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www.afrika-kommt.de Afrikakommtler: AK4Newsletter 2016
Afrikakommtler: The Afrika kommt! Newsletter
Welcome!
Dear AK5,
After four editions of Afrika kommt!, it is quite pre-
dictable that the fifth edition will be the best one
yet. Throughout your time in Germany, many guide-
lines will be at your disposal. However with this edi-
tion of the Afrikakommtler, we aim to motivate you
and share some of our experiences with you. Ulti-
mately, it’s in your hands to make good use of what
AK5 will offer throughout the next 12 months. Macht
euch bereit!
First things First: Wie geht’s?
Right in the beginning, one can conclude that not
knowing the German articles Die, Der and Das can
lead to some confusion. For example, the German
word Tor is one of the nous to carefully use, be-
cause das Tor is ‘the gate/portal’ and der Tor is ‘the
fool’. Same noun and two different meanings that
simply depend on the article you use. The German
language is quite tricky in these terms. Try to memo-
rize the nouns with the correct article. But again, be
careful with ‘Tor’!
As you continue to master your German, do not get
frustrated when the challenges move towards ac-
cusative, genitive, and dative forms. Den, Des and
Dem can‘t wait to meet you around the corner,
and you can’t avoid them. The good news is: you
are in the right environment to conciliate theory
and practice. Enjoy figuring out what the German
learning adventure is all about. We wish you all the
best!
Die Anpassungsfähigkeit ist sehr wichtig!
A Professional Success
Story
Towards the end of the AK4 program, the feelings of uncertainty regardless one’s performance during the practical phase naturally sets in: thoughts of re-turning back home to systems that are not comparable to those in a developed society (i.e. power challenges, water, in-frastructure , bureaucracy, procedures), reintegration with family, resuming work or returning back to previous engage-ments, and for those without job offers, thoughts of going back to the gruesome job search in high unemployment.
Irrespective of one’s situation, AK brings so much professional development dur-ing and after the program: effective net-working with industry leaders; exposure to how things should run as a result of well-developed systems; emphasis on long-term planning and its effects; im-portance of high productivity during working hours as well as observing the German business and non-business cul-tures.
In order to manage expectations, it is al-ways advised to have a backup plan inde-pendent of the companies participating in the program. Before the program end-ed however, I was privileged to be offered a role I loved and really looked forward to exploring. Surprisingly a month after resuming, my responsibilities were expanded; largely due to my prior experience in the German headquarters of my company, a direct consequence of the AK program. For me, professional de-velopment during the program has trans-lated to a professional success story after
www.afrika-kommt.de Afrikakommtler: AK4Newsletter 2016
Exchanges: Arts & Culture
Many are fascinated with Africa in Europe; always wondering about our rich tradi-tions, cultures, history, and artistic creativi-ty (art, dance and textile)... Sadly, this her-itage has dwindled before my eyes. More and more, our generation is influenced by the western media, thanks to connectivity and digital technologies. Rather than a two-way street, the influence flow is most-ly from the West to Africa. How about us-ing these same tools to propagate our her-itage? Not too long ago, I had an interest-ing conversation about “juju” with a Ger-man friend. Soon enough, I found myself in uncharted waters when he started to educate me on the Nigerian traditional gods of “Amadioha” and “Shango”. I was ashamed that in comparison to him, I knew so little about our African traditional beliefs. This is a huge potential for grow-ing our tourism industry.
I visited the Picasso exhibition at the Kunst Gallery in Hamburg with other participants in the AK program. As we moved from one room to the next, I whispered to my col-leagues about the varieties of art wasting away in Africa. Artists are forced to drive cabs for a living because no one is interest-ed in promoting their craft. The legitimacy of their profession is constantly being questioned and belittled. Still the possibili-ties of legally exporting traditional African art – sculptures, pottery, painting, cane arts, tie and dye textiles – to Europe are endless and the earnings vital for our economies. (continued on page 3)
Bringing Content Taking Germany to Africa – Mind the Risks
Afrika kommt! brings together a diversity of young profes-
sionals, whose fields of expertise cover areas like business
administration, management, sales & marketing, procure-
ment and so on. As a former Afrika kommt! participant, I
recommend that you know the risks of ‘your’ international
project. Surely, the Partner Companies differ regarding
their interests; however effective establishment of business
units in Africa (whether for a long or short-term) or en-
hancement of market competitiveness (if already estab-
lished). Thus, considering a bottom-up appraisal of the risks
in a project-based context is always beneficial.
Think of these three levels of decision: strategic, administra-
tive, and operational. What are the tasks you’re going to
develop, and how do they fit in each level of decision? If
you are placed in a position that supports the decision-
making, consider having a thorough understanding of your
project. Depending on the case, you can create or simply
ask for a Project Breakdown Structure; thus, you are not far
from developing an insightful risk appraisal of your project.
