Victoria Ibhawa, a former country head of human resources at Deloitte Nigeria and expert in human resource management, speaks with TEMITOPE ADETUNJI about her career and the difficulties she overcame.
You worked briefly in the banking sector. What other noteworthy achievements have you had in human capital management?
I have worked with various organizations as a senior human resources management professional with multisector professional experience. I began my career in banking, though I only spent a brief time there (Intercontinental Bank is now Access Bank). I previously held the position of country head of human resources for KPMG and Deloitte Nigeria. Additionally, I’ve held a senior manager position overseeing organizational development and employer branding at Coca-Cola Hellenic. I currently serve as an HR consultant for Shell companies in Nigeria.
I earned my MBA from the Lagos Business School and also attended the IESE Business School in Spain. I graduated from the University of Benin in Edo State. I hold certifications from the Global Professional in Human Resources, the Senior Professional in Human Resources International, and the Human Resources Certification Institute of the United States. I also hold certifications from the SHL in psychometric analysis and organizational culture consulting, as well as the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria. I also hold a John Maxwell coaching certification.
I didn’t get in because I wanted to study economics; instead, I had to attend UNIBEN to study geography and regional planning. I didn’t make it to the first class I intended to, but praise God because of the National Youth Service Corps program, I was able to work with KPMG and end up where I am now.
How have you been able to mentor young Nigerians interested in HR with your wealth of experience?
I’m a career counselor. In that regard, I mentor and lecture to young people. I founded Inspired for Impact, a non-profit professional platform, in 2018. The platform’s mission is to support professionals in realizing their full potential, taking control of their careers and life’s purpose, and making a lasting impact in their spheres of influence. I also organize the annual Inspired for Impact summit, which brings together influential people to share experiences and make an impact. I’m a pastor, married with kids, and unemployed.
Since I began working in human resources in 2007, it has been about 15 years, and it has been a wonderful experience. I have a passion for helping others become better versions of themselves. I have experience working as an HR professional and as a consultant to businesses. Coincidentally, I combine both, which means that I work for Shell while also being an HR professional and a consultant for the company. I have had numerous opportunities to assume leadership positions. Being in that field has been very rewarding for me in terms of both professional development and having a positive impact on people’s lives.
How did growing up as the only girl in your family go?
I had a good childhood; there are three boys older than me, and I’m the only girl. I received a lot of love from my siblings because I was the only girl, especially my older brother. At age 21, he had us as his children. My family was the type where everyone was expected to contribute. No position was reserved for a particular gender. There was nothing comparable to a specific task designated for a man or woman. My older brothers used to follow me around and even look at how I dressed. I was raised a Christian and was accustomed to reading at night. I had to get used to it because my father once woke me up and made me read all night while I was studying for my Junior Secondary School Three examination.
You mentioned that your oldest brother had you as a child when he was 21.
So my father passed away when I was in SS3. He passed away when I was a teenager. My brother, who was already employed as a banker, would read newspapers when he got home from work because he wanted me to read all night. I was getting ready for an exam at the time. I had the support of my family, so I knew I couldn’t afford to act badly; I had to give it my all. I was raised in a church. In actuality, I am a pastor. I was able to train to teach other teenagers in Sunday school.
Who were your parents, and what kind?
My parents were strict with discipline and raised me in a Pentecostal Christian home. In contrast to my dad, who was a stickler for quality and would not permit the use of pidgin English in the home despite it being the dominant language there, my mother served as the family’s spiritual center. In junior secondary school, I began reading at midnight because my father woke me up to read and stayed up with me to make sure I didn’t stay up alone.
My eldest brother and I continued our tradition of reading at midnight for my GCE exams in SS2 and WAEC exams after my father passed away shortly after my JSS3 exams. He was working in a bank at the time and came home exhausted, but he stayed up with me. On the other hand, my mother served as my spiritual role model. I used to worry that the rapture had already happened and I had missed it every time I woke up at night and did not immediately see my mother. I looked up to my mother as my example of Christianity when I was a young woman.
What aspects of your father do you miss?
When it came to excellence, my father was extremely strict. I was raised in a setting where pidgin English was used. I was born close to Orile Koka. I believe I was already in my final year of college when we moved into our home. Previously, we resided in a room-and-parlor apartment, also known as the “Face me, I face you” setting. Such an environment is conceivable. Therefore, whenever we anticipated my father’s return, everyone spoke in proper English because we were unable to use pidgin in his presence. When he was present, we either spoke proper English or our native tongue, and despite the circumstances, he was very deliberate about it. Despite the fact that I went to a public school and lived in that setting, I believe that was a huge help to me.
What is the choice you made that you will always be grateful for because you see it as the pivotal moment in your life?
I’ll talk about three crucial choices. The first was choosing to live a pure life when I was a young girl. This was not simple, and it made me quite different, but it served as the cornerstone for my later decisions regarding relationships, courtship, and marriage. It helped me concentrate on my studies and my relationship with God, which has helped me in my career and life in general to date, that I decided to wait to get into a relationship until I graduated from college.
