Precious Imuwahen Ajoonu is the Pioneer Director-General of the John Odigie- Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA), Edo State, Nigeria. She was appointed to drive the institutionalization of the academy in line with global standards. Her vision is to make the academy a leading learning hub for civil & public servants in Africa.
Some of her accomplishments as Director-General include spearheading the process that resulted in the enactment of the JOOPSA law, training over 15,000 Civil and Public Servants, and forging strategic partnerships with the BRACED Commission, made up of all the States in Southern Nigeria, and renowned international organizations like Nexford. These initiatives were, among other things, aimed at enhancing human capital optimization and engendering service-wide cost reduction.
Precious Imuwahen Ajoonu, was formerly the Head of Youth Engagement and Learning at Jobberman Nigeria, where she led the program implementation efforts of the MasterCard Foundation (Young Nigeria Works) project, which aimed to upskill 5 million young people and place 3 million of them in dignified work. She is also a curriculum design expert, development knowledge facilitator, and creator of the globally acclaimed Jobberman Soft Skills Curriculum available on Coursera and other Learning Management Platforms, which has been, used to upskill over 2 million people.
Imuwahen is an experienced change management consultant who earned her organizational insights from working with a broad variety of highly specialized work cultures and professions, both nationally and internationally. She has led training sessions and interventions across Africa, specifically in Angola, Ghana, Chad, Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Africa, for multinationals. She specializes in helping individuals and organizations navigate disruptive culture change, strengthen institutions through capacity building, to achieve their long-term strategic goals.
She is comfortable at all levels of a business, having worked as a senior executive and consultant for more than 15 years. Imuwahen has a proven history of leading large-scale development projects and gender initiatives. Her toolbox includes change management, designing soft skills training curricula, diversity and inclusion training programs, and executive coaching. She creates instructional designs, and pedagogical approaches that mainstream gender issues, increasing the participation of women, girls, youths, and other excluded/vulnerable groups. She focuses on data-driven, needs-based, training interventions using agile methodologies and relevant evaluation frameworks.
She is the author of the bestselling book, The Hero Inside: A Holistic Approach to Life Skills and Values-based Education, which sold over 1,000 copies within the first week of release. She is on a mission to transform the lives of young Africans, through a mindset change.
She earned a distinction in Management, Innovation, and Change from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom. She received her bachelor’s degree in economics from Madonna University Okija, Nigeria. She also has a postgraduate diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, United Kingdom, a Marketing Certification from the London School of Economics and Political Science, a Neuro-Linguistic Programming Certification from IMI Consulting, British Council/World Bank Development Knowledge Facilitator Certification, as well as a wide variety of leadership and communication certifications.
In her free time, Precious Imuwahen Ajoonu mentors’ women, girls, and young people through her social initiative called Imuwahen.com, where she empowers young professionals, through capacity building.
You’ve had an impressive journey in the learning and development space, from Jobberman to your current role as the pioneer Director-General of JOOPSA. How have your experiences shaped your approach to human capital development in Nigeria?
The most essential variable in today’s knowledge economy is the quality of our “human capital”. As someone who has led training sessions across Africa, my approach to human capital development has been shaped by diverse experiences. Across the continent, a lack of access and resources often prevents quality learning from reaching many people, especially those who live in rural areas. Fortunately, advances in education technologies are helping bridge these gaps by democratizing access to exceptional instructional materials, platforms, and tools.
With access in mind, my approach is to design training programs that promote inclusion. For example, going “glocal” with training allows me to situate training interventions within cultural contexts, ensuring that each session delivers on the learning outcomes. This, of course, has implications for the instructional design. I have created soft skills training courses in our local languages to boost inclusion and democratise access. I argue, that soft skills target behaviour and it can be taught in other languages, especially for artisans, who could potentially benefit more from a pidgin English course on attitude to work than an English-only course. If you ask someone to fix your air-conditioning, you are not worried about his mastery of the English language. What you want is a technician who knows exactly what to do, is punctual, and delivers the job. My approach to human capacity development is to ensure whatever interventions we choose are inclusive, by reducing access barriers.
Tell us more about your role at John Odigie-Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA) and how you accomplished the enactment of the JOOPSA law.
I was headhunted for the job by the Edo State Government, to set up the John Odigie-Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA) in February 2022. As someone who was called an “interloper,” in the beginning, it was important for me to learn about public service and how the bureaucracy works. To operationalize the academy, it was important to review historical facts. I was lucky enough to find the 1970 extract that established a staff training center and interact with the last principal. Learning about why that institution failed, helped us tailor our strategy plan differently. In addition to this, we inaugurated an Interministerial Counterpart team (IMCT), made up of all the directors of shared services across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies. They were the people who managed the training process for civil and public servants before I joined. It was important for me to have this group of people behind me. We formed a change coalition, and I ran my strategy plans, course catalogs, and His Excellency, Governor Godwin Obaseki’s vision for the academy through them. Having gained their trust, it was easier to build an institution that we could all be proud of. The draft bill for the enactment of JOOPSA, was sent to the Edo State House of Assembly, it went through a tedious process and was signed into law by the Governor. Like with all audacious endeavors, it was quite a journey but I am glad that we crossed that hurdle.
As someone who has designed curricula that have impacted millions, such as the Jobberman Soft Skills Curriculum, how do you envision the future of upskilling and capacity-building for public servants in Africa?
Envisioning the future of upskilling and capacity-building for public servants in Africa involves several key elements, that we must collectively consider. Firstly, we must democratize access to learning amongst civil and public servants in Africa, by leveraging technology at scale. Public servants across Africa can learn from their peers, through their learning management systems (LMS). A widespread technology adoption will reduce the costs of training civil and public servants in the long run.