International projects require inputs like cultural risks, geo-
political risks, organizational risks, financial risks, economical
risks, technological risks, market risks and others according
to their relevance. At a lower level of input, keep your fo-
cus on reducing complexity and on maximizing the value
of information in your risk appraisal.
As an important contributor to the strategy of your partner
company, be sure that information you find at a glance
might accessible to everyone, but the interpretation of the
many sub-factors behind it depends a lot on your talent.
Be cautious and proactive because you’ll be delivering
your ideas and knowledge to potential investors, whose
engagement is important to your Afrika kommt! experi-
ence. Add value to your experience by doing your home-
work, i.e., get familiarized with topics like taxation, contract
negotiation, financial & operational issues, investments,
hedging strategies, etc. Keep in mind that your home
countries are the central objectives.
Amílcar Mahota
MSc Prj. Management (Expected 2016)
Specialization in Energy, Oil & Gas
A Professional Success Story (continued from page 1)
After going through a program of this nature, transfor-
mation is expected to occur in participants’ mindset,
a change for the better. At this critical stage of devel-
opment, Africa cannot continue to be emerging. We
should be able to drive and sustain the anticipated
growth. As young professionals, we owe it to our con-
tinent to use the exposure of the AK program to impact positive changes in our countries. While the change
cannot occur all at once, we all have a role to play in this day-to-day gradual process. The objective of the
AK program is not merely to create more enlightened job seekers, but business leaders in all aspects. Let’s
go out there and make Africa proud! To all current and future participants, congratulations and wishing you
the very best!
Samson Ajayi Regional Brand Manager – West Africa
Robert Bosch GmbH
Lagos, Nigeria
www.afrika-kommt.de Afrikakommtler: AK4Newsletter 2016
Exchanges Science & Technology
The automotive industry is
thought to be a German strong-
hold. As true as this is, every part
of Science & Technology is a
huge area of knowledge transfer
between Africa and Germany.
The land of resources we call
home, Africa, can be trans-
formed into a technological
wonderland instead of a base
for commodity trading. No one
pays premium for cocoa or cof-
fee seeds, but for the added
value in chocolates and Star-
bucks cappuccinos. This is what
Afrika kommt has ignited in me,
a burden to utilize the resources
in Africa for value creation. I
couldn’t stop thinking about this
after the study tour at Adlershof,
Berlin. Resource trading is not a
sustainable model for economic
growth; the current price of
crude illustrates this. No, I am
not blaming government this
time. We, the youth, can lever-
age the technologies present in
the global market and create
value for global trading. African
traditional medicine is an un-
tapped area of immerse poten-
tial. In Germany, we can access
the technological know-how to
scientifically justify our local
methods, a much-needed step
in bringing these solutions in
medicine to global standards.
Samuel Somuyiwa
B. Development Manager: Africa
Merck KGaA
Darmstadt, Germany
Exchanges: Arts & Culture (continued from page 2)
Maybe you are from the school of thought that Germans
lack humor, but I was successful at making a few of them
laugh. What about African movies? Nollywood is the second
largest movie industry in the world by production volume
and thrid largest by revenue. However, we still restrict our
audience to English speakers and the locals? Hey, it’s time
to make the Germans laugh too! With translation software
readily available to aid us, let’s bring Nollywood to Germa-
ny! Most likely, we would learn some modern technologies
that could help grow our productions. After all, Germany is
tech capital of sorts.
I could go on and on about the fruitful offerings of Germany
to Africa and vice-versa, but then, I would be writing a book
and not an article. If you are reading this and you are Ger-
man, thank you for the opportunity you have given me to
explore your country. I am a brand new version of me; bet-
ter equipped to strive for the future I envision: one that
bridges trade relations with Africa; one that is prepared to
sell Africa to the world; one that brings global developments
to Africa.
To my fellow Africans, we have come to a point of inflec-
tion, a period where the global attention is on us. We have
being tagged the next growth frontier. I believe the labors
of our heroes past have not been in vain. They are no longer
here with us, but their spirits sway to the melody of the birds,
soaring to heaven and singing stories of development and
growth in Africa. The actualization of that glorious, united
and developed Africa is in our hands.
Vielen Dank für Ihre Aufmerksamkeit!
