A. Adesina à Caïd Essebsi: La BAD disposée à soutenir la Tunisie dans divers domaines”. Last retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[51] “AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina wins $250,000 World Food Prize”. africanews. 27 June 2017. Last retried April 17, 2024.

^[52] The President’s biography, African Development Bank, Last retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[53] Ibid.

^[54] “Investing in the Next Generation: How Nigerian University of Technology and Management and African Development Bank are Pioneering Youth Skilling in Africa.” African Development Bank Group. 01 April, 2024. Last retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[55] “Akinwumi Adesina: from farmer’s son to Africa bank chief”. African Spotlight. 28 May 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-09-22. Retrieved April 17, 2024.

^[56] Ibid.

^[57] Ibid.

 

50 Inspiring Living Leaders

This 50 Inspiring Living Leaders series highlights current influencers who are succeeding in leadership, integrity, family or entrepreneurship in whatever field and exhibit most, if not all, of our values of PELÉ. We value people, growth, particularity, excellence, success, authenticity and significance. These stories are largely written in terms of growth, success and significance in leadership, integrity, family and  entrepreneurship. While we do our best to receive personal references about each leader, most of our research and writing is based on literature review of publicly-available information. As authorities in leadership, we are fully aware that there is no such thing as a perfect leader, and leaders may have their flaws, but we choose to celebrate these inspiring living leaders for their achievements outlined in our series. Having said that, should you happen to have any incontrovertible evidence that any of our featured leaders does not fit our bill of an authentic leader, please write to us at info@perbiexecutive.com. Our vision at PELÉ is a flourishing global ecosystem of authentic leaders characterised by healthy growth, holistic success and lasting significance.

MARY ASHUN – Transformational Leader of Re-Imagined Education

INTRODUCTION

“Do you see galaxies where others see mere stars?”^[1] inquires Dr. Mary Ashun, the visionary leader and internationally acclaimed educator, administrator, researcher and author who is leading the charge to re-imagine education and provide creative solutions to improve the quality of education in Africa and beyond. She has over twenty-five years’ experience in education in North America and Africa with key projects in the designing and creation of educational opportunities and interventions for all at every level of learning. Her leadership of the Ghana International School (GIS) in Accra, first as Principal for nearly a decade and now as CEO, has been very much lauded and won her notable awards for her achievements. Dr. Ashun has spoken on many platforms on key educational and national issues. She has also authored children and young adults’ books, staged a number of plays and published on various topics in education and the sciences, pure and applied alike.

 

GROWTH

Dr. Mary Asabea Ashun (nee Apea) was born in Accra in 1968 to Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Apea, a former Educator and Ghanaian diplomat and Emma Elizabeth Apea, a teacher and entrepreneur. When she was six, her father was stationed at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London thus her family lived there for three years.^[2] She had her secondary education at Achimota School in Accra before proceeding to the University of East London in the United Kingdom from where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Combined Sciences. In pursuit of her passion for Science, Dr. Ashun crossed the Atlantic first to Buffalo, NY from where she graduated with a PhD in Biochemistry. Her thesis focused on the role of antiretrovirals in AIDS therapies and she worked with her team to develop and test a general antiretroviral agent (DNP Ploy-A).^[3]

She then moved to Canada where she earned a Bachelor of Education degree in Secondary Education at the University of Toronto. She has shared that when asked why she ‘went back’ to study an undergraduate degree after a PhD, she always mentions that ‘it can never be classified as going back when you finally find what you want to do in life’. As a trained biochemist, Mary had the option of working as a research scientist but  rather chose the classroom over the laboratory – she loves being with her learners. Dr. Ashun has taught science, mathematics and technology at all levels of the education cycle in the Ontario province of Canada.

One could argue that Dr. Ashun’s interest in science education was shaped by her admiration for her chemistry teacher in secondary school. She regularly cites this teacher as having a great impact on her passion for teaching. She was moved by the excitement and passion that Mr Titi Ofei brought to the teaching of chemistry. She learned from him that one must bring passion to work. As for the flair for teaching per se, it must have been passed on from both her parents —it’s just in Mary’s bones.

