In 2019, Tolu Adeyemi, 29-year-old from Ibadan had joined a fin-tech start up as a newbie, analyzing data with a startup salary of #150,000monthly. Tolu was determined to stand out in every way he could, there was an opportunity to be taken at every problem he had the chance to resolve. He thought of ways to stay relevant, ways he could resolve bigger problems that would usher his name into elite boardroom desks. He took his time to understand the nature of his working environment, a fast-paced problem solving terrain. To understand the doctrines of his CEO, all he needed to do to aid his day to day conundrums was a must.
Tolu studied the way his seniors at work highlighted problems, he saw the ways they grabbed intense financial stems by the neck, bent to the will of their problem solving abilities. He knew he needed to outpace them, out think them, out work them and outnumber them in proffering solutions. Nothing that came with envy, jealousy or hatred. Just a boy with the dopamine of astute ambitiousness. He thought of ways to go about this, every single minute surfing away was steering him off the course of his goals. The company was falling short of solutions, the management team were running out of ideas. Everyone had their boats of creativity and ideas gaping with holes in crisis.
Tolu had been introduced to a course that featured eminent elite industry leaders, entrepreneurs, colossus corporate directors, top captains of various industries. He couldn’t believe the level of prominent business tycoons who had also enroll in such a professional course. It wasn’t just a course. To Tolu, he wasn’t just seeing a course, he was seeing an opportunity, a ladder, a groove, an obvious road to the fountain of his dreams.
However, determined to pull the company out of an impending financial catastrophe, Tolu’s enrollment in Credit Management catapulted him into the spheres of solutions. He spent his entire weekends attending seminars with the National Institute of Credit Administration (NICA), seminarsdesigned to equip participants with the knowledge, skills to develop and implement effective credit policies. To also understand the importance of a well-crafted credit policy, and how essential it is for businesses to manage credit risk, monitor credit, improve cash flow, and maintain healthy customer relationships. It became increasingly difficult for the company to manage cash flows or generate incomes. Having graduated as a Certified Credit and Financial Analysis Professional of the National Institute of Credit Administration (conducted by the Post Graduate School of Credit and Financial Management) driven by a burning passion for impact, Tolu walked into the CEO’s office one morning with a pile of suggestions, opinions and proposals that could well save the organization. He won series of clients over in a short span, improved the relationship and trusts of doubtful clients. He consistently delivered insightful reports and solutions, helping the organization optimize customer retention by a whopping 20%. His dedication caught the attention of the CEO and the entire staff members, earning him a promotion to senior analyst within 18 months of being drafted in. By 2024, at the age of 34, he became the company’s youngest Head of credit management department, earning a 1.2 million monthly whilst mentoring young credit analysts and recommending NICA as an integral stepping stone for hard-work and skill building that can fast track corporate careers in any organization.
In conclusion, under the dim glows of night candles, Tolu’s fresh qualifications caught the eyes of many, he’d proven he could handle complex credit management problems and offer solutions at an incredibly fast rate. With the existence of National Institute of Credit Administration (NICA), chartered, the most prestigious body of eminent credit management elites in Nigeria, Tolu’s rise to the top is far from a fairy tale, in an environment where ambition meets opportunity, he learned to sharpen his skills whilst on the job, he stood as a beacon of inspiration to many above and below him, that at the prologue of elite credit management is NICA.
NO. 11
inspiring.