Dr. Paul Abolo: The Quintessential CEO Who Sees Opportunity In Adversity
Interviewing Dr. Paul Abolo left a feeling of awe. First, his several fields of successful endeavour made it difficult to choose which aspects of his interview to leave out due to available space. Secondly, his profound statements about managing issues and leading people showed he learns from everything, including adversity.
Dr. Paul Abolo is, among other things, the President of Ecologistics Integrated Services; a global climate change investment and sustainable development firm. He is also the Chief Executive Officer of NEA Energie Limited and Executive Director of Connect Earth Initiative. He is the Chairman of Alliance for Food Security Action in Africa (AFSAA) and the convener of Nigeria Climate Change Investment Forum (NCCIF). He is a member of the Global Climate Solutions Advancement Network (Climate SAN).
This is an interview you are likely to make several references to in the future.
Accomplish Magazine: Tell us about your experience growing into adulthood, especially with your parents and childhood friends.
I grew up with what you can call times of flow and times of ebb; times when things were good and times when things were low. I was born into a family I could call a privileged family. My dad was the manager of CFAO Motors in Aba. At that time, that was a highly regarded position. I went to private primary school. Going to school with a car and living in our own personal house meant a lot. That was a time of flow.
One day in 1967, we were driven to school. When we got there, the school gate was locked and there was a big sign that read “School closed”! What happened? It was the Nigerian Civil War and federal troops were heading to Aba. So, the school had to be closed. That excited me but it turned out it was the last time I went to school for three years!
Aba was going to fall into the hands of the federal troops, so my family had to move. We kept moving until we got to a place called Obowo in present-day Imo State. Life was tough as no one was sure of surviving the war.
My father approached the Marist Brothers. They were part of the Catholic charities. My dad approached them that they should please take one of his sons to be their servant. They told him to write the names of his sons. He did and they picked my name. The next day, I packed up my stuff to go and live with them. When I got there, they said they expected an older person as a matter of fact they were looking for house boys. Eventually, one of them said since they’ve picked my name I have to stay. I was early eight years old. Indirectly, they were faced with taking care of a child!
Every Wednesday, we would share food to the community, because they were cornmeal, egg yolk, corned beef, stock fish etc. as relief materials. Over time, the Marist brothers began to trust me as the older people often stole from the store to send to their families. As a child, I wasn’t trained that way, so I was found faithful. When someone stole, the person is sent of and they’ll bring another person. In the end, though I was the youngest, I was also the longest-staying servant and I was responsible for the key of the store. I remember they made a pair of khaki pants for me and it had a big pocket where I would keep the key to the store. I began to learn what it meant to be responsible.
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