After a decade of teaching at the pre-tertiary level in the Ontario province, Dr. Ashun’s  passion was beginning to wane and this was noticed by some of her students. Fortunately, one of the parents of her students who had also noticed the drop in passion, pointed her towards an opportunity to ‘teach teachers how to teach Science’.  For the next five years, as an assistant professor at Redeemer University in Ontario, Dr. Ashun taught teachers in the Faculty of Education how to teach Science to pre-tertiary students. She employed various ICT tools – online dissection software, chemistry graphing software – to drive up interest and enhance the teaching of Science. She trained the teachers to prepare their students for international competitions in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Prior to joining the Ghana International School (GIS) as Principal, Dr. Ashun was a School Principal in Canada. Since she joined GIS as Principal and Head of School in 2014, Mary has, in her own words, worked with “a fantastic team of school leaders to transform how it (GIS) teaches, learns, collaborates and grows.^[4]”

 

SUCCESS

An Honoured Educator

In May 2011, Dr Ashun, was awarded a $200,000 grant by the Canadian International Development Agency to work on literacy development and business growth in Asamankese in the Eastern region of Ghana. In order to achieve a longer-lasting impact, Dr. Ashun, working together with a team of students and adult volunteers, grew the literacy program into His Majesty’s Christian School, a low-cost education option for children in the Asamankese vicinity. The desire to achieve longer-lasting impact has driven Dr. Ashun to always search for solutions and structures that are likely to out-live her. The school which started with the children of the women in the literacy program (less than 15) has now grown to almost 300 pupils in creche to Year 6.

Dr. Ashun currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer working out of the Office of Strategy Execution of Ghana International School (GIS). Her leadership of GIS has won her many accolades and left a lasting impact. Much similar to what she taught her students at Redeemer University College, Dr. Ashun has led the enhancement of the classroom experience at GIS by promoting the use of online learning and ICT enhanced teaching. Students at GIS are exposed to artificial intelligence and robotics and undertake fieldwork gathering data for analysis and action planning. Giving her training as a research scientist, it is not surprising that she encourages her teachers to enable students to undertake field explorations. Her students have made field trips to irrigation facilities, recycling plants and livestock production farms. They have also participated in international STEM competitions, just like Dr. Ashun taught her students at Redeemer University College.  Much like her favourite chemistry teacher, Mr. Titi Ofei, Mary transmits her passion and excitement for teaching and learning to her students. One of such former students is Christina DeVries (Redeemer University Class of 2011) who was clearly impacted by Dr. Ashun.  In Christina’s own words,  “One of my professors at the time, Dr. Mary Ashun, challenged us to consider what part of education touched our hearts. I chose to learn more about education in Canada’s First Nations.”^[5]

Dr. Ashun places immense importance on having quality teachers and has been at the forefront of  programs aimed at improving the quality of teachers at GIS and other schools. She believes that “teaching and research should go hand in hand” and that teachers must observe their classrooms and their students’ approach to learning and wonder “ how could this be better?”.^[6] Teachers at GIS are encouraged to conduct and publish research in education and in many cases, are assisted with funding opportunities.

In Dr. Ashun’s view, cooperation between teachers and parents is required for children to succeed in education. “There must always be that synergy between home and school” she demands. GIS regularly organises Parent-Teacher meetings to help create this synergy and also encourages student ownership of work by allowing them to share their own growth with their parents in what is known as a ‘student-led conference’.

Occasionally, Dr. Ashun takes teaching from the classroom to the screen. From September 2011 to February 2012, she was the creator and host of a Literacy show, Book ‘Em TV, on Rogers TV, in Mississauga, Canada.

