In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Olufunto Boroffice, CEO of Chanja Datti Ltd, speaks about her professional journey, challenges as a woman in leadership, and her vision for empowering the next generation of women leaders.
PT: Can you tell us about your professional journey and how you became a CEO?
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Mrs Boroffice: I started Chanja Datti, a waste recycling and processing company 10 years ago after my return back to Nigeria.
Prior to starting Chanja Datti, I spent three years as a Senior Aide to Nigeria’s Honorable Minister of Power covering Investments, Finance & Donor Relations. Before that, I spent 17 years gaining global financial, strategy and project improvement experience – 12 of which was as a GE executive in the US, where I was a Vice President, working in the largest GE Capital Americas business.
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My interest in changing the face of waste collection and recycling on the African continent put me solidly in the CEO seat.
PT: In your opinion, how do women leaders inspire and empower others around them, especially other women?
Mrs Boroffice: I truly believe that our biggest superpowers as women leaders are how empathetic we are, our ability to connect with other people, our intentionality about paying it forward and giving back even while running corporations. These two superpowers, I truly believe, inspire and empower others around us.
PT: What do you think is unique about women in leadership roles compared to men?
Mrs Boroffice: As I mentioned above, our empathy and intentionality about paying it forward is unique but so is our ability to multitask. These allows women to still be in leadership and also take care of their families and communities.
PT: What challenges did you face as a woman in your industry, and how did you overcome them?
Mrs Boroffice: As a woman in my industry and I dare say any industry in Nigeria, you have to work twice as hard to be taken seriously, and you are constantly faced with people thinking your success is attached to a man helping you somehow. I had to face similar prejudices and my only way to overcome these challenges was to outwork every man in my industry to the best of my ability and also be very prepared.
It meant reading a lot, always opening myself up to more knowledge, networking with other business owners particularly women business owners etc. There’s definitely strength in numbers.
PT: Can you share one of the most rewarding moments in your career that solidified your passion for leadership?
Mrs Boroffice: One of the most rewarding has been to see young women who I mentored over a decade ago, start to come into their own and become leaders in their industries as well. There’s something fulfilling about passing on your legacy of leadership that is hard to describe.
PT: What advice would you give to young Nigerian women aspiring to become leaders in their fields?
Mrs Boroffice: Just do it! Take on the roles offered, even if you only feel 40 per cent comfortable! Be confident! Study hard! Be prepared!
READ ALSO: How I’m breaking barriers, creating paths for women to thrive – Joyce Akpata
PT: How do you balance the demands of being a CEO with other aspects of your personal life?
Mrs Boroffice: I am never shy of asking for help from my support group and tribe, I’ve learnt to make room for delegation in my life and workplace and I ensure that I prioritise as best as possible what are essentials – my faith, health, family and mental health.
PT: This year’s International Women’s Day theme is “Accelerate Action.” What does this theme mean to you and how does it reflect your leadership approach?
Mrs Boroffice: This year’s theme for IWD of accelerating action really hits home for me. We are in an era where so much is happening, and it seems as if women’s rights are being dialed back by 100 years.
For me, I am more intentional about dropping keys (creating opportunities) and opening doors for other women, really supporting the causes that I believe in with my time, efforts and funds and I am ensuring that I am pulling as many capable women as possible up in my industry.
This interview was conducted in partnership with Women in Management, Business, and Public Service (WIMBIZ), a Nigerian non-profit organisation committed to advancing and empowering women in leadership. Mrs Boroffice is also a member of WIMBIZ.
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