By Agatha Emeadi
Mrs. Adebola Williams is the president of Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce (NACC). Williams was the Best Graduating student in Chemistry in her year set from the University of Lagos. She has immense experience in Human Resources management garnered through her work in multinational companies. Williams is a member of Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria; Foundation member and adviser to the International Association of Students in Economics and Commercial Sciences (AIESEC), and member African Women Leaders Think Tank (AWLTT). In this interview, she offers advice on how serious small-medium scale can meet the stringents conditions required by the United States for export of non-oil products, to benefit from AGOA.
How did you become the President, Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce?
The Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce is the first bi-lateral Chamber of Commerce in Nigeria. We got established in 1960, same year Nigeria got independence. So, we are going to our 64th year and we are not doing badly.
I joined the chamber in 2008 and have held different positions and headed different committees in the past years. Then, eventually in 2021, the position of the President of the chamber opened and we contested. I won the election and became the President of the Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce. This happened when the country was just emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a three-year tenure which will end soon.
What is the set-up for the Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce?
Usually, it is a relationship between Nigerian businesses and American businesses. What the chamber tries to do is to bring the relationship closer, business-wise. If there are businesses in Nigeria or the United States of America, we try to bring the two partners together. We deal with companies, not individuals per se.
As you round off your tenure, what are the achievements you are proud of, after leading for three years?
When I was stepping in, we were just emerging from COVID-19 and at that time, if you recall, a lot of businesses were down, and people were working from home. Most of the activities that we were doing to encourage our members were down. But of course, we resorted to doing the activities online such as breakfast meetings, training and advocacy programmes which were more or less not happening. Within three to four months that I assumed office, the COVID-19 lockdown was lifted and so activities picked up. We operate by working through committees, we have different committees like the AGOA process.
What is AGOA process?
The AGOA process stands for Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA). It is a process put up by former United States President Bill Clinton to help African businessmen to export their products to the United States. The area of assistance is tariff. So, the tariff cut off is more or less like an open door; but the conditions are stringent and tough. Americans being who they are, they do not do things in halves. So as long as people can comply with the various regulations in place, they are free to export non-oil products because AGOA is based on non-oil products.
In the last 60-years, have members enjoyed the bilateral relationship?
Oh yes. What each successful administration tries to do is to up their game. For example, some of the activities we run is to organize inward and outward trade missions. It means that Americans can come in here and vice versa. Even companies and non-members who are interested in suitable programmes are allowed to attend them in the United States. They would have organized ahead, set up a lot of business which delivers a lot of benefits. Apart from monthly breakfast meetings, where we bring in experts to discuss various topics of interest and significance to our members. The other programmes we have embarked upon include inbound and outbound US trade missions. In March, we organized a visit for businessmen and women from the United States of Illinois, who came looking for prospective Nigerians they can work and partner within diverse areas of interest to them. This being one of our core objectives in the Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce (NACC), we were able to successfully create this linkage between our members and the Illinois businesspersons. We also run an annual exhibition designed to showcase the products and services of our members called African Food & Product Exhibition (AFPE). This event took place recently at Habour Point and it was very successful with close to a thousand participants and Exhibitors. Despite the information about the insecurity in the land, yet a lot of businesses thrive. We are truly happy.
Is membership of NACC meant for some designated businessmen and women or general public?
We cater for both small and medium scale businesses, then of course, the big wigs are also there. The corporate members also support us. When we organize breakfast meetings, it is for all sorts especially on globalization.
You were in Guiness for years as Head of Human Resources and became quiet when you left the organization. why?
No, when I left Guinness as Head of Human Resources, I actually went to work for Cadbury, though for a few years and also rose to become Head, Human Resources too. While in Guiness at the top management cadre, I was the only female. When I left Cadbury, I went into piggery farming and garri processing in Ikorodu. I visited there twice a week, and within a short period I sold the place. People said I looked too fragile to be a farmer, that is not true. Then, the Lagos state government supported farmers as a medium scale industry. Even as a farmer, I had my HR consultancy and entrepreneurship running.