Prior to serving as principal of GIS, Dr. Ashun was the principal of Philopateer Christian College in Toronto, Canada. a K-12 school. Dr. Ashun is a member of the Global Education Council, contributing to the shaping of the world’s education ecosystem with global education innovation transformation. In 2019 she was elected a board member of the Association of International Schools in Africa (ASIA) a role which allowed her to invest her ideas in an organisation focused on improving education on the continent through the efforts of International Schools.^[7]

An Accomplished Researcher, Writer and Speaker

Dr. Ashun, or as many of her readers may know her, “Asabea Ashun” or “Abena Apea,” is a prolific writer who has produced works in different genres of fiction, from short stories to science fiction books for children.^[8] The aforementioned pseudonyms usually signal which of her experiences she is drawing from to write. Abena Apea is her ‘full Ghanaian self’ who writes Ghanaian stories especially for children, while Asabea Ashun refers to her ‘multicultural self’ – drawing from her broad experiences in Ghana, US, UK and Canada. When one sees Dr. Mary Ashun, then they are likely about to hear from the official educator scientist.^[9]

Mary has published over thirteen novels and written numerous articles. Her fiction books include Tuesday’s Child (2010), which was shortlisted as a quarterfinalist for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award^[10] ; Serwa Akoto’s Diary (2013); Mistress of the Game (2011); The Adventures of Kobby Badu-Smith: A Poolside Adventure (2015); The Adventures of Kobby Badu-Smith: A Space Adventure (2011); Grace, The Pandemic Warrior (2021); The Adventures of Monty Horton: A Poolside Adventure (2010); The Adventures of Monty Horton: A Sweet Adventure (2010); 22 Blessings in Disguise (2008).^[11]

She has also written scripts and produced stage adaptations including The Prince of Egypt- a GIS Adaptation, a musical that her students performed at the National Theatre in Accra in March 2017.^[12] Her most recent short story Kweku Checks Out, a lament on the new face of mental health joins those of eminent writers in Africa and the Diaspora in an anthology titled “Voices That Sing Behind the Veil” edited by Ivor Agyeman Duah.

Away from the fictional world, Dr. Ashun has researched and published papers in the fields of pure and applied sciences and education. She has published on topics such as  the impact of professional development course on the global perspective of  teachers^[13] , frameworks for professional development of teachers and the teaching of mathematics.^[14]

Dr. Ashun enjoys speaking and has done so at academic conferences, spiritual retreats, teacher retreats and seminars. She has spoken at several conferences on the importance of STEM education for both boys and girls. She is very vocal on educational issues in Ghana and on the African continent. She was vocal when her alma mater, Achimota School, refused admission to Rastafarian students, publishing a lengthy article on what became a much-discussed national issue in Ghana.^[15]

Chief Executive Officer

Success begets success, as the saying goes, and more work is the reward for good work done. After nearly ten years of transformational leadership at GIS as principal, the board appointed her as CEO for strategy execution with responsibilities for ensuring sustainability of the organisation’s core mandate, and in collaborating  with local and international partners in the furtherance of the school’s mission and vision.^[16]

 

SIGNIFICANCE

Family Affair

Dr. Ashun is very family-oriented and dotes on them, both her family of orientation as well as her family of procreation. Regarding the latter, Mary is married to Joseph Ashun, a leading Maintenance engineer who has worked extensively with leading mining companies e.g. Barrick Gold , with whom she has three adult sons.^[17] Abeyku, Kwam and Jojo  were all born in North America and are very vocal about their African roots.^[18] Since taking on the Ghana International School role, they have been a transnational family, doing life between Accra, Ghana and Toronto, Canada.

Societal Impact and Change

Dr. Ashun has been championing the provision of quality education across Africa and other continents. She is a major advocate for governments focusing resources on the provision of the necessary infrastructure, policies and curriculum to train quality teachers. She sees teachers as central to the provision of quality education and the creation of engaging and stimulating classrooms. She has been  leading the organising of conferences and seminars to empower teachers to become creative. 

