Ayo Owodunni, the first Black person to be elected to Kitchener’s City Council, is a man of two worlds. In 2016, he transitioned from the fast-paced corporate and media landscape of Lagos, Nigeria, to the Canadian municipal space. Before becoming City Councillor for Ward Five in Kitchener, Ontario, Owodunni had built a reputation as a consultant, as well as a learning and development leader, helping organisations across Nigeria and Kenya to cultivate leadership capacity and institutional culture.

Owodunni, who today sits on several committees, including the Economic Development Committee, where economic strategies and plans to attract investment into the city are discussed, spoke to OLUDARE RICHARDS. He gave practical tips on how to navigate the journey abroad, what Nigerians can do to keep their leaders on their toes, and how political leaders can spark growth through targeted developmental/empowerment programmes and also adopt a “service-first” mentality to transform governance in Nigeria.

Moving to Canada must have been for something different, which you had planned. How did you find yourself in politics?
It’s quite interesting. I never thought that I would be in politics, although I played in the political space when I was in Nigeria. I was the station manager of a radio station. So, I was always adjacent to the conversations of power and governance. My first encounter with politics in Canada was what I call a ‘seed-planting’ situation. I was working in a consulting firm, facilitating a leadership session. In the middle of one of our sessions, one of the board members of an insurance company, who happened to be the deputy mayor of a town, tapped me on the shoulder and asked, ‘Have you ever thought about running for office? I think you will be really good at it.’

That was the first time I had ever considered it; I had not thought of politics before that moment. Then, I had several interactions with the mayor of our town, and I really loved how he was very engaged with the community. He shows up for a lot of events, engaging with people and truly talking to them, not just at them. I eventually scheduled a meeting with him just to learn about politics a bit more. All the while I kept on wondering how to get into the political space because in our clime, it is always thought to be a ‘man-know-man’ thing, but here was I, an immigrant, who was still finding his feet.
  
At another time, when I was the vice president of the Nigerian association in my area, we had an event, and I was on stage speaking about the vision and plans for the community and things of that nature. A Member of Parliament (MP), which is equivalent to a senator in Nigeria, approached me after the event, gave me her card and said, ‘Have you ever thought about running for office? You really should. You’ll be someone good in that space.’ Thereafter, she started to mentor me. With about two years of mentoring and working with me, she began moulding me into becoming a politician in Canada. She is still an MP today; she was a minister of small business and has held several other portfolios. She helped me to navigate the intricacies of the Canadian political space.

What do you think about Nigeria’s foreign relations and the New World Order?
This is a crucial time. Canada’s call for a New World Order was largely a response to changing trade dynamics with the United States and the impact of tariffs on our economy.
We needed to change our approach and diversify whom we relate with globally. Nigeria is also at a critical point, but are we serious? 

When I speak with Nigerian ministers, they talk about meetings upon meetings, but what about the “minor” things like security? Are you making the investment attractive? Are you creating good PR for the country? Other countries are doing their research on Nigeria. We should be the giants of Africa, leading trade conversations with Canada.

We have many Nigerians in public office in Canada, but how are we leveraging those relationships? When I talk to business owners in Canada, they often don’t know the opportunities in Nigeria, or they only think of insecurity and corruption. We need to communicate how we’re solving those problems and show the metrics of our progress. If we do that, the level of engagement will be shocking. 

It appears Nigerian voters are afraid of holding office holders accountable based on their scorecard, contrary to what obtains in Canada.
We should use the word “respect” rather than “afraid.” I believe it is possible to hold elected officeholders accountable with the help of the media. Constituents need to be educated on the power they have. We do it in the workplace with performance evaluations every quarter. So, it’s important to begin to ask, what are the metrics that local council chairmen are held to?

Two years ago, a constituent reminded me of promises I made in my campaign flyer. He said, ‘You said you were going to fix this. It’s been three years. Election is coming up, Ayo. You’d better fix it.’ I had to lay out for him all the things I had done to try to accomplish that goal and where I hit a wall. I loved that the constituent even replied with new ideas to try. That shows a constituent who held onto the flyer that I distributed, emailing me, and is not afraid to challenge me. So, we need to educate people to keep track of the electoral promises that their political leaders made. Don’t just wait for the election; ask for updates monthly. When we push for this, it makes a difference. But you cannot hold people to account if you are always asking them for personal favours. If a leader knows all they have to do is give you a favour to keep you quiet, they will. We need the media to creatively educate people on this.

Between Nigerian and Canadian politics, which is more appealing to democracy?
It’s hard to compare. You’re talking about a nation that has been a democracy for over a century versus one running for about 27 years with several interruptions. It’s like comparing a 60-year-old to a teenager. We’re also talking about 200 million people versus 40 million. In Kitchener, we manage a budget of almost $500 million for just 300,000 people. That economy is very different.

