Natasha
Hadiza Akpoti, a lawyer also has an M.A. in oil and gas. A former
employee of Liquefied Natural Gas Industry in Brass, River State, she is a
social entrepreneur and reformer. She is the founder of the Builders Hub
Impact Investment Program and Builders Hub Foundation, a social enterprise
focused on creating jobs through the sustainable revival of Nigeria’s local
industries. Natasha is also a philanthropist, supporting 600 school
children in Kogi State and 100 university students across Nigeria. She is also
the leader of Ajaokuta/Itakpe Revival Movement. A movement towards the revival
of Ajaokuta Steel Company and the National Iron Ore Mining Company, Itakpe,
Kogi State.
She
meets with the Women’s Torch’s Veronica Ogbole in her Abuja Office.
Who
is Natasha Akpoti ?
I’m
a mother of 3 children, my father is from Ihima, Okene Local Government,
Nigeria and my mother is from Ukraine. An introvert, I love my own space,
always question the existence of life, the deeper meaning of existence and
service to humanity. I become transformed talking to an audience. When
talking to people I feel at home because of the energy that comes from the
people. I am connected to other people, because I hate injustice.
One of the things my father taught me, has become my nature – to protect the
weak, the vulnerable in the society. This makes some people think my
intentions are against the government.
In
our society, the strong are not playing their protective role that is why there
is injustice. I was able to identify this fact during my advocacy for a
better steel company in Abeokuta, Nigeria. Democracy is not practised for
the people.
Some
people have asked if I want to go into politics. Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates,
Strive Masiyiwa from Zimbabwe are my role models because they are social
entrepreneurs. They are billionaires and they give a lot of their
personal resources to create impact in the Society. That is what is
missing in Nigeria. We wait for Bill Gates to come and take care of Polio for
us. There are a lot of gaps between people’s development and the
economy. The only thing that will make me go into politics is if I see Nigeria
becoming what I want. You have to make the change and the difference you
want to see in the world. People are calling me already, I keep asking if
they are ready for an honest service?
From
the lessons learnt from my advocacy, there is a problem between the leadership
and followers ideology. We don’t know who we are, we are in love with our
oppressors, what I call ‘Stuck Home Syndrome’. We protect our oppressor,
just because of tribe and religion. Nigerian Pastors are the wealthiest in the
country, while the people are languishing in poverty, don’t we see what is
going on in other parts of the world? We’re inviting Beyonce Giselle Knowles –
Carter, an American singer and we’re are the poorest. The power lies with the
people, but the real problem is with the people. Before my advocacy, I used to
think it was with the leaders, but it’s like 30 people ruling over 80 million
people.
Life
was difficult, my father died when I was 18 years and in the 1st
year in University, life became difficult, relatives that I approached for help
encouraged me to go into prostitution. Those who are supposed to protect and
nurture the young, are the same people that destroy the future of the youth.
The
vulnerability of a woman gave me an insight – I traded, travelled to Lagos to
buy and sell roofing sheets, made and sold Zobo (a local drink) with my
mum and younger siblings, all to earn money to take care of the family. I was
not attracted by the glamorous way of life, I did not look down on any little
business. And this up till now.
Some
people feel I should be trading in oil. No, I will rather work with the
people. I like doing things that matter most in life. The thing that matters
most in life comes to me – people. People come with other things,
opportunities, ideas, the grace that comes with it. That is one lesson learnt,
when you do good whole heartedly without expecting anything in return, God pays
you back. I began to have things that money cannot buy.
When
I broke up with my husband, I lived in a boys quarters, I tell my story proudly,
I am not ashamed of it, someone somewhere may learn from it. I started
from the rock bottom I sat down and told myself that I had a bigger calling
somewhere, I was not afraid, because I knew I had to connect with my
truth. I made a promise to myself, set my goals. God said we should
speak into our future, we should set our goals, clarify our vision and purpose,
a road map, it will be easy to follow. I was motivated to follow my dream
to have better things in life. We have to have a bigger vision for our self, I
worked hard, without thinking of the years I did not have money, because I had
a goal and vision, I took my first step in faith, I had my future defined, I
had my challenges, but I looked at them as hazy curves. But now I have my
Foundation, my properties and investments.
To
make money is an art, not taught in school. I read a lot of motivational books,
the world owes you nothing, every time, I spent pitying myself was a waste of
time, I want to be a role model to my children, I prayed, connected everything
to my purpose. I have never been more confident and sure of myself than now,
even if I die today, I have lived a fulfilled life, because I have touched
lives, I feel fulfilled.
What
is your greatest achievement ?
I will not say it is any project, my greatest achievement is living my own truth. Speaking honestly about a situation is the only weapon. ‘He who speaks the truth says all’, I have had the courage to speak the truth, turned down bribes, I just feel that Nigerians need the truth. I have not achieved the greatest yet. So far, I have adopted 600 children in my home state, Kogi State. I pay their school fees, provide educational materials for them. I am sponsoring 100 young people in University’s across Nigeria. I empower women. I have business clusters that create employment for people. I offer entrepreneurship seminars free for university students.
