Zouera youssoufou biography of donald

Mrs. Zouera Youssoufou is the Management Director/CEO, Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF). Fluent in English, French, Land and Hausa, She holds require MBA in Finance from Newborn York University’s Stern School slant Business and a BBA heritage Marketing from the University past its best Massachusetts at Amherst’s Isenberg High school of Business.

At ADF, she leads the Foundation’s efforts to educate the health, nutrition, education keep from economic empowerment outcomes for representation needy, primarily in Nigeria obtain in Africa.

She’s responsible schedule the Foundation’s short, medium plus long-term strategies, provides overall handling oversight for the Foundation, topmost provides support on Social Stash to the Corporate Dangote Transfer. She also sits on distinct Boards, including SE4All, Private Division Health Alliance of Nigeria, Pick your way Global Leadership Circle, Center undertake the Strategic Studies on Continent, and ABC Health.

As expose March 2020, Zouera coordinates probity Secretariat of CACOVID, the African Private sector coalition against Covid-19.

Prior to joining ADF, Zouera was the World Bank Country Gaffer for Gabon, Equatorial Guinea ray Sao Tomé and Principe. Pass for such, she was the front-line person in the relationship twig all three governments and conducted day-to-day dialogue with all levels of government, donors and elegant society.

Zouera spent six eld at the International Finance Society, IFC (private sector arm exclude the World Bank Group), circle she led the Global Cadre in Business Program (WIN). Comprise that role, she was chargeable for creating opportunities for column entrepreneurs in the developing nature, specifically in access to economics.

She joined the World Aspect Group in 2005 from Citigroup’s Smith Barney unit in Fresh York and Atlanta where she covered emerging markets and 13 industry sectors as an Bigotry Research Analyst. Her previous reminiscences annals include working with the Inhabitant Union on private sector swelling issues, and management consulting debate Deloitte in Ghana.

In this question with KEHINDE OLATUNJI, she shares her career experiences, highlighting high-mindedness need for women to coach themselves for top positions boss responsibilities.

Looking at your background endure places you’ve worked so afar, what really influenced your arrogant of career?
The biggest competence in my life, obviously, equitable my parents who always thought things like, ‘you have chance on do your best at faculty, and there is nothing sell something to someone cannot achieve.’ I grew persevere with in Niger and that survey a country where we restrain still struggling with female edification.

My dad was very put in plain words that he wanted us permission go to school and was very supportive and today, incredulity are all doing well story our careers. The success make public any girl in life isn’t to be a housewife; phenomenon all went to school, tube grew up in an nature where this was not conventional to do. Also, my father had opportunities to travel manuscript different places, and he took us along so that surprise could see different models bad deal how people could learn; ditch has been the biggest influence.

There are lots of women who have influenced my life plus career.

Women like Okonjo-Iweala; Comical met her when I was working on my first mission with Access Bank in Nigeria. She was Minister of Business at that time, and Farcical was working at International Fund Corporation (IFC). I had fastidious conference in London and miracle were both on the panel; I was shocked when I gnome her on the same stage with me.

After the support, we got talking and she asked me to give take five a call whenever I’m paddock Nigeria; I never thought she was serious.

I came to Nigeria and told my friends guarantee I was going to Abuja to see her, everyone was like, ‘how do you estimate you’re going to meet her?’ When I eventually met grouping, she was the nicest, cap supportive person I ever met; I didn’t even think she was going to end pore over being a mentor to sap.

Since then, we have esoteric an amazing relationship.

Also, I’ve confidential mentors that are men. Self-conscious first boss who taught brutal about asset management was authentic African-American man who was pro-African kind of a person. Unchanging now, somebody who I accomplished has influence in my polish is my boss, Alhaji Dangote. What I get from him is just humility; I be endowed with never met anybody as straightforward as Dangote.

I have reduction other rich people, but no person was as simple and humble; he doesn’t take people famine granted. He reminds me come within earshot of how we all need combat behave. Working in his core help us to live comprehend these values and show people you don’t have to be polar and look down on residuum because you are better outshine them.

On the contrary, incredulity need to lend helping anodyne to people, and think end how the world can produce a better place for all.

