Discovering my Superpower....

Welcome to Reimagining Africa, my new newsletter where I talk about insights into the trends reshaping Africa today, and how individuals, businesses and governments should be thinking holistically about markets, resources and human capital in Africa, and the possibilities that exist for a re-positioned Africa.

“There comes a time when we heed a certain call….” – these are the words of the We are the World Song for Africa, sung by a group of leading musicians for the Eradicate Hunger in Africa campaign of the mid-1980’s.

Back in 2019, I had just passed through a really turbulent time in my business life, when I was the recipient of incessant attacks – from virtually all quarters. Turbulent as those times were, I learnt so much about myself, about people – their motivations and their character – and about the larger universe.

Up until then, I had always experienced what you might refer to as exponential growth in my life. But it was an outward and visible kind of growth. This time, the growth was different – it was inward, it was deep, and it was invisible to the outer world. And most of all, it was deeply, deeply transformational and scary.

The “Me” that emerged at the other end was totally unrecognisable – it was inherently much more powerful.

It was as that chapter of my life was closing out, that I decided to embark on a project – to design and build my own dream house – without the help of contractors. To learn the process of building myself, to become totally immersed in the detail of it, to become totally self-reliant in the process, and that itself was even more transformational.

 I learnt how to estimate quantities of all kinds of materials needed to build foundations and superstructures. I became my own quantity surveyor and structural engineer. I challenged myself on the house systems. For example, I decided that I wanted to reduce the sound decibel levels in my home to as low as 10-20 decibels – so that you could hear a pin drop, and could whisper your conversations if you wanted to. It is surprising how loud and how much ambient sound exists, even from your “silent” air-conditioning systems, if you really pay attention. Or how to use air-curtains and de-humidifiers to minimise bugs in the house. How to create interior rain forests – and replicate the weather patterns indoors.

To begin with, I was not totally green to the built environment. I had studied architecture for 6 years – emerging with both a B.Sc and a Master’s degree, and had done a further Master’s degree in Construction Management and Land Economy at one of the UK’s most prestigious universities, the University of Bath. Added to this was the time I spent as a Managing Director making investments in real estate for one of the world’s leading investment companies after earning my Wharton MBA. I did know a thing or two about the process, but I had never really done it myself. My first professional jobs were in the field of architecture and project management. However, those jobs were for the most part institutional and you followed a script.

It started with an innocuous statement by my brother Awele – “You know, you could do this on your own if you really set your mind to it.” This was in response to a comment I had made in a conversation we were having around that time – I had complained that I couldn’t find a contractor that would build out my dream home at a cost that I thought reasonable. And while I didn’t necessarily take the comment to heart at the time, it set me on a course of learning and doing that has given me a deep sense of satisfaction – building my own home. It helps of course that you have structured your life in such a way that you have decoupled your physical presence and specific time from your income source. In direct words, that you have created a life in which you are free. Next to health, this is absolutely important.

 At around this time the world had gone into the pandemic lockdown – and in many ways this was a blessing in disguise. So while the rest of the world locked themselves indoors, I busied myself devising ways to get men and materials to site in a safe way. 

And just like that, I realised I was building, I was dreaming, and creating, and re-creating on my own canvas. Dealing with constraints, people, problems, issues and taking advantage of the opportunities – and the universe – well, it continues to deliver. It has been a revelation, and a realisation that there is nothing that one sets one’s mind to, with enough focus, time, and patience, that cannot be accomplished. We are that resourceful, and it un-leased another lever, and level of power in me, and pointed me in the direction of my superpower.

 A few years ago, while at dinner with a friend of mine, I was asked what I thought my super-power was. I had no clue, I had never given it a thought. In going through the process of creating my own dream home, I finally realised that my superpower lay in my resourcefulness.

An old friend of mine, who I was once partners with in a private equity fund, had said it to me casually but I never really gave it much thought. He said something like this: “You know Amaechi, you are incredibly resourceful.” At the time I chalked it down to a generic statement that nice people make to each other. Now I know my friend was serious. I am now more certain that my superpower lies in my ability to be relentlessly resourceful. In my ability to create the opportunities and situations that challenge me, and to test my resourcefulness against these challenges!

Tell me -- what is your superpower?..... share it in the comments below

I am the Executive Chairman of CarePay Nigeria, and the Founder of Lionstone Group including Golden Tulip West Africa and the African Hospitality Academy.

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