I have always wanted to do an MBA. Whilst a foreign MBA was my preferred choice, time and funding were always limiting factors. As the years went by, I realized that there would never be a right time. If you want to do something, you just decide to do it and DO IT.
I had to continue earning an income. This indeed was my reality. Hence it had to be a Part-Time MBA. A Modular MBA in the United Kingdom would have been a viable option. However, the cost of flights, accommodation and living expenses during the intensive weeks was a bother. Next, I considered an Online MBA at the University of Leicester, yet I wanted to have face to face interactions with both faculty, peers and alumni. Man is a social being and we forge deeper relationships when we have in-person interactions.
Weeks turned into months, and months into years and living expenses continued to rise at a much faster pace than household income, inflation rates exacerbated, and workplace schedules increased year on year.
In 2018, I participated in the Management Acceleration Programme at the Lagos Business School and the experience gave me a fresh perspective on executive education in Nigeria. LBS is indeed a world-class institution of learning. The culture is excellent, the access to academic resources, the ambience, the faculty, the administrative staff, the facility in general (I love the green areas), the food (enjoy), the mass on Wednesdays and the entire experience was indeed value for money. I finished the course and was inducted into the respected alumni of the Lagos Business School. I knew I had to be back, alas the years rolled by so quickly.
A famous Chinese proverb states that:” the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the next best time is NOW”. Whether we know it or not, there is certain courage that comes with age. That courage happened to me. In 2021, I was increasingly uncomfortable with my career trajectory. I developed a hunger for more knowledge, and I was true to myself in identifying the gaps. There had to be more, and I wanted more. I felt deeply unprepared for the future I sought.
Our planet is swiftly evolving, the world of work continues to change, rapid advances in technology, artificial intelligence and the marketplace is rife with steep competition. To achieve greatness, one must prepare for it. After all, the saying goes: “success comes when opportunity meets preparation”.
An MBA would launch me to the next level in my career, by equipping me with a full range of strategic skills operational competencies, and leadership capabilities to influence and inspire others.
My financial position had not changed, and the time constraints remained, but I had experienced a major shift in perspective. They say: ‘When you push a door hard enough, it opens.’ ‘The battle is oftentimes won or lost in our minds.’
I applied to the prestigious Lagos Business School and gained admission to the Executive MBA Programme. It gives me great pleasure to be a member of EMBA27.
The Orientation Programme was smooth, and the school was ready to receive us.
Then came the Brush-up week and my life has not remained the same since then. The case studies, the assignments, the combination of work, family, and traffic gridlocks, to say the least. I attended some classes whilst in traffic on the third mainland bridge, amidst security concerns/lurking hoodlums, whilst ensuring class participation.
The EMBA is only part-time in principle, but in fact, I am at LBS every day via assignments, group meetings, case studies and studying various academic resources.
Regardless of the pressures, it has been a rewarding experience and my knowledge bank continues to grow day after day. Furthermore, isn’t this in truth a simulation of real life? The world is fast-paced and there are so many moving parts, yet we must continue to strive to make optimal decisions.
I look forward to the next 22 months with a strong belief that I would be graced to pull through and on the graduation day, I would be coloured with a badge of honour, having earned my certificate. I have a deep conviction that my time at LBS would be life-changing.
Reflections of an HSP
