Toye Sobande is a lawyer, administrator, and speaker with a passion for inspiring others to greatness. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, he takes you into his world, inspiring young people, leadership development and more.
You have shown interest in issues affecting Entrepreneurs. What inspired this?
The Bureau of Statistics in Nigeria says Small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) contribute 48% of the national GDP, account for 96% of businesses, and 84% of employment. With a total number of about 17.4 million, SMEs account for about 50% of industrial jobs and nearly 90% of the manufacturing sector in terms of the number of enterprises. However, despite the significant contribution of SMEs to the Nigerian economy, challenges persist that hinder the sector’s growth and development.
However, the sector’s other challenges include lack of required human capital and skilled personnel, the multiplicity of taxes, and the high cost of doing business. Hence, I believe there is a there is need to conduct a solution backed assessment and workshops for SMEs in Nigeria with the aim of coaching and helping the founders and the principal officers of the business develop their leadership and management competencies, thereby unlocking the growth and development of the sector in Nigeria. When the leader of a business gets better, the people working in the business get better, and the business gets better too.
What activities are you currently involved with?
I am currently involved in several activities; however, my focus is on THREE principal activities.I am hosting leadership workshops for small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria. The Free workshops for the SMEs’ leaders will be conducted every quarter of the year, and they will run for two weeks.
Another activity I am currently involved in is the Stephens School of Governance. We are working towards transforming the political landscape and public sector through education and building a Nigeria we all want to live in. We are doing this by teaching individuals between the ages of 18 and 45 the required skills to help them navigate their political aspirations with confidence and purpose.
I have recently developed an Executive Leadership Development Programme. I am working with high-potential leaders on the fast track who are poised and motivated to take on significant managerial responsibility in their organizations. These are mid-level executives with at least ten years of work experience and a minimum of three to five years of management experience from any size company, any industry, here in Nigeria.
What branch of law do you practice, and what are some of the memorable moments in your career?
I provide legal advisory services and litigation on intellectual property rights, privacy, global compliance, and corporate law related to product development, marketing, and manufacturing for major Nigerian conglomerates engaged in multiple industries. I served as company secretary in servicing a portfolio of boards, board committees, and management committees’ meetings and deputise for the Company Secretary as appropriate. I was responsible for arranging and attending board, committee, and shareholder meetings and ensure the timely distribution of notices, agendas, and supporting papers followed by timely production of minutes and action lists. I monitored the company’s compliance with corporate governance best practices, its Constitution, and arrangements for the delegation of authority. I facilitated multinational operations by analyzing existing data protection, dispute resolution, procurement, and governance policies to ensure compliance with applicable regulatory regimes.
One of the most memorable moments of my legal career is being integral in the successful $200M negotiation and takeover of an FMCG company. The second memorable moment is when I anchored settlement for two trademark disputes pending for over a decade. Another memorable moment was when I led the team to apprehend and prosecuted a syndicate that had pirated FMCG trademark rights; this success led to the reduction of the company losses by 37% and increasing profit by 65% over the previous year.
Tell us about your experience at the beginning?
One thing that characterises the beginning for me was this feeling of excitement and uncertainty all at the same time. When I started at Chief Afe Babalola’s Emmanuel Chambers, I joined as an intern, and the workplace atmosphere was very inspiring and supportive. My bosses were our cheerleaders, and they provided a level playing field to learn and grow. As I transitioned into other roles and organisations, I was so concerned about the future that I became very anxious, and I was almost losing confidence in my abilities. Sadly, the environment was so harsh and not encouraging in anyways. It became pretty tough and stifling for me to fulfill my dreams. However, I kept at it and met some very wonderful and encouraging people and bosses along the way who helped me soar, and after I settled, I took the bold step and followed my dreams.
What are some of the other things that motivate you as a Management consultant?
A major motivation for me is that consulting helps me to learn, relearn and unlearn. As a consultant, I am always willing and eager to approach people because I want to help them with ‘value’ closely followed by the persistence to test and refine hypotheses and methods continually.
Tell us about your role models, people you admire in your career or life?
My Dad, Mr. Stephen Olanrewaju Sobande, has been my greatest role model. Not only because he was my biological father, but he also lived an exemplary life, teaching my siblings and me the importance of a values-driven life and sound work ethics. He didn’t only teach us about values and good work ethics; he epitomizes it in every way. Another exemplary virtue I admire about my Dad is the value for Education and Relationships; he encouraged my siblings and me to develop our minds, gain knowledge and keep a humble spirit at all times. He had a sense of community and very philanthropic too. He provided support and encouragement for many young folks in our community, many who couldn’t afford education made it through school with his help and mentorship.