In Canada, parties recruit competence; they look for people already doing things, business owners, or those already serving the community, because they know you will add value. There is a lot of capacity building, training, and coaching that happens constantly to help us grow as leaders.

What lessons can Nigerian politicians learn from Canada to help society?
You must find ways to empower your people so that they are independent of you. That is scary for many leaders, but that is transformational leadership. I want the people of Ward Five to be prosperous. I might not put money into their businesses, but I will put my thoughts and ideas into it.

I’ll give an example. A lady and her husband, who own a printing company, reached out to me. We sat for an hour and brainstormed. I introduced them to construction companies because they were living in my ward. My job was to create an enabling environment for them to be successful. If they are successful, they hire staff and pay taxes, which means more money for the city. Once they become independent, I’ll be the one asking them for help when I’m running for office. Small businesses are the oxygen of every community. We need to empower and partner with them, and not leech off them.

How important is networking in a new environment for those planning to relocate?
Network like your life depends on it, because your life truly depends on it. You cannot survive in a new nation where you don’t know people. Just like Nigeria, it is ‘man-know-man,’ but in Canada, we call it professional networking. I got a job interview at a company that I did not even send my resume to. How? Because I knew a friend who knew a vice president in the company, who then introduced me. The vice president said to the hiring team, ‘I want you to interview this guy.’

By the day of the interview, the HR department called to say they didn’t even have my resume, yet they had booked an interview for me. Isn’t that interesting? Other people would have spent over 30 minutes applying for that same job through a portal, whereas I was introduced from within.

It frustrates me when people say, “God will favour me.” I know God will favour you, but even the word “supernatural” has two parts: “super” and “natural.” You do your “natural” job, and then let the “super” be on top of the natural. But people don’t plan the natural. They say, “God will sort it out.” You don’t know anybody, you don’t have a plan, and you just pray and pray.” That’s not a strategy. 

Know your industry. Who are the top players? Start following them on LinkedIn, schedule informational meetings, and join associations within your industry. If you are a PMP, join the Project Management Institute. If you are in learning and development, join the Institute for Performance and Learning. For HR, it’s the HRPA. Don’t just be a member that shows up now and then; be active. 

When I joined a particular company, they were looking for someone in charge of membership, and I raised my hand immediately. Why? Because it gave me access to all 300 people in that group. It became my job to call and reach out to all of them. By the time I finished that role, they all knew my name. When I was looking for a job, it was easy to contact those people because I wasn’t a random stranger anymore.

Should Nigerians diversify toward needs-based skills and entrepreneurial development instead of just white-collar jobs?
One of the things we’ve learned is that small business owners are the engine of the economy. It’s like the saying about empowering mothers: the education you give a mother reaches the next generation. It’s the same with small business owners. What we’ve realised is that we don’t have enough white-collar jobs in Canada to cover everyone. We currently have the highest unemployment rates we’ve seen in a long time. The cost of living has gone up significantly, and our economy is going through a recessionary period.

As a government, we are doing what we can to empower people to start their own businesses. For example, in the City of Kitchener, we have a programme called ‘Lift Up,’ which helps raise more black founders. A company called Expedier was part of that programme, and they eventually got approval to be the first black credit union in all of Ontario. They will end up hiring 30 to 40 staff members and will empower even more companies by giving out loans.

So, in Nigeria, we have to be intentional. I’m not saying learning to sew is bad, but we have to ask ourselves, ‘What can people do to create real living for their families? You can get a white-collar job, or you can get a skills trade job. You can even take a temporary job while starting your own business. You can also become a realtor, a mortgage broker, or sell life insurance. All you need is to pass an exam.

Critically, electricians and plumbers make great money in Canada. An electrician in Canada makes just as much as a banker here. I had an electrician come to my house, and when he billed me? He didn’t apologise! He was actually helping me with the billing by offering a discount, and even then, I was shocked at the charge. Canada is in dire need of electricians and plumbers. It is so bad that the government is begging people to enter those industries because everybody is flying into tech.

If you are thinking of Canada, have a plan. Make sure you have money, because your first two or three years will be tough. It’s a five-year turnaround time to get up and running from the moment you arrive. Whether you’re a top-class banker or not, it takes five years to stabilise. If you are not ready for that, stay back. The grass is greener where you water it. Canada recruits the best of the best from across the globe. So, you have to work extra hard to excel here.

How can one stand out and gain that extra edge?
I created a strategic plan for myself. I did a SWOT analysis on myself: what are my strengths? I’m a good communicator, good. What else can I add? I wanted my profile to make people say, ‘How did you do that?’ I got an MBA, a diploma in adult education, a life coaching certification, and an MBA in entrepreneurship and technology. I moved up the corporate ladder intentionally, becoming a director at a tech firm and an associate professor at a college. 