The second was my early career choice to leave auditing and transition into human resources consulting. I am fortunate to be able to combine my passion for people development with my job in human resources management. After attending a training on time management and personal effectiveness early in my career, I made the switch. My perspective changed as a result, and I decided that I wanted to live my life and pursue my career doing what I knew to be my true calling.
The third was the choice I made when I launched the professional platform Inspired for Impact to concentrate on purpose. I firmly believe that everyone has a purpose and that every experience we have—both good and bad—connects to that purpose. Your successes and failures can both teach you something, and at least one person will find inspiration in your story. In 2018, I made the choice to launch Inspired for Impact in order to fulfill a major life goal of mine: to assist professionals in realizing their full potential while taking control of their careers and purposes and making a lasting impact in their spheres of influence.
What is the most important lesson you have learned from life?
The most important lesson that life has taught me is that everything is temporary. You want to be able to reflect on your decisions and be satisfied that you had the greatest impact possible at the time. Someone out there can be inspired by your experience, impact, and story. To live the best life possible, intentionally concentrate on the things that are most important to you.
The value of family is another factor. When I was a young girl, I lost two family members: my father three years after my older brother, when I was barely 11 years old. I learned from this to value family ties because they cannot be replaced. Family cannot be replaced, but close friends and coworkers can. Among the many balls we juggle in life, it’s a significant glass ball that we shouldn’t let fall. I wish we had more years together because I treasure the time I have spent with my brother and father. I have also had to make career decisions that take into account the needs of my family and the need to concentrate on what matters while also pursuing the career of my choice as a married woman and mother.
We can make the most of every experience we have to achieve our goals. Reversing your thinking, you will discover that, depending on how you chose to use both the good and the bad experiences, both have contributed to your successes and achievements. Every job I’ve ever had has been an amazing experience for me and a major highlight.
What impact did your time at Deloitte have on your career?
I was particularly impacted by my time spent as the country head of human resources at Deloitte and Touché for a variety of reasons. My leaders supported my abilities and provided me with a platform for development. I was hired as the learning and development manager for West and Central Africa, but after a year I was confirmed in the position of head of HR for Nigeria.
This time period was a significant high point in my career because I played a direct leadership role in the organization’s strategy at a pivotal moment when it was changing significantly and repositioning itself in Nigeria, West Africa, and Africa. My team and I made significant contributions during this time, which resulted in notable successes and recognition awards like the Great Place to Work International 2015 Excellence in Learning and Development Award, the 2014 CIPMN Best HR Practices Award, and the 2015 Best Place to Work in Nigeria Awards.
Additionally, it had an effect on people’s relationships. I built relationships with people at all levels while serving in this position, especially mentoring relationships with my team and other staff members that are still in place today. Seeing my team members advance in their careers and remain in the picture of their career trajectories has been a rewarding experience.
What is your ultimate objective?
The ultimate goal is to lead a meaningful life, leave a legacy I can be proud of, and outlive myself.
What details about how you arrived at this point in your life ought to be known to the public?
They ought to be authentic and craft their story. People should concentrate on who they are at their core and what matters to them most. There is a lot of pressure to fit in, but finding your way in life and staying the course can pay off greatly. Everybody has a distinct history and a distinct mission. Your life is your own.
Be deliberate about your personal and professional growth. Concentrate on it. Since the knowledge that got you where you are now becomes outdated or irrelevant later, no one remains static; everyone is either growing or decaying. Growth can occur vertically or laterally depending on the situation. It’s important that you continue to develop and improve each day. Be deliberate about periodically monitoring your progress.
Additionally, it’s crucial to purposefully connect and network. Be deliberate about using your connections and network to make a difference. It’s been said that the top five people you spend the most time with represent your potential for success in life.
How do you strike a balance between your family and your career?
My husband is incredibly supportive, and we are married. My husband not only supports my professional goals, but also fills in where I occasionally fall short in certain areas. As we work together to accomplish our professional, vocational, and other goals while raising our children, our marriage is a partnership where roles are flexible. After the birth of our twin girls, my mother and mother-in-law stayed with me for more than a year. I’m not sure how much this helped me as a professional. I also have a fantastic group of loving relatives, in-laws, friends, mentors, and mentees.
I make a conscious effort to focus on what matters to me the most both at work and outside of it. I make an effort to carve out time for the other areas of my life where I find fulfillment, like the platform. I have also had to decline some opportunities due to obligations to my family and other factors that were more important to me than the advantages of money or a particular position. When you are deliberate about what matters, things will eventually add up, in my opinion.
You are a pastor as well. What area of ministry do you focus on?
At Truth of Calvary Ministries, Calvary Bible Church, I am a pastor. The majority of my ministry’s efforts are directed toward youth. My husband and I served as the youth fellowship and teen ministry pastors for my church. Additionally, I mentor a few young Christians.