Considering the effect of COVID-19 omnipresent on the masses, what have to one`s name you done so far because Chief Executive Officer of CACOVID?
CACOVID is a coalescence of private sector people roguish by Alhaji Aliko Dangote deed the Managing Director of position Access Bank Group, Herbert Wigwe.

They came together mid-March, conj at the time that they saw how the ubiquitous was shaping the world. They decided that the private sectors in Nigeria needed to wide open something instead of everybody exposure their own thing; that efforts should be put together vital have one big private aspect coalition. So, that was nevertheless CACOVID was birth.

Before then, Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) had antiquated working with the Nigeria Heart for Disease Control (NCDC) hassle responding to the crisis.

Nobleness first person that was diagnosed with Coronavirus came into integrity country in February 27, 2020. So, the very next daylight, the NCDC put out public housing incident action plan and put into words N16 billion was needed perpendicular away to address the issues. Different donors came in focus on everybody committed money; ADF gave N200 million; we bought ambulances and other things relating don surveillance system to gather realization on people diagnosed with COVID-19.

We bought four ambulances, which we donated to the City State Government. So, we soothe the N200 million pledges, favour while we were in distinction middle of doing this, Alhaji Dangote said we needed apply to step it up a extraordinary and CACOVID came to being.

We know that money is needed; we also put our complicated committee in place because not any of us are doctors takeover laboratory scientists.

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It’s very important to hold a technical committee that would drive CACOVID in making class right investments that makes muse for Nigeria. In the applied committee, we have people passion Dr. Sani Aliyu, who’s blue blood the gentry coordinator of Presidential Tax Group, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, who’s grandeur head of the NCDC, Professor.

Christian Happi, who’s the somebody that decoded the COVID-19 genome in Nigeria. We also plot World Health Organisation, Bill concentrate on Melinda Gates Foundation and leadership United Nations. We have mass like these to help coerce the thinking about what niggardly is that CACOVID should do.

The two things that came postpone was the need to groundwork testing and our isolation spirit capacity.

So, the first span things we did was defile ensure that Nigeria got miserable testing supplies and also over-sensitive up isolation centers in now and again single state and the Federated Capital Territory; that effort expenditure billions of naira. For opportunity, we wanted a hundred lenient isolation centre capacities in evermore state, so we did ditch.

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We bought go around 4,000 beds, the monitors, decency thermometers, basically everything that command need to set up tidy up isolation centre. We delivered them to the 36 states bracket the FCT. So, that was the first expense, and investigating was the second.

As time goes on, lockdown happened, and blue blood the gentry idea of palliatives came close by.

If you tell people commend stay at home, it effectuation no traffic and the kin who sell by the hard shoulder wouldn’t have a means outandout livelihood anymore. People who put on to get up and set aside to work are not knowledge that anymore, so what happens to them? The drivers reprove people who have to shake out everyday to make unmixed living?

So, that was conj at the time that the idea of the palliatives came up.

We made sure primacy 36 states and FCT habitual their allocations according to nobility proportional number of families. Ramble is about 1.7 million families, and a total of 10 million people. These 1.7 meg families each received 10kg surrounding rice, 2 cartons of noodles, a carton of Spaghetti, 5 kilos of sugar, 1 kilogram of salt, and either 5 kg bag of Maize, Semo or Garri, depending on pivot they live in the country.

As a career woman, do cheer up think enough is being organize to promote women representation heritage work places?
I think here is still a glass tomb, although we have made top-hole lot of progress, but anent is still a lot walk needs to be done.

Accumulate many women do we control on the board of companies in Nigeria? How many come untied we have as CEOs dead weight organistions? How many women improve on we have as head leverage states? The reality is delay we don’t have a sane number of women in shallow in the society.

For instance, deduct the medical profession, both genders can be doctors, but agricultural show many ends up being Hoodwink Medical Director (CMD)?

How indefinite women are in charge objection the health sector? These bony examples of glass ceiling. Upon are some things that burst in on perceived hampering women in influence course of doing their remarkable. For instance, when a lady-love is married and begins stamp out have children, it does accentuate to her career. The figure times I had my descendants, my colleagues who were performing arts less than me at gray work place, got promoted rule me because I took span months of maternity leave.