Of course, the pieces of training I got from my Dad were never without my Mum’s support. She is the relationship expert of our family. Her loving and warm disposition makes her the rallying point in the family. The love between my Dad and Mum is one that I admire a lot. They always sacrifice their interests for each other at all times. I learned the Power of sacrifice from my Mum. Of course, I have other people who have influenced my life in many ways as role models.
What are some of the principles that guide what you do?
One of the essential principles that guide me in what I do is to be a catalyst and a change agent wherever I find myself per time. I love to add value to people’s lives and improve the quality of life and environment of people I come in contact with. Another fundamental principle of life I live by is a pearl of wisdom my mother always shares with us while growing up.
What are some of the things that you would like to do in the future?
I will like to build educational and vocational institutions in Nigeria for the Nigerian Youths in the nearest future. Our country is so blessed with very talented young people who need a platform of expression for their gifts. We need to leverage their skills in the transformation process of this country. The burden is too much on the government alone. We need to partner with the government and invest in major industries where the Youths can function effectively, from entertainment, sports, technology, media, etc. We have the population; we need to provide them with direction, and I would love to be part of that process.
Are you interested in politics?
I am very much interested in politics. I grew up in a political family. My father was a protégé of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He was a member of the Action Group in the sixties and later the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN). He was a strong “Awoist,” and the irony of this is that my father never imposed his political views on my siblings and me; he allowed us chose our part in life. He vigorously campaigned for the exit of military rule in the nineties. He was a member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) that campaigned for Chief MKO Abiola solely because he wanted the military to go back to the barracks. I recall in 1998 while we were transitioning to democratic rule under General Abdulsalam, my colleagues and I, who were leaders of the Student Union Government of our school, attended the announcement and launch of the All People’s Party (APP) at the Lagos Airport Hotel under the Afenifere leadership before it was hijacked and everyone left for Alliance for Democracy. Guess what? My Dad saw my colleagues and me at the venue of the rally. I thought he would be mad at me, and instead, he was so excited and encouraging. During the tenure of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as the Governor of Lagos, he served on the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board – SUBEB. My Dad had a huge library filled with all sorts of books, including political books. That was how while growing up, I read the autobiographies and books of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, Aminu Kano, Anthony Enahoro, and many other foreign books on politics and political history of nations and the world order. Those books shaped my political views and made me politically conscious. During my days in school, I had to seek my Dad’s counsel about contesting for a Student Union position. He gave me his approval and advised me on the necessary steps to be taken, which helped me win the election. My interest in politics has gone beyond elective offices or focus on political office holders; I am keenly interested in governance.
If you had to advise Nigerian Youths who are angry and frustrated with the system, what would you tell them?
My advice is for Nigerian Youths to focus on the things they can control and avoid knocking their heads over the things they can’t control. While they may not control the circumstances of your birth or family history, you can control the person you become. We cannot control government policies or the action or inaction of people holding government offices; we can control the narrative during the next elections. My encouragement is for the Nigerian Youth to focus on “Personal Leadership Development.” The Nigerian Youth should educate themselves; they should shun mediocrity and embrace excellence; they should discover their skills and deploy it to good use for themselves and their nation.
Despite the harsh realities in our country, some Nigerian Youths have chosen to become exceptional in their chosen field. Some have started businesses; some are developing new technologies that will make life better for everyone; we have many examples of exceptional Nigerian Youths making us proud globally, winning awards internationally, and selling off their start-up companies for millions of dollars. Some are even getting foreign investments in their businesses here in Nigeria. Our Youths must know that no one can guarantee your future better than you do; your destiny is in your hands, and then seek God’s help and direction to fulfill your dreams. When we have an aggregate number of Nigerian Youth who are doing exceptionally well in various fields of endeavour, that is when the Nigerian Youth can become powerful enough to take delivery of a prosperous Nigeria.
You have written three books; what motivated them?
My motivation for writing those books is to lend my voice by offering practical and timeless solutions to the problems and issues we are faced with within our world. I wanted to make a difference and share my thoughts, knowing that I am gifted in some areas of life. God has blessed me with unique abilities to solve problems at individual levels, organizations, nations, and the continent of Africa. One other primary motivation for me is the liberation of Sub-Saharan Africa from the shackles of bad leadership. So those books allow me to speak to millions of generations to come.
What will you describe as the turning point in your career?
My career’s turning point was when I decided to suspend my Ph.D. programme in Intellectual Property Law and switch over to a Ph.D. programme in Strategic Leadership. I wanted to be a Professor in Intellectual Property Law, teaching the economic value and importance of enforcing and protecting intellectual property rights in Nigeria. I felt this was a major cash cow for Nigeria if the regulatory requirements are updated and administered by experts in the field. I had built my career trajectory around this. What lessons have life taught you?
For me, one critical lesson is the value of relationships. A mentor of mine once said, “relationships are much more important than achievements.” I have learned to value the people I relate with, and by so doing, I am building social capital.
