Former Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria and Airtel Africa, Dr. Segun Ogunsanya, and Group Executive Director of Rain Oil Limited, Mrs. Godrey Ogbechie, have urged Nigerians to embrace resilience, authenticity and hard work despite life’s imperfections and setbacks.
They spoke at the fourth edition of “Imperfectly Awesome Conversations” in Lagos, where business leaders, professionals, students and entrepreneurs gathered under the theme, “Be Enough.”
Ogunsanya, who currently chairs the Airtel Africa Foundation, challenged conventional perceptions of strength, stressing that imperfection is a shared human reality.
According to him, “none of us arrived here perfectly put together. We arrived looking renewed, reshaped. Some look bruised. There’s imperfection everywhere.”
Speaking further, he said resilience is not like “bouncing back” from adversity but bouncing forward: “Resilience doesn’t shout. It whispers, ‘try again, try again,’” he said, adding that faith often provides the strength to persevere through difficult periods.
Ogunsanya stated that resilience does not eliminate struggle but empowers individuals to continue in spite of obstacles, adding: It means you choose not to stop. Because when you stop, you drown.
Recounting a high-pressure experience involving a major presentation in Barcelona, Spain, where travel complications had threatened his participation, he said the episode taught him that setbacks should be viewed as temporary disruptions rather than permanent failures.
“Resilience is the need to stay steady, reframing setbacks as data, not defeat.” He also recalled the resistance encountered during the rollout of 4G technology in Africa, noting that persistence and adaptability were critical in overcoming scepticism. “Tenacity is what happens when you refine your approach instead of abandoning it,” he stated.
On leadership and personal values, Ogunsanya emphasised authenticity as essential for long-term success, saying: “To succeed in life, must be true to yourself.”
He dismissed the notion that entrepreneurship is inherently superior to corporate leadership, stating that both career paths can lead to success depending on individual ambition and values. Therefore, “be clear about how you measure success, and about who you are.”
He further stressed the importance of mentorship in leadership, saying, “the true test of a leader is how many other leaders one has groomed.”
Meanwhile, in her remarks, Ogbechie spoke candidly about personal insecurities, responsibility and discipline. She revealed that she still hopes to pursue a doctorate degree at the age of 60, inspired by her grandmother who returned to school in her seventies to learn how to read the Bible independently.
She also reflected on her upbringing in a family of five daughters and the responsibilities she assumed after the death of her father. However, she criticised what she described as declining work ethics among younger generations, warning against overreliance on technology and shortcuts.
Ogbechie further urged participants to eliminate negative habits such as laziness and procrastination in order to achieve growth and success. She equally encouraged individuals struggling with self-doubt to stop disqualifying themselves from opportunities due to perceived imperfections.
Also, the convener of the event, Dr. Lola Bamigbaiye, explained that the platform was created to challenge unrealistic expectations of perfection and encourage people to embrace their humanity while continuing to grow.
According to her, “we’ve been campaigning that we’re enough. Being enough is the new currency we need to start spending in today’s world.”