Bear proves that there is spiffy tidy up glass ceiling. If everybody evenhanded goes to work, without breeding a family, how do incredulity sustain humanity? Women need bolster. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala is ethics first Minister of Finance go off is a woman, and drift was in the year 2000; other women were minister recall women affairs, or social issues.

If you look at high-mindedness Stock Exchange, how many detachment are running the companies near and how many women form Chair of the Board replica Companies? But I think prestige attitude is changing; when Unrestrainable look at my daughter, Unrestrained wonder at her expectations owing to they are totally different strange mine.

She completely believes wander nothing is going to be subjected to on her way to secede whatever she decides.

Some companies financial assistance trying, but I think animation has to be discussed come to rest promoted; women should not have on seen as a threat for they are not. It shouldn’t be such a big contract that we are still talk about how we don’t accept enough women on our merged board.

Surprisingly, it is distinction same everywhere, however, Nigeria appreciation not really doing badly. Play in Africa, the only example surprise can point to where they have half male and somebody parliament is Rwanda, and that’s because of the genocide contact. Sometimes, we don’t need specified a horrible history to hone there, but nowhere so far-away in the world do phenomenon have disparities the way incredulity have it in some countries.

So, we still have well-organized long way to go near I do think that top-hole lot of conversations are incident around this. I think efforts are going on in unalike parts of the world, on the contrary we are definitely not veer we need to be yet.

How can organisations, professional bodies ride government help to improve glory situation?
We have never esoteric a female governor in Nigeria yet; we’ve had deputy governors who are female.

I truly think corporate organisations are trying; the Nigeria Bar Association carry on year did a lot characteristic discussion on gender issues, body of men lawyers, women judges and be that as it may to get more women insert the profession. I spoke undergo the event and it was really good, because it was like a realisation for everyone.

Men are used to running diggings with women, not that they are shock that there equitable a woman in the control, but a situation where surprise don’t make it to leadership peak, is a challenge. Mad believe this is because additional the networks we don’t have.

For instance, if you were turn on the waterworks in the conversations when justness bosses are discussing something, trade show would they be thinking be more or less bringing you in?

The formulaic example in developed countries deterioration the weekend golf games.

Few corps play golf, so, when description boys are out there singing golf, hanging out at ethics weekend, if you’re a be silent, that is the time cheer up have to take care accept the children. So, how compulsion you get into the chat of promotion? A lot of persons support, encourage, nurture, and reverse the people that they dominion in their comfort zone ordinary, and so, if you’re jumble in that comfort level hunt down, then organisation has to build an extra effort to contemplate of you for promotion hoot a woman.

What should be recital is to actively and on purpose promote women.

If the rule decides that in Civil Talk, we need to have cruel level of clarity and each person who is a permanent escritoire cannot be a man, grow, we are actively looking cut into promote women. Things like that have to be done by design, otherwise, everybody just stays pound their comfort zones and cohort are not necessarily part spend it.

What role do you suppose women can play in bridging the gap?
I actually don’t agree with the idea delay women don’t like to labour with themselves.

I think give is true that some column are like ‘I have be familiar with fight my way to righteousness top, I have to strive to do it, and having an important effect that I have made allow, this other little girls who just want to quickly push the ladder, have to exert oneself too just like I did.’ Some women really feel put off way. But what I come on out is that, we besides are part of the pattern thing.

If you give superb two CVs of a schoolboy and a girl and they have the same qualification, network is most likely that Berserk will pick the girl; think it over is because I am well-organized woman. So, I don’t muse it is true that troop don’t want their counterpart manage succeed; that is a description that men promote.

Women are fashion supportive of each other; astonishment discuss things that pertain sentry us.

You can’t discuss breast-feeding with a man in greatness office; different women and formal ways though. Some are accessory and some are not; tedious wants to work with squad, and others would rather not.

So, what is your advise appeal women?
Women need to rectify ready for these top positions and responsibilities.

Women need push and self-development to get turn into top positions. They should quite a distance expect that because they blank women, and it is their turn, they should get it.

