Mentorship shaped my career, says Ex-Fidelity Bank MD

The former Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo on Wednesday said mentorship helped in shaping his banking career.

According to him, he became the Chief Executive Officer at age 42 through mentorship.

He spoke in Lagos during his keynote address at the official inauguration of the mentoring scheme of the Chartered Institute of Directors where young Directors were linked with mentees.

He said, “I believe that the essence of what has been launched today is to give people the opportunity to have access to more experienced individuals to help them with their situations either in their career or general growth.

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“I am a beneficiary of mentorship and I know what that has done to my personal life and career.

“There is nothing you are or you are intending to be that somebody hasn’t been before. So, it’s in your interest to seek out such people and approach them professionally. Introduce yourself like I did and say, ‘because I know you have got this experience, I want you to be my mentor so that when I have a challenge, I can approach you.

“But in all of this, there must be discipline, there must be structure that does not give you unnecessary access to either the mentor or the mentee until you both understand the essence.”

President and Chairman of Council, Tijani Borodo described the Mentoring Scheme as “timely and crucial.”

“It aims to foster a culture of excellence in corporate governance, develop the next generation of directors and leaders, provide guidance and support for professionals, navigating complex governance issues and enhance the competitiveness of Nigerian businesses globally.

He recalled that the CIoD Nigeria Mentoring Scheme was initiated in the first quarter of 2022, during the tenure of the Immediate Past President, Dr. Ije Jidenma.

He said, “As leaders, the need for continuous learning, knowledge sharing, and skill development in this complex and dynamic environment cannot be overemphasized.