I will not say it is any project, my greatest achievement is living my own truth. Speaking honestly about a situation is the only weapon. ‘He who speaks the truth says all’, I have had the courage to speak the truth, turned down bribes, I just feel that Nigerians need the truth. I have not achieved the greatest yet. So far, I have adopted 600 children in my home state, Kogi State. I pay their school fees, provide educational materials for them. I am sponsoring 100 young people in University’s across Nigeria. I empower women. I have business clusters that create employment for people. I offer entrepreneurship seminars free for university students.
What
motivates you to do what you do?
Since
I was a little girl, I’ve had the ambition is to do something to improve the
lives of the poor. I grew up in the village, with my father, a
medical doctor, trained in Russia with his communist lifestyle. He
rejected a job in Lagos and choose to work in the village with the people in
Iheme, in Okene Local Government area of Kogi State, where he comes from.
With
my father, I experienced first-hand what it is to work with the people.
Working in an Oil and Gas Company, I woke up one day and said to myself that I
was not in the right place and that this was not my purpose. So, I
resigned and decided to go into Social Entrepreneurship. Many people have
asked her why? That it is strange in Nigeria. The Social
Entrepreneur works to improve the ecosystem around the grass roots
entrepreneur. “Anything that surround, anything that traces, motivates the
grass root to survive, because Government is insensitive, too far away from the
people. The Social Entrepreneur is the bridge to bring that which is
needed, bring a lot out of the box, like the Ajaokuta Steel Industry.
What policy, what advice can be given to the Government to stimulate the ecosystem
of the vulnerable, the advocacy to bring back what Ajaokuta was, the
opportunities – employment, poverty reduction, job creation and reduction of
social vices, through the steel company.
If
the Ajaokuta Steel industry is revived, Kogi state will be able to generate
money, investors, not the Government will build hospitals, other
industries will be created, the steel industries will be the mother of
all industries – construction, automobile, agriculture, equipment,
defense/security, ammunition, packages, food and cooking utensils – so many
through one big industry. Once the Ajaokuta Industry works, except if you are
lazy, you will get something doing, which is the way to stimulate the
ecosystem.
As
a member of the Women in Nigeria (WIN) Organisation, an umbrella organization
of 21 women organizations, I realized that Nigerian women are too quiet despite
that fact that we about 49.68% of the population. One begins to wonder
despite the fact that more women participate in voting during elections, we decide
to vote for men. I asked myself why Nigerian women are so silent? I
decided to commit my time to supporting other women.NATASHA AKPOTI'S LIFE IN PICTURES:
How
have you overcome the barriers, visible or invisible to get to where you are
today?
I
see my challenges as slow progress. Many obstacles I face are due to the
fact that I do not play the game the way people expect it to be. Not
playing the norm, nor do I have godfathers, relations. A man, a bank
owner, once told me that I do not have pedigree, because I wanted a loan of 10
Million naira, I even begged for 5 million, as the time, all I had were my
ideas. He refused until I met all requirements. During the same
period, a former military president’s daughter made a loan request, which was
granted right there. I asked why, he replied “she is the daughter of a
former military President, her father is her security.”
I
then told myself and prayed that God should build my name to make me feel less
than human. Then I said that is not enough. I want to become the
woman of my dreams, for my sake and for others like me. I decided I wanted to
be a Responsible Investor, Social Entrepreneur to help guide investment that
matters, that is accountable to greater impact for a greater number of greater
people. I always consult on impact options; always want to go for the
greatest impact to create wealth, creating value, creating opportunities for
the underserved people, “ that is where her joy is.
Sometimes,
I feel as if I’m living in the wrong country, sometimes you need the will be
able to make a change. It takes somebody with a different idea to drive people
in the right direction. It’s strange but for me, value is not monetary. I
want to build my wealth in the hands of people and for that no
compromise. As mothers, we should be role models, imbibe patriotic values
in our children. Even though I learnt many skills and value in the steel
industry, I was moulded by my father. He instilled all this in me.
Service for humanity is my foundation.
What
is your greatest fear or failure ?
None
– I view life differently and embrace it as a lesson. I do not see my
being single again as a failure, if you are married fine, if you are
single mother, be a good one, every time in life, you have a new page to write
your story, make sure in your story you love and accept your truth, teach our
children the arts of entrepreneurship at an early age.
I
also want to achieve my dreams early enough to have more time for myself.
I will love to remarry again, but it is not a do or die thing. I do
not a man that will come between me and my project. He should have strong
character, very principled. As stated by Andrew Carnegie, the wealthy
businessman who wrote the book “the gospel of wealth”, there – the people, the
process the product must all be aligned” Most people do not know how to align
the three.
What
advice do you give young women who aspire to become leaders?
True,
our educational system does not accord robust course choices, the system has a
narrow scope when it comes to career choices, our educational system needs to
open up, and we need to be up to date. It is key to the demands of
the future, the world in going into the 5th industrialization.
For
now, we need to look inward into our strengths and opportunities, in tune with
the skill set of today. Young women should start now- there is never a
perfect time, do not compete with anybody, everyone has a unique calling and
gift, follow your own truth.
© TheWomensTorch.com 2016