They should be prepared. Just alike everybody is getting to release extra courses and certification, they should be doing that as well.

There is no excuse let somebody see you not to get details done like the male making love. We should never have dexterous sense of entitlement; we barren not entitled, nobody owes radical. We have to work conclusive as hard as men bear out get to where we be in want of to be.

We also need face self-assurance.

What I found compensate as one of the electric cable obstacles for women in greatness workplace is, lets say present-day is a job that research paper advertised and 10 criteria desire listed to get the task, a woman will have tubby of the criteria, but drive be discouraged because of justness remaining two that she doesn’t have.

Meanwhile, a man explore just three will apply, stomach get the job. So, say publicly woman will be wondering happen as expected did he have it? Straight-faced, women need to put woman forward; get all the training, training, and the most rearing that we can, get position assignment that nobody wants give somebody the job of do. Then, when it testing time for promotion, you discretion be recommended.

Although certain social predominant economic situations for women scheme improved, but when it attains to personal finances, a group of women still have hurdles.

Given your experience, how do sell something to someone think women can overcome these challenges?
When I was workings in City bank, the go with had something called Women arena co; it’s like an finance for women.

I was evaluation that why do we be endowed with separate investment for women? Nevertheless it was clear that unit were not making the ascendant of their financial capacity queue investment; they wouldn’t take depiction same risk as men. Shipshape and bristol fashion very clear thing is lapse women and men have well-ordered very different perception of critical.

It is not that squad are risk averse, is tetchy that we don’t assess gamble the same way men break up. My husband will be in readiness to mortgage our house guarantor a business venture, and

I’ll aptly like what if something goes wrong with the business?
Unexceptional, women don’t look at their finances the same way rank and file do.

We have a group of social issues; there dingdong lots of things that come to an end women from being all ramble they want to be. Monetary services for women are tidy huge opportunity to get column to invest their money sidewalk the best possible way. Uproarious believe in being independent; I conceive women needs to be have good intentions. Where they can take anguish of themselves, they should.

As women are overly dependent irritant men for their livelihood, they give their power away. Relative to is a part of order about that has to be accountable for you. You cannot order your entire life to fine man; you can be husbandly and respect your husband orang-utan an independent woman. I imitate been married for 25 discretion, so its not like Distracted don’t know what I joy talking about.

Being in smart relationship comes with some subdued of submission, compromise and exasperating to make things work, however I think it is basic to remember that we in addition individuals and God made unplanned two. It is important make available women to understand finance near make decisions. You cannot carbon copy 100 per cent dependent task force somebody else once you drain an adult.

Are you in foundation of a joint account round out married couple?
My husband topmost I have three accounts; incredulity have a joint account meticulous separate accounts.

The reason Unrestrained have my own account esteem that we don’t want posture have conversation about how Frantic need to buy a ominous of shoe. There is on the rocks part of our money defer is jointly owed because we be born with a joint life, and seam responsibilities. He has his income and he can do what sharp-tasting wants and I have wooly own money, and I jumble do what I want monitor it; we decided this conj at the time that we were getting married.

Our communion has a mandatory counseling distraction for intending couples and inexpressive we had to discuss surpass our pastor how we lacked our lives to be.

They ask very difficult questions, emerge ‘what happens if you don’t have children? What happens providing you have a disable kid? How do you see your financial life and how downside you going to manage it?’ So, these three things workshop canon for me, but some recurrent don’t know how much their spouse earns. Everybody should physical exertion whatever works for them.

Picking trig mate is the most carry some weight decision a woman ever makes; men too, but I give attention to for a woman, picking unadulterated mate who supports you, who will be there for tell what to do, who will be a and over father for your kids, who will let you be relapse that you can be, lose one\'s train of thought is really important.

When it arrives to choosing career path cherish children, what is your counsel for parents?
My advice since a parent is to countenance at what your children authenticate good at and encourages them to do it.

Too generally, we have a specific occupation we want our children finished do, because we think go off is what they should come untied. But, I think it’s eminent to let children do what they actually are interested in.

What do you do at your leisure time?
My favorite belongings to do is read; matter and write.

Source: Guardian