Dr. Amina Aminu Dorayi, a physician and public health professional with 17 years experience, is currently the Nigeria Country Director at Pathfinder International, where she provides overall strategic leadership and oversees the programmatic and operational management of Pathfinder activities in Nigeria. Prior to this role, she served as a Technical Director at the USAID-funded Sustaining Health Outcomes through the Private Sector Plus (SHOPS Plus) and was also the Associate Deputy National Programme Manager and Director of Service Delivery at the DFID-funded Partnership for Transforming Health Systems Phase II (PATHS2) project. In this interview with IBRAHIM APEKHADE YUSUF, the Kano State-born medical doctor, who is also married to a medical doctor from Niger State, shares her experiences joggling different roles at the workplace and at home. Excerpts:
WHEN does your typical day begin?
My typical day begins at around 5.30am with my morning prayers. My mornings are quite serene. My thoughts come to me in the morning and I also use this time to put up my to-do list. This way, I’m able to plan far ahead. I have followed this pattern religiously in the last two to three years or so since I assumed my current role at Pathfinder International.
What’s your management style?
As we all know, management is a very critical aspect of any organization. I believe that a good manager should be able to have a better understanding of his or her workplace and develop a strategy that can help in the efficient management of the workplace. Having said that, I would say my leadership style is democratic as well as participatory. I believe everyone in the team has something to offer and therefore it is my responsibility to ensure that the entire team work together to achieve the utmost objective of the organisation. In this period of globalisation anyone leading an organisation that is not forward-thinking, strategic and focus would be left behind. In our organisation there is a lot of diversity and constant change such that one is continuously learning to keep pace with the changing times. One thing that has worked for me is that I make everyone part of the decision-making process because I truly believe that an organisation is as good as its employees. As a person I don’t believe I have all the answers or I know it all. No. Around here, I tend to encourage my staff to learn to take initiatives. I also prefer to have a set of people to mentor about the processes and procedures so that they are able to carry on entirely on their own without having to wait for me to take certain decisions or get some tasks off the way.
What’s your management philosophy?
My management philosophy is people-focused. As I said earlier, an organisation is as good as the people working there. It is the responsibility of the manager to therefore create an environment conducive enough for every member of the team to thrive at all times.
Do you delegate responsibility or micromanage people?
Certainly, I like to delegate responsibility. As a manager, there is a limit to what you can be able to do. As an advocate of work, life balance, the only way to work optimally in a team is to be ready to delegate responsibility. In my field, a manager that finds it difficult to delegate cannot do well or end well.
Are you a team player?
As the saying goes, ‘teamwork, makes the team work.’ So teamwork is the way to go if you really want to go far.
How do you motivate your staff?
I motivate my team basically by responding to their needs. Here, we have the Employment Enhancement programme where we try to fill the pulse of the employees on a regular basis through surveys and questionnaires to have a better understanding of how the work environment impacts them as individuals as well as a group. I believe that when you give your staff the opportunity to be open they can offer useful suggestions that may better enhance their productivity and the job ultimately. We also give a token of appreciation to staff by giving certificates, plaques for those who have excelled in their roles as a way of encouragement. For me, I don’t believe the reward should just be monetary alone.
What motivates you?
I’m motivated by what I do to better than people around me. This is what makes me happy. So most of the time when I identify people with great potentials or causes that support the girl-child, education or public health; I can spend sleeplessness nights to ensure that the objective missions of such causes are achieved to the best of my abilities.
How do you reprimand erring staff?
Personally, I believe organsations should have policies that clearly stipulate the dos and don’ts for the staff. Of course, for the staff that go beyond the call of duty to carry out assignments they stand to be rewarded handsomely. However, for staff whose behave is below expectation, such staff can be given the benefit of the doubt to see if there will be a change in behavior and vice versa. But more importantly, I think what we try to do around here is to support the staff in whatever way we can to understand the issues and how if not nipped in the bud could pose disastrous consequences or detrimental to the organisation’s effectiveness.
What’s the best decision you have taken thus far?