Samuel Somuyiwa
Business Development Manager: Africa
Merck KGaA
Darmstadt, Germany
Simple Guide to a Successful
Mentor-Mentee Relationship
During the Afrika kommt! program, I was privileged to enjoy
the most successful mentor-mentee relationship of my
career. While success is heavily dependent on the personali-
ties of the parties involved, below are my key take-aways:
1. Establish clear goals
2. Ask questions
3. Listen actively
4. Communicate often and openly
5. Implement new ideas
6. Say, “Thank you“
Chidimma Agbasi
Auditor
Bayer AG
Germany
Our Transfer Projects
Demystifying the stereotypes about Nigeria (S. Ajayi) Consultancy & Professional Ex-change Association (A. Mahota)
www.afrika-kommt.de Afrikakommtler: AK4Newsletter 2016
Living In Germany: Not A Laughing Matter We’ve all heard the stereotype, “Germans have no sense of humor”. Well, here is a shocker: on
the streets of Darmstadt, you will find humor between the efficiency and timeliness. We pictured
scary stereotypes typical of anyone venturing into the unknown. Yet, our innate inquisitive na-
ture still propelled us here. Maybe it’s not true. Maybe the storytellers were biased. Maybe this,
maybe that... It was a huge step of courage to leave home, filled with all the comfort of family,
friends and a familiar territory and leap into the “unfamiliar” German territory. Maybe not so dif-
ficult for the unmarried few, but I’m sure it was a more daunting decision for the married lot
(Please take my few and lot literally).
The main objective of the Afrika kommt! program is knowledge transfer; building cultural bridg-
es that hones business processes. On the one hand is profitability for German companies in Afri-
ca, while on the other is the economic and social development of African countries. The latter
will be my focus. If you are reading this only because of the title, thank you! Try to endure my
long rhetoric of development initiatives till the end. And yes, we didn’t come here to laugh. We
came to unlearn, learn and build bridges.
The words efficiency and timeliness were carefully chosen in the first paragraph of this article
because you can play with sausages and beer in Germany, but not a letter of these two words.
That is if you want to enjoy a stress free professional life in Germany! Did I neglect to mention
the social aspect of living in Germany? Yes, don’t be late to a summer barbeque! You might
find the meat is finished before you take your first bite.
Initially it seemed ridiculous to me. I wondered often why people could be so fixated on timeli-
ness. Do they not consider traffic? Or maybe the drycleaner has unending disappointments?
Then I realized, in Germany, power is stable. Public transport is efficient. The road networks are
smooth, so traffic can never be an excuse for a well-planned event. Deutsche Bahn (your late
coming buddy) surprisingly, issues covering statements for delayed connections and can even
write your employer. At some point I stopped laughing and whining. I am here for a purpose; to
give and to take. To bring modern developments and technology from Africa to Germany (this
is written with a straight face) and vice- versa! I believe trade relations are best when involved
parties mutually benefit.
Samuel Somuyiwa
B. Development Manager: Africa
Merck KGaA
Darmstadt, Germany
The Intern Professional
In the AK program, companies and participants alike, face a conundrum, “How do you we officially and succinctly address the professionals participating in the program?” For the companies, it is impossible to create a new title category because participants are too few and the program does not run on set calendar (e.g. yearly or every 18 months). For some departments, the confusion transcends mere terminology and ex-hibits in tangible day to day interaction that can impact a participant’s experience. It is advisable to clear this up at some point during your stay at the companies. Most im-portantly, always be professional!
www.afrika-kommt.de Afrikakommtler: AK4Newsletter 2016
To Motherland A Poem By Samuel Somuyiwa
All bright and young,
Soaring tides of ambition,
Ambitions converge from distance XY,
To the glory of motherland.
The journey before departure,
Tah-toe like the infant, we learnt how to talk.
Bold and daring, we've become warriors.
Tarrying not, we've come a long way.
Not without hassles,
A journey marred by elephant clashes,
Like grasses, we bowed to superior powers.
Still, we tarry not. We've come a long way.
Tooth and tongue, we stick together like buccal,
Biting accidentally and on purpose,
All eyes on goal,
Time grew love amongst us.
Call us the league of the colossus,
The league of extraordinary men,
The pilots of emerging Africa,
And you are not far from the truth.
Weathered the snow and rain,
Feathered and decorated,
The ancestors smile in heaven,
Africa has come!
Our training; broad and sound.
Our scope; far and wide.
Our knowledge; thorough and true,
Discerning yet the magical.
Equipped as a family,
We beseech you today screaming,
Africa! Africa my Africa!
The land of hope and ancestral savannahs
We are not there yet,
But, we’ve come a long way.
Editor Notes
It‘s always a challenge and an honor to
create. Thank you to all contributors and
readers! Until next time...
Chidimma Agbasi
Ein besonderes Dankschön an:
Gladly, I seize this opportunity to ex-press my joy in delivering great
thoughts of the great AK 4 people. Please, enjoy!
Amílcar Mahota