Having been the HR head of two multinationals, what are the most spelt out focus for staff?
If you work for a good company that has established standards and practices with the handbook that cuts across employee welfare, everything is catered for. Provision for issues like death and illness are all included in the handbook of the organization. When I started work in HR initially, one of the principles and cliché’s we had was the fact that from the first day one is engaged in a company, you start planning your retirement from day one of one’s employment. This works perfectly well with companies that have laid down rules and procedures. Fortunately for me, the companies I worked for Guinness and Cadbury were multinationals and topnotch; we had standards, we operated in line with global best practices. We were the foundation of everything we did there. But then, through moving around, and exchanges, one would come across companies whose policies were not that well defined. That is where I come in through consultancies. I would advise them to borrow from the rich culture of the companies I had worked before retiring. For well established companies, there is absolutely no problem, there is a handbook that spells out everything. In the case of protracted illness, death, retirement benefits both the employee and company know what to do because everything is stated in the book. It is a question of rolling out what is involved.
I can also tell from what I heard that things are no longer as good as they used to be economically and globally, not only in Nigeria. That has affected so many organizations to owe staff salaries. Relatively, all the places I worked for had a rich culture of looking after their staff. In all those companies, we never experienced non-payment of salaries or allowances, they rather looked after employees. There is the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) where the junior staff were affiliated through their unions while the senior staff belonged to the Trade Union Congress (TUC). Things were very smooth then.
How were you able to cope as a boardroom woman, entrepreneur, wife and mother then?
It is not an easy task even with domestic staff. But luckily, I had my mother who was a teacher. The moment she retired, she was able to help me very well. Largely, I think the situation in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s was better because then one could trust his and her workers.
Then, I could send my driver alone to go pick my children from school, but now I cannot send the driver alone to go pick my grandchildren. Our domestic workers then were trusted because they behaved well. The challenges now are much and tough. This is one of the reasons the japa syndrome became imminent for some people. So many parents have all their children and grandchildren in foreign countries, and this is no good news except you travel once in a while to see them; but truly, the environment is tough and rough.
What do you think is responsible for the ostentatious lifestyle that is affecting the present generation?
It is an all-round responsibility and therefore all hands must be on deck to nip it in the bud. Between the government, parents, society, religious and educational bodies, all must join hands to chase the demon away. To the parents, when a child starts living above his or her parents means, there is a need to ask questions. Most parents have left their responsibilities and keep chasing shadows. The trend is frightening, and one wonders what happens in the next 10 years. The present generation does not want to learn to sit before crawling; they want to walk immediately. In our days, what we knew was to focus on education, morals from parents and remembering the home you are coming from.
How did you meet your husband?
I got married quite early. First, I graduated at the age of 21 from University of Lagos and was the best graduating student in my class. I, alone came out with a second-class upper division in Chemistry. It was not an easy task to make a First Class in my course then, but I came out tops alone. I was the only person who made that second class, upper division; then went on to acquire other degrees after many years. The secret was focus and dedication while remembering one’s family. Any child who wants to achieve a goal must be focused, and once that is established, other things will be running after the person. From my younger days as a student, mathematics has been my best and favorite subject. Even in my Master of Business Administration (MBA) class after four children, I got the highest score in Statistics.
So, my husband and I met in University of Lagos where he was studying Law, and I was studying Chemistry. We met and one thing led to the other, we spent a year or two and got married on his birthday in 1975. We will be 50 years in marriage next year by God’s grace.
How was growing up?
Growing up was fun. I grew up in Lagos. My father was a legal practitioner while my mother was a teacher at Method Girls High School, Yaba. I came from a Methodist family. We were not the richest but do not know of a hungry day. Then, life was fun, we were not spoilt. Though our parents could afford to give us more than they gave us, they knew they had to train us as children so that we were not spoilt. Whatever that was given to us was satisfactorily accepted. So, they brought us up well. I think home training remains the standard in raising children and that I think is lacking in so many homes. In our days, there were no street urchins compared to what we have today.