Here is a special project management interview I had with John Okoro. He shares with us how he got started in project management, his project management career, and also offers advice to aspiring project managers. He also compares the project management industry in Nigeria and France.
Tell Me About Yourself.
My name is John Okoro. I am a member of Project Management Institute and an active member of both the Nigerian and France Chapters. I am PMP and PRINCE2 certified. I have my first degree in Chemical Engineering and I am currently doing my master’s program in Project and Program Management at Skema Business School.
What Inspired You To Go Into Project Management?
I think it is simply in pursuit of excellence. Also, my Dad, Emmanuel Okoro (FCA), has been a huge source of inspiration and support in my project management career. I made up my mind to go into project management while I was still studying for my Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering. Then, I was 16 years and had just started a company, and that was how the story began.
You Said You Started Your Company At The Age Of 16, Can You Tell Us About The Company?
The company is called Think Possibilities, and it is registered in Nigeria. I began it while in my 2nd year in the University studying for a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, and I discovered an opportunity and took advantage of it. At that time, I was providing marketing services and event management support to clients. Most of my services then were pro-bono, and revenue was mainly from commissions, fees from events, and sometimes from retainership. I was using project management tools and techniques for our events and projects, so it presented me a great opportunity for learning. As a student, I used to have CEOs of companies visit me in school for advice on business strategy and other support. It was such a humbling experience, and I am privileged to have started really early, and to have learnt so much from those times.
Today, the company has evolved from being a marketing and event management company to being a full consultancy firm involved in branding, business development, and project development. We are currently in talks with a group of companies in Nigeria involved in agriculture and real estate, and depending on how the talks proceed; we may either sell the company wholly or part of it.
I Can See You Were Once Involved In Project Management Training In Nigeria. How Did You Get Involved?
Oh yes! My venturing into project management training at that time was divinely orchestrated. Just before then, I had just finished a project under one of the arms of The Presidency. I was actually doing my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) then at the office. After the project, I decided to do something different.
So, it was during all of that transition period that I met Jeman Consulting. Prior to that, I had some project management training with New Horizons, but I was not quite pleased with it, due to certain personal reasons. I have not even collected my certificate till this moment. So during the transition, I was privileged to meet Deji Jemiyo who is also a certified Project Manager. I joined up with his training classes and I must say – I have never had a better training than what I received at Jeman Consulting project management classes. I was so confident that just a few days after my class, I wrote the PMI’s Project Management Professional (PMP) examination. This was during the transition period from PMBOK 4 to 5 and the examination was critically difficult at that time. In fact the success rate at that time was about 25 per cent. I had a very excellent score, and I was pleased with myself, and grateful to God, to Jeman Consulting and very importantly to my dad. So at the age of twenty-one, I was already a certified Project Management Professional, and quite pleased with what I had received so I decided to give back to the profession, and I decided that the best way to do that was to be involved in the profession and create more awareness about the benefits of project management, and to encourage more practitioners to become certified in order to boost their professional capacity. So that was how I got into training and consulting, and Deji Jemiyo (PMP) of Jeman Consulting gave me an opportunity to learn. He taught me a lot of things, and was very willing to accommodate me. He is a great mentor, and leader.
How Would You Rate The Level Of Awareness Of Project Management In Nigeria?
I must say that the level of awareness of project management in Nigeria is growing considerably, and this is very impressive. If you compare the level of awareness of project management in Africa, I do not think there is any country in Africa that has more project management practitioners that Nigeria. Even across the world, I believe Nigeria ranks highly in terms of numbers of certified project managers.
I think what is more important is to have more people who do not just stop at attending trainings in project Management but who go ahead to become practitioners and apply the best practices to managing projects in order to produce scalable benefits. I think awareness is high, but what is important is for there to be a more pragmatic approach to benchmarking with best practices around the world, and there also must be a conscious effort towards the development of lessons learned within each industry, and even within organizations. I believe after all is said and done, more should be done than said!
You Are Now Based In Paris, France. What Would You Say Is The Difference Between Project Management In Nigeria And In France?
Well, there is surely a difference even if you compare between Lagos and Abuja in terms of approach to managing projects. Usually, this difference could be caused by several factors like organizational process assets, the SWOT and PESTS constraints of the organization involved, as well as the enterprise environmental factors, etc. But it is important to note that project management is a universal principle which can be applied to projects everywhere. Considering Nigeria and France, I can surely identify some similarities and differences. In terms of acceptance of project management as a practice, both countries are not as developed as the project management industry in the USA or UK. But project management here in France is generally more organized and structured when compared to Nigeria, and this is a factor that makes it easier to work as a project manager in France. But again, as I earlier said, the industry in Nigeria is leapfrogging. With good policies, and awareness, I believe we can gain global recognition. I am a member of both the Nigerian and the France Chapters, and I hope also to catalyze the kind of partnerships and knowledge exchange that can bring about mutual progress. In project management, it is better to collaborate, not compete or differentiate.
What Do You Think Is The Future Of Project Management In Nigeria?
Well, I believe there is huge potential in that market. I recall, even during the last visit of President François Hollandeto Nigeria, contracts for some projects within the energy sector were initiated and signed between Nigeria and some French companies. You see, Nigeria’s economy will continue to blossom, and without proper project management, an economy cannot attain full maturity and reap the dividend of infrastructural investment and divestment. So I believe more and more practitioners will begin to embrace this practice because of its tremendous merits, and when this continues to happen, there will be expansion across various industries. It is even evident, that our Military agencies need Project Management Offices (PMOs). There needs to be apply a strategic military approach to #bringbackourgirls. Developed countries have PMOs within their military agencies, and we might need to look in this direction in the wake of the security issues that we have on our hands.
What Is Your Project Management Goal For The Next 10-15 Years?
Well, I can entirely tell you it is going to be focused on Africa, no doubt. I have a strategic focus on African energy market, and I am committed to being among those who will correct the energy deficit by the meticulous application of project management best practices.
Lastly, As A Project Manager, Do You Have Any Advice For Someone Who Wants To Start His Or Her Career In Project Management?
My advice to anyone who wants to start a career in Project Management is that you must first of all have a vision of where you want to get to and what you intend to contribute towards the profession. You must also associate with other professionals within the industry. And one way to do this is to join some local and international project management associations. When I was in Nigeria, for instance, I used to attend PMI Nigeria Chapter meetings in Abuja and I learnt a lot from other project professionals who came regularly to share their knowledge and experience. Another advice is to start getting practically involved in project management. The word “practitioner” is from the word practice; if you don’t have practical experiences in managing projects, you cannot become a good project manager. One of the several ways you can get involved which is very effective is by volunteering. I spent most parts of the early days of my project management career volunteering and doing pro-bono services. Most people these days don’t want to volunteer, but this is inevitable if you are going to build a solid foundation for your career.
Jeman Consulting, John Okoro, Project Management Interview, project management nigeria
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