What is your name, role, and the name of your company?
Obong Idiong, CEO, Africa Prudential Plc.
Tell us briefly about the places you have worked to date
I used to work at Alpha-Juris Chambers as an Advocate and Solicitor, then I moved to Lagoon Home Savings & Loans as a Legal & Credit Management Officer. I also worked at United Bank for Africa as a Legal Officer and in Executive Office, then at Heirs Holdings as Legal Adviser before my current role at Africa Prudential (AP).
What do you love the most about your job (current)?
We are in a space where we have the license to create and innovate.
Like any other aspect of business, it comes with its pros and cons as success will be determined by our ability at AP to solve real problems, deliver clear value propositions and ensure a healthy ROI. Failing safe and fast through experimentation is an important element in our space.
As a publicly listed company, we have an obligation to our shareholders and other stakeholders. The ability to constantly balance the creation of new innovations, the exposure to mind-blowing possibilities and the need to ensure returns to our shareholders, keeps us constantly on our toes. This challenge and the possibilities are demanding and fun at the same time.
With a 14.01% yield, AP is the No. 1 ranked company on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in terms of dividend yield using an 8 8-year average (listed 2013). There you go!
You now know where to get good returns on your investment. Buy AP shares!
Share some career growth tips that have helped you over the years.
How you choose to spend your time is one of the greatest assets you can ever have. You may have the best intentions but as the seconds, minutes or hours go by, what you actually do to achieve that goal, deliver on that project or meet that deadline is what matters. Here, only outcomes count. Have step by step actions to implement things. Check yourself at each set milestone to monitor progress, readjust or update your assumptions. To achieve these, you will have to prioritise.
Now, let’s get more personal… What’s the last book you read? Any lessons learned that you would like to share?
The last book I read was a biography about Benjamin Franklin written by Walter Isaacson. Remember him, the guy on the $100 bill (Benjamins). Referred to as one of the founding fathers of America, he was not only a great politician but also an inventor (discovered the lightning rod and bifocal glasses, music instruments), printer (discovered the font seize called “Franklin Gothic’), writer (was at a point known as the greatest writer in America and coined some popular maxims we use today like “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”; ”No gains without pains”; God helps them that help themselves” etc; ) and diplomat (played an active role in the independence of America from the British colonialism and helped draft the declaration of independence). He was proud to be a craftsman and believed in civic society, starting the first fire service and library in the US. He was very clear on his goals, pencilling his guiding principles (at the age of 19) and lived by these principles throughout his life.
He was largely self-taught and was so tolerant of others’ views as he was known as one of the greatest diplomats ever.
Benjamin Franklin was clear about the path he wanted to live and once he set his goals, he pursued them despite various setbacks.
After a long day or week, how do you unwind?
It depends on the day. Monday- Thursday after work, I hit the gym, which I do not really describe as unwinding. Every other Friday is red wine day, Saturday morning; Boxing + Cycling, Sunday night is for Lawn Tennis. Most parts of Saturdays and Sundays are largely spent with my daughter (who runs me ragged). I like to read books in between and of course support Chelsea FC (Champions of Europe as I write this 😁) and listen to some 80s and 90s music (millennials please 😏).
Do you have a secret talent? We would like to know.
I used to fly like superman and climb like Tarzan, but I guess that’s it. I love developing and growing businesses and while there have been several failed ventures (exported charcoal and sold vests 😩) there have been a few successes.
If you could do one thing for the rest of your life what would it be?
Personally view most of the great modern and contemporary artworks around the world. I actually have a book titled “1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die”. I have seen about 263 only and looking forward to seeing the others. My longest time in one art gallery was at the Uffizi, where I spent 8 hours. It was about two/three floors. Aside from art galleries and museums, some of the very cool places I have visited to admire famous paintings have been in Monasteries (Barcelona) Churches (Florence) Monasteries (Gent). The oldest painting in my book I have seen is called Garden with Pool, a wall painting from the Tomb of an Egyptian powerful statesman dated 1420-1375 BC. The next is dated 1285 called Rucellai Madonna by Duccio di Buoninsegna. Trust me, it is not as boring as I have made it sound. African Art however remains my thing as our artists’ works get global acclaim.
Any philosophy you live by which you’d like to share?
“All that you do, do with your might, things done by halves are never done right. One thing at a time and that done well is a very good rule as many can tell”.
My father got me and my siblings to memorise this quote when I was six years old. It hung in our bedroom almost forever. I still recite it in my head regularly. It can be related to our Group’s core value of Excellence.