Secondly, we must continue to emphasise the importance of soft skills, not just technical skills. Skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, and effective communication are as important as being a public service administrator. You find that the people who go the distance in their careers are those who can deliver beyond, their technical abilities. You will need to communicate effectively to be seen and heard in a world filled with equally talented people. We need to change the culture in our civil and public service, across Africa. It is the culture that drives execution. When we build institutions where the workers know that government is indeed a service, they will act differently and serve the people whose taxes pay their salaries. In addition, as previously stated curricula must be tailored to address local challenges and priorities. We must engage local experts and communities in the instructional design process ensuring that training is data-driven, relevant, easy to understand, and effective.
Lastly, establishing mentorship programs and networks for peer learning across the continent would help facilitate knowledge sharing, and support professional development, by creating a culture of continuous improvement. We cannot build the continent in isolation and we must intentionally engineer cross-border learning opportunities for the public service workforce across Africa.
Your new book “The Hero Inside” is said to be a powerful resource. What motivated you to write it, and how does it reflect your lived experience in transforming public service and learning development?
Yes, feedback from those who have read and reviewed my book such as the former Head of Service of the Federation Mr. Stephen Oronsaye, and Dr Joe Abah, has been quite humbling. I sent my manuscripts to those in academia, expecting them to be very critical, only for the reviewers to come back with positive responses. However, I think, my proudest moment was getting feedback from a reader who said, he was having suicidal thoughts and the book helped him, learn more about himself. I was very happy to recommend that he see a medical professional and glad that it had that kind of effect on him.
“The Hero Inside: A Holistic Approach to Life Skills and Values-based Education” was motivated by my passion for empowering individuals to recognise their potential and make meaningful changes in their communities. As a Learning and Development expert with over 15 years of experience, training professionals in over 30 countries, I found that some habits can be codified to get excellent results. For example, you cannot play the marathon game unless you embrace both discipline and consistency which in turn helps you transform ideas from strategy to results.
The Hero Inside is a transformative guide, that explores the foundational life skills and values needed to navigate the complexities of our collective human existence. Drawing from my personal, and professional experiences, the book explores the importance of studying oneself and using this awareness to create a life that upholds our highest ideals. It emphasizes, the importance of cultivating inner strength, and resilience, leveraging adversity, choosing courage over fear, and going inwards to find the answers that we all seek. It integrates principles of self-study and awareness, values-based thinking, and ethical decision-making, providing readers with practical tools to enhance their personal growth and development. The Hero Inside can be purchased via Roving Heights and Amazon.
In what ways do you hope this book will impact its readers, particularly those in leadership, mentoring, or public service roles?
The aim of “The Hero Inside,” is to provide a guide for those who truly want to change their circumstances by leveraging the hidden brilliance within them. One of the challenges, we face as a continent is the lack of empathetic leaders. Truth is, you cannot give what you don’t have. For anyone to lead effectively whether in the public or private sector, you must first know who you are. The people, who go into government and compromise their values, have not taken the time to study themselves. We are also, not given to critical thinking as a collective. For us to lead in Africa, we must become comfortable with critical thinking, problem-solving and continuous development. The book covers this and more importantly, teaches readers how to leverage adversity to rise. It starts by exploring self-awareness, challenging readers to learn more about themselves, through a rich blend of timeless principles and contemporary insights. It also serves as a comprehensive resource for individuals, organisations, educators, and parents, committed to fostering a culture of lifelong learning and personal excellence.
As a mentor to many women, girls, and young professionals through your initiative, Imuwahen.com, how do you see your book serving as a critical resource for NGOs, NPOs, and mentors looking to empower the next generation of leaders?
The book offers actionable strategies and best practices that mentors can implement to effectively support their mentees. This is the reason, why we are partnering with book-based organizations, to donate free copies of the book, thanks to our partners. I am on a mission to distribute 10,000 copies of The Hero Inside to schools and NGOs across Nigeria by December 31, 2024. We are setting up book clubs and I am offering free training courses on the concepts from the book to our partners. We all agree that readers are leaders, and it is important we bring back the reading culture.
The guidance from the book can help organizations design structured programs that promote empowerment and leadership development. From the book reviews so far, I already see it, inspiring young leaders, both mentors and mentees. Highlighting my sometimes-difficult journey reinforces the idea that success is attainable, encouraging the next generation to aspire to leadership roles. It also provides a framework for mainstreaming values and life skills education. It encourages the establishment of supportive networks among women and young professionals. It emphasizes the importance of community, enabling NGOs to facilitate connections that lead to collaboration and mutual growth. It is my sincere hope that The Hero Inside, serves as a starting point for discussions on how to adapt mentorship approaches to fit different cultural and local contexts, helping African leaders empower the next generation.
Your academic background spans from economics to certifications in leadership, marketing, and NLP. How have these diverse qualifications enhanced your effectiveness as a change agent, particularly in the public sector?
I studied Management Innovation and Change at the University of Aberdeen and graduated with a distinction grade. I think, studying change management helped me understand the cultural nuances that underpin wide-scale change initiatives. It is the reason; I was not upset when someone called me an “interloper” when I first joined the Edo State public service. I knew, I had to earn their trust to minimize resistance. I believe very strongly in continuous professional education. I am always learning and unlearning. When your mind is open, there is almost nothing you cannot conquer. I find that the more you learn, the more you realise that there is more to learn and anyone who can learn, will be a great change agent. What’s really cool about being a change agent is that you leave organisations and spaces better than you met it and there is no better feeling in this world.
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