For me, the best decision I took in the cause of my career is going into public health at a time it was not the most popular thing to do like pursuing white collar medical jobs like surgery and so on and so forth. But I thank my father who helped me to take this informed choice at the time. With my current role, I have a more panoramic view of different issues including the different social determinants of health across different demographics whether age, gender. With the benefit of hindsight, one is able to have a global view of how different outcomes can affect the success or otherwise of any public health initiative.
What’s the worst decision you have taken in your working career?
A decision I would have taken but which I didn’t take is taking a degree in Postgraduate in International Diplomacy.
What’s your definition of success, career-wise?
For me, success is not what I’m able to do with my career. The definition of success is how far and wide I have been able to use my talents, opportunities, skills within my reach to assist the other man less fortunate than I’m. This is the only way I think I want to be measured as a success is whether I have been able to leave my footprints in the sands of time.
What lessons has life taught you?
Over the years, I have come to appreciate the value of diversity. I have traveled and worked with different people across different cultures, as such, I know that what binds us together as a people is greater than what divides us. Diversity to me is strength and we should strive to make the most of the opportunities this affords us rather than seeking to divide ourselves. As humans, our ability to be humane is what makes us different from the lower animals.
What are your other areas of interests?
This is a very important question. I’m lucky to be working in an area that helps me to feed my other passions. I’m very passionate about issues that have to do with the girl-child a lot. I love to travel and I love to taste new food. Courtesy of my job, I have been able to travel to nearly all parts of the country as well as embark on international trips as well. These trips afford me the opportunity to learn about new things such as culture and a lot about those places. In a way, you could say, I’m having a good life because I’m doing what gives me joy.
What was the last book you read and when?
The last book I read was in February 2021 and it is called Apollo’s Arrow by Nicholas Christakis. This book is an interesting account of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the American society and how the recovery will unfold in the coming years. The author also drew on other historical epidemics and how the world has responded through research and scientific discoveries to bring us to where we are today.
How did your background influence your choice in life?
Everyday I’m really thankful for the kind of upbringing I got. My parents taught us how to be the best version of ourselves. They let us knew in life that there was really no barrier to success but ourselves. I was privileged that my parents didn’t see gender as a weakness; they had the same expectations for everybody. They taught us what it means to be hard working and focused.
Are you saying you never had to battle any form of discrimination in the cause of your career?
It is very interesting to note that the sector I operate is largely dominated by the men. But I always feel honoured that one has been able to achieve some modest successes so far. This success is not a personal success per se but spurs me on to see how we can pass the torch to the next generation of women. I’m happy that the men in my life including my husband and boys sees in me the good example of what a successful woman can be if given the opportunity. So, I’m grateful for their support over the years.
What’s your choice holiday destination?
I have a couple of choice places I have visited as far as holiday destination is concerned. I have been to Kenya, Egypt because they connect me with nature. I love the Maldives in South Asia. In my opinion, the serenity and calmness these places bring to you is indescribable. For me, these are really great destination choices for me anytime, any day. In Nigeria, equally my travels are also great opportunities to unwind as well as know about those places. Once, I was in Enugu in a community where the women were extracting palm oil from palm kernels. I joined them in their chores and it was a lot of fun for me. Also, part of my love for travelling is that I have the opportunity of trying new meals, wherever I go.
How do you unwind?
As I mentioned earlier I love to travel and also love watching TV shows such as some basic talk shows, comedies too. You know as they say, laughter is the best medicine, so I try to watch some of these comedies around.
How do you maintain your looks, do you follow any particular beauty regimen?
Personally, I try to eat and drink healthy. I also do my best to have enough sleep. Every once in a while, I love to get into a good spar where I can pamper myself.
What is your favourite meal?
I enjoy the regular Hausa staple food like tuwo shinkafa and mia tashe. But by far, one of the favourites for me once I travel within southwestern Nigeria, is amala served with ewedu and gbegiri. I love this so much.
Do you cook?
Yes I cook but lately my rather busy schedules hardly give me that luxury anymore as much as I would have loved to do. But the good thing is that during the lockdown, I tried a lot of cooking and different species apart from the traditional Hausa meal. I also delegate when it comes to cooking too. You know as a typical African, you have many other relations living with you.
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