Dr. Ashun and GIS annually organise the TIME Educators Conference to provide teachers the opportunity to acquire new knowledge and skills to consolidate their teaching and learning strategies to improve student outcomes.^[19]  TIME is an acronym for Transform Inspire Motivate Educate. GIS has also partnered the Ghana Education Service to train teachers through a collaboration with PriceWaterhouseCoopers. This initiative, too, is one of Dr. Ashun’s many legacies at GIS. She is taking advantage of the privileged position of GIS to help underprivileged  schools in rural Ghana.^[20]

Dr. Ashun regularly raises funds to support her charities – His Majesty’s Christian School, Enough Inc. and one of her favourites, Teach for Ghana.^[21]

Recognition, Awards and Boards

In 2023, Dr. Ashun was named among the top ten finalists for the Africa Education Medal 2023 in recognition of her leadership, impact and advocacy in the field of education.^[22] This was sponsored by T4 Education (UK). In 2018, she was awarded the Excellent Educator Award by Endless Possibilities and Hope Development Organization for her work and passion as an educator.^[23] The Teacher’s College of Columbia University awarded her the Klingenstein School Heads Fellowship in  2014.^[24]

Mary has been honoured for her work in Education by the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), receiving the Educational Leadership Award for Private Education.  She has been a council member of the Association of Internationally Certified Schools (ASICS) in Ghana, Chair of the advisory board of Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works and is a former Board member of the Association of International Schools in Africa. Mary Ashun is a member of the BETT Global Education Council, a driving force of visionaries from some of the world’s biggest global brands and educational institutions who are setting the tone of education globally.^[25]

 

At PELÉ

“I pray that by the time I exit this earth, I will have used up all the grace that God gave me and poured it into someone else,”^[26] says Dr. Ashun. At Perbi Executive Leadership Education (PELÉ), where authentic and customised relationships and resources are offered to C-level executives, including education executives, to grow personally, succeed professionally, and become significant societally, we have conscripted Mary the Educator-Leader as a consultant in education leadership development at PELÉ. Together we hope to hone current C-level leadership as well as incubate a host of emerging C-suite executives in the vital space of education.

 

CONCLUSION

The celebrated Ghanaian-Canadian educator, Dr. Mary Asabea Ashun, is impacting Ghana, Africa and the world as a visionary and transformational leader in education. She is leading the drive to re-imagine education to improve the quality of teachers and to create engaging classrooms for learners. She is sharing her passion and vast experience in the educational sector on numerous platforms and channels. Dr. Ashun is forming and transforming minds with her research publications and novels. Mary is transforming that which transforms us most: education. The many children and adults who have encountered her works appreciate her immensely. She is making a difference in the educational sector not only in her native continent, but also in her wider global community and deserves to be celebrated. “Most can wait for a sunset,” says Dr. Ashun, “the passionate chase a sunrise.”^[27] Mary has now crossed the half-a-century mark in age yet from all indications, despite all her achievements as a transformational leader reimagining education, it is still just about dawn for her.

 

Facebook: @Mary Asabea Ashun

LinkedIn: @Mary Apea Ashun PhD

Instagram: @globallyrestless

Website: www.maryashun.com

Twitter: @AshunDr

Youtube Channel: Mary Ashun

Blog: www.corneliaprincipal.wordpress.com

 

^[1] Dr. Mary Ashun. WhatsApp interaction with PELÉ on 22nd March, 2024.

^[2] Asabea Ashun. Amazon.com. Retrieved 10th March 2024

^[3]Ashun, M.A., Hu, Y., Kang, I., Li, C.C. & Wang, J. H. 1996 Inhibition of murine leukemia virus with poly-2′-O-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)poly[A] ResearchGate Retrieved 13th March 2024

^[4] ‘Short Biography.’ Dr. Mary Ashun. September 2023 (furnished PELÉ by the author).