By the time they read my profile, people definitely wanted me to join them. But that required sitting down and developing a plan. I had those “vain” things I called strengths, and I knew those would sell me well, but I didn’t want the camera to turn on and have nothing of substance to say.

What lessons from the Canadian environment would be beneficial to upcoming politicians in Nigeria?
Being close to people is very crucial. The mindset here is that the public official was elected to serve the people. You cannot serve people you don’t know or interact with on a regular basis. We are always with the people, going to their events, their meetings, sitting with them. Our information is public. If you ask me about the state of Ward Five, I know the concerns because I’ve heard them from the single mothers, the principals, the leaders, and the business owners.

Another key thing is the passion and alignment of every department. Every department working within the city has a plan and a vision that is aligned with the vision of the Council. We set a 30-to-40-year plan. We know our projected population, our economic goals, and our cultural vision. We put plans in place to achieve that, and each department must align its strategy around it. It’s beautiful machinery that works together. If we can build that same structure in Nigeria, at the local, state, and federal levels, we could achieve so much.

Several Nigerians are itching to immigrate to Canada, sometimes without a clear plan. What do you have to say to these young people, especially those who sell their properties to facilitate the realisation of their dreams?
Number one, don’t sell everything. In fact, don’t sell anything. Because, quite frankly, what if it doesn’t work out? You are moving to a completely different continent and a different nation, where you don’t know many people. Some people will say they know people, but by the time they make a list of those they know, it is barely 20 people. I don’t think it’s a smart move to sell everything, risk it all completely and move to a different world. So, I would suggest being much more strategic in your approach.

Yes, Canada is a wonderful place. When you talk about the happiness index, Canada is one of the highest in the world; when you talk about peace, we are right up there. For education and healthcare, we’re world-class. So, Canada is a beautiful place for people to come. And that is why I always say, don’t just go to Canada, come to Kitchener! We’d love to have you. However, there are plans and things that you need to put in place first.

However, before making up your mind to move, you must research and know what you are walking into. I have a friend who was doing very well in the media space in Nigeria, but somehow, he assumed that he would come over here and jump right into the media space. He did not have his way because the media space in Canada is struggling, as job opportunities there are declining. That was why I didn’t bother going into the media space when I moved in 2016 because, based on my research, the traditional media was dying. In fact, just a few months ago, there was a news report that thousands of people were laid off within the radio space here. Whereas radio in Nigeria is still a booming, high-growth business, thousands here lost their jobs because radio was not making enough money. So, you have to do your research before you buy that ticket.

Canadians also tend to hire people who have degrees from their schools because they’ve never heard of the University of Lagos or Lagos Business School. What’s relevant to you in Nigeria might not carry that same prominence in Canada. It means nothing to them initially, and that’s not a bad thing; it’s just a new place. There’s no brand equity for those institutions over there. So, do your research and understand how the market works.

How do Canadian authorities view the influx of Nigerians?
The quality of Nigerians coming into Canada right now is very high. They are professionals in different industries, and the political space is fully aware of it. Recently, Abike Dabiri, the CEO of NIDCOM, met with my mayor to talk about collaboration. Nigerians have earned respect here. We have a Nigerian who was deputy premier in Alberta (Kaycee Madu), a deputy premier in Manitoba, and many others winning councillorship as “first black” representatives in regions, such as Jibola Abitoye in Fort Saskatchewan, and Funke Banjoko in Fort McMurray. We have quality Nigerians there doing amazing things. Let’s focus on the good.

What are the chances you might contest as an MP (Federal) in the future?
I contested last year but unfortunately didn’t make it through the primaries. Other Nigerians have run as well, like Councillor Khadija Aliyu. Not everybody wins the first time. You run, you learn, you go back better prepared. We will see a Nigerian at the federal level very soon.

Is there opposition to immigration or cultural change in Canada?
There will always be people who feel uncomfortable when migrants move in, especially if they feel jobs for their children are being taken away. This happens everywhere. If a large number of migrants move in quickly, some people will feel short-changed or that the nation will be marginalised.

I wrote a book called Dear Immigrants, and there’s a chapter on this. If you invite someone to your home and they throw their shoes anywhere and eat your food without asking, you will speak out. When we go to people’s homes, you must be respectful, learn and respect the laws of the land. You don’t come into a place and try to take over; you come in to blend and add value.

On the other side, Canada has moulded someone like me, and now I am adding value as an elected official. Both sides need to be patient and respectful. Discrimination exists. A white lady in Waterloo once told an Indian man to ‘go back to his country,’ but we can build a better nation together.