Mrs. Rollens Macfoy is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ocean Deep Services Limited. She was one of the speakers at the 2018 edition of MMS Woman of Fortune Hall of Fame(WoFHoF) Initiative mentorship programme organized under the name, ‘Women In Leadership and Career Empowerment Programme (WILCEP) Africa. Mrs. Rollens spoke to MMS Plus newspaper on the sidelines at the event as she inspires young Nigerian women to be prepared for the next phase of leadership. Enjoy it:
Excerpts:
Kindly do a recap of your presentation at the seminar.
I spoke on optimizing the opportunities in blue economy which is an area I have special interest in. It’s not just because I work in the maritime sector, but because I am passionate about maritime and anything that has to do with the sea. I believe if Nigeria could maximize the economic potentials of the seas and oceans which represent the blue economy, then the future of the nation’s youths would be secured in terms of job opportunities and wealth creation.
The Blue Economy approach recognizes and places renewed emphasis on the critical need for the international community to address effectively the sound management of resources in and beneath international waters by the further development of international law and ocean governance mechanisms. Every country must take its share of the responsibility to protect the high seas, which cover 64 % of the surface of our oceans and constitute more than 90% of their volume.
Nigerian women must equally be aware of the many prospects and opportunities in the blue economy. These opportunities include; marine engineer, naval architect, shipping broker, ordinary seaman, shipbuilding engineer, shipping freight broker, cruise ship designer, shipwright, job opportunities on yachts, marine environmental management, scientific & academic careers in maritime sector, barge engineer, career in underwater exploration, aquaculture, among others.
You explained the place of the decent woman in the society as you asserted that beyond having requisite skills, a woman must portray herself in a manner that commands respect. Can you throw more light on this?
This is something that is a problem for present young Nigerian women. For instance, every occasion should have a dress-code and dressing appropriately is very important. There was a time I was doing recruitment for a company for the position of a front-desk officer. I saw some girls who came in with stretched jeans and t-shirts and their hair was made in a way that made me wonder if they were going for a nightclub. One of them even had an earring on her nose, but the advert clearly stated that the company was a corporate office and the position was for a front desk officer. I wouldn’t have a problem if such lady had started working there before dressing in such manner; however, this was the first impression. It was an interview for such sensitive position in a multinational company so it was grossly inappropriate to dress that way.
There is so much emphasis on the skills required to succeed in the work environment but other things like dress sense, carriage and charisma also deserve attention by speakers in empowerment programmes.
How critical is the role of parenting in culturing Nigerian children, especially for young females?
The role of parenting can never be overemphasized in the development of female children with ethics and self-discipline. You find that teenagers and even adults can be easily influenced by their pairs. Most times I’m talking with my eighteen year old daughter and I find that some of her peers have over N1million in their accounts. While the parents may have justifiable reasons to leave such amount in a teenagers account, maybe the parents be easily influenced by their pairs. Most times I’m talking with my eighteen year old daughter and I find that some of her peers have over N1million in their accounts. While the parents may have justifiable reasons to leave such amount in a teenagers account, maybe the parents are always travelling and decide to provide sufficient money for the child. What kind of life do you expect that child to live compared to her roommate or friend who her parent probably gives N10,000 to N15,000 monthly.
A girl child needs affection as much as she needs money. What do you expect of the future for a child who has been exposed to millions or hundreds of thousands? What salary would be sufficient for such a person when he/ she leaves the tertiary institution? If the parents are grooming such children to take over their businesses, then they should equally expect such children to be financially reckless. These are things that ought not to happen in the society.
Looking at the educational system in Nigeria, the emphasis on quality counsel in secondary schools and tertiary institutions has waned. What advice do you have for young women in schools as well as career women who overwhelmed by the challenges of life?
The truth is that any motivation one can’t give herself wouldn’t be enduring when it comes from someone else. You need to have some degree of confidence in yourself so that when you come across something or someone that inspires you, you would be fired up for another level.
This explains why parents should pay keen attention to the ideas and thoughts that a child develops with; especially in the formative years which is usually the first ten years of the child. It’s not enough to send your child to a good school when you never create time to know his class teacher or the principal. You shouldn’t just visit on open days because such activities are prepared to give the parents an impression that all is well when it isn’t.
Sometimes I pay an unexpected visit to my children in school because I want to know how they cope in school. I want to know their teachers and discuss with the teachers if possible. I’m a busy person but I have time to look at their homework and do all these things because I want the best future of my children.
You’re also the secretary of African Women in Maritime (WIMA) Nigerian chapter. Tell us about the Association and the opportunities is affords Nigerian women.
There is an adage in Igbo and Yoruba which says that one shouldn’t stay at a place when watching a masquerade dance. The reason is that one can’t fully appreciate the beauty and totality of the masquerade when one is watching from just one angle. WIMA like other women groups in the country, in Africa and the world at large, organizes great seminars and noteworthy events but the problem is that young Nigerians aren’t looking out for these opportunities. The good thing is that most of these programmes targeted towards developing the young females are free. Nevertheless, if registration fee of N5000 or N10000 is attached, it shouldn’t be a burden because these girls not find it difficult to change hairstyles that cost over N15000 on weekly basis. These are programmes that add value to women, improve their self-worth and better equip them for the possible challenges in their careers.
During the holidays, young women should seize the opportunity to learn something new. They could opt to work for companies as personal assistants or secretaries for gratis because it is important to learn the value of service and be familiar with the ideal work environment and ethics. You find graduates who are unable to use the computer applications like Microsoft Excel and Powerpoint. I wonder what they did throughout the myriad of holidays they had before graduating.
Various organizations have being formed to help nations attain a sustainable blue economy. For example; the ‘WIMAFRICA’. WIMAFRICA is an institutional framework for capacity building cooperation for capacity building, cooperation and entrepreneurship development of African women in maritime, through the creation of a specific grouping of women in the maritime sector with a vision of development, to effectively contribute to the achievement of the Agenda 2063 of the African Union, towards the African Blue Economy.
You did share some challenges you had while going up especially as you weren’t the brightest child in the house. What can young ones learn from your story?
I wasn’t one of the brightest children when I was young. I wasn’t in the category of people that usually came first position in school or anywhere close but I made up my mind to be a success. I am someone who was never expected to amount to anything in life, let alone become successful in anything. I can’t explain what I did in primary school because I never paid attention to what they were doing. I only recall dressing up to go to school every morning and coming back. In secondary school I can barely explain a few things I learnt; I was in a world of my own.
My father would abuse me at every opportunity because he is an educationist and I seemed to be the opposite. I always said to myself; “This man you will see what I would become in life”. I always said this in my mind, but I finished my secondary school with three credits. This was another reason for people to abuse me but I had promised myself that I was going to become something. Here I’m today, a success still making giant strides.
I left the home at the age of 19 years not because my parents sent me away but I made the decision on my own. I came to Lagos to meet my big sister and thankfully there’s someone here who knows my big sister. I was tired of the discouragement from my parents and I made the decision to work. My parents and my big sister didn’t pay my school fees. I started working as a receptionist with my school certificate but here I am today. I was focused and I didn’t allow people determine who I was. I didn’t accept the names people called me. I continued to develop myself and attended various courses to expand my scope. Today, I’m a CEO of a blossoming organization and I lecture first class graduates and top executives and managers across several disciplines. I never gave up and I’m still fired up to achieve more in my career and to be a success in every aspect of my life.
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