^[5] “Christina DeVries”. Redeemer University. Archived from the original on 2019-09-05. Retrieved 13th March 2024

^[6] https://www.maryashun.com/academics

^[7] “Mary Ashun”. Peoplepill.com . Retrieved 12th March 2024

^[8] https://www.maryashun.com/mary-everywhere

^[9] “One-on-One With Ghanaian Writer, Dr. Mary A. Ashun”. Geosi Reads. 2011-11-01. Retrieved 12th March 2024

^[10] “Mary Ashun | Writers Project of Ghana”. writersprojectghana.com. Retrieved 11th March 2024.

^[11] https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B005YGPBX6/allbooks?ingress=0&visitId=ce8d6fbb-3fa9-4038-9ff2-51eca5997c51

^[12] “GIS celebrates 10th Anniversary Musical with Prince of Egypt”. Modern Ghana. 2017-03-15. Retrieved 2024-08-30.

^[13] “My classroom is a bigger place’: Examining the impact of a professional development course on the global perspective of experienced teachers”. ResearchGate. June 2013. Retrieved on 12th March 2024

^[14] “Trickle down mathematics: Adult pre-service elementary teachers gain confidence in mathematics – enough to pass it along?”. www.academia.edu. Retrieved 12th March 2024

^[15] Ashun, M. (2021-03-25). The issue of ‘the other’ when it comes to school admissions: The case of Achimota School and Rastafarian students. Ghanaweb.com Retrieved 12th March 2024

^[16] ‘Short Biography.’ Dr. Mary Ashun. September 2023 (furnished PELÉ by the author).

^[17] “Dr Mary Ashun”. Bettshow.com. Retrieved 12th March 2024

^[18] Dr. Mary Ashun. WhatsApp interaction with PELÉ on 22nd March, 2024

^[19] Bannerman, E. (2022-10-04). GIS holds 6th Time Educators Conference. Myjoyonline. Retrieved 12th March 2024.

^[20] Richter-Anderson, M. (2023-05-30). Ghana International School poised to make an impact in Ghana and beyond – Principal discloses Myjoyonline.com. Retrieved 12th March 2024

^[21] Okertchiri, J. A. (2017-09-09) GIS Principal Raises Funds for Charities. Daily Guide Network. Retrieved 12th March 2024

^[22] Ibrahim, A. (2023-05-17). Ghana’s Mary Ashun named Top 10 finalist for Africa Education Medal 2023.

^[23] Principal, Dr. Mary Ashun wins Excellent Educator Award 27th June 2024. GIS. Retrieved 11th March 2024

^[24] Felicia (2014-06-24). “GIS Principal receives distinguished Klingenstein School Heads Fellowship”. GIS. Retrieved 10th March 2024

^[25] Dr. Mary Ashun. Global Education Council. BETT. See https://www.bettshow.com/global-education-council/dr-mary-ashun

^[26] Andah, Aba Cato & Zoe Baraka. 2023. Letters of Hope to My Younger Self. Triple A Press, p. 65.

^[27] Dr. Mary Ashun. WhatsApp interaction with PELÉ on 22nd March, 2024.

 

 

50 Inspiring Living Leaders

This 50 Inspiring Living Leaders series highlights current influencers who are succeeding in leadership, integrity, family or entrepreneurship in whatever field and exhibit most, if not all, of our values of PELÉ. We value people, growth, particularity, excellence, success, authenticity and significance. These stories are largely written in terms of growth, success and significance in leadership, integrity, family and  entrepreneurship. While we do our best to receive personal references about each leader, most of our research and writing is based on literature review of publicly-available information. As authorities in leadership, we are fully aware that there is no such thing as a perfect leader, and leaders may have their flaws, but we choose to celebrate these inspiring living leaders for their achievements outlined in our series. Having said that, should you happen to have any incontrovertible evidence that any of our featured leaders does not fit our bill of an authentic leader, please write to us at info@perbiexecutive.com. Our vision at PELÉ is a flourishing global ecosystem of authentic leaders characterised by healthy growth, holistic success and lasting significance.