Professor Sope Williams–Elegbe is a Professor of Law and the deputy director of the African Procurement Law Unit in Stellenbosch University, South Africa. In this interview by TAYO GESINDE, she talks about her interest in developing the next generation of procurement lawyers and academics in Africa.
Can you give us background information about yourself?
I was born in Geneva, Switzerland and I am the third of four children. My parents are both retired civil servants. We moved to Lagos when I was a child and I went to Queen’s College, Yaba and the University of Lagos. After that, I got my Masters in Law (with distinction) from the London School of Economics and my PhD in Law from the University of Nottingham, UK. I started my academic career at the University of Stirling in the UK in 2000. From there, I moved to the University of Nottingham as a lecturer in the Law of Obligations in 2003 and I remained there till December 2011, when I moved to Lagos. In Lagos, I first worked at the Nigerian Economic Summit Group as the Head of Research from 2012 to 2014, and in 2014, I moved to the University of Lagos as a Senior Lecturer. In 2016, my family decided to move to Cape Town, and I took up a post as Associate Professor at Stellenbosch University and I became a Professor of Law in 2017. My academic career has spanned almost two decades and I have focused on the area of public procurement and anti-corruption, in recognition of the fact that public procurement remains the delivery mechanism for development in Africa, and corruption is one of the greatest obstacles to that development. I have, to date, written two books on public procurement, entitled “Fighting Corruption in Public Procurement” and “Public Procurement and Multilateral Development Banks,” both of which were published in the UK and are available on Amazon. I am at present working on my third and fourth books- one is an edited collection on procurement and the other is a monograph on corruption in South Africa. My work is used in teaching in universities in the USA and in Europe and I am regularly invited to speak at conferences and events all over the world. At Stellenbosch, I teach Public Procurement Law, Sustainable Development Law, Law of World Trade and Commercial Law and I supervise PhD candidates in those areas as well. I also consult for governments and international organisations and I have worked as a consultant for the OECD, the UN, the EU, the BPP in Nigeria and the Office of the Public Protector in South Africa. At this stage of my career, my interest is in developing the next generation of procurement lawyers and academics in Africa and I am the deputy director of the African Procurement Law Unit in Stellenbosch University that provides resources, training and mentoring to procurement scholars and also serves as a platform for networking between African procurement scholars.
What informed your choice of career?
My mother was my biggest influence. She started studying Law as a postgraduate student while I was in secondary school, and convinced me that it was interesting and that it was a good career choice. In terms of becoming an academic, I was influenced by one of my lecturers who was so compassionate to students that I wanted to have the same impact he had had on me, on other people.
What price did you pay to be where you are today?
Everyone pays a price if they are successful. Sometimes, the price is in terms of the hard work one has to put in, or the price may be in terms of giving up distracting financial opportunities to stay focused on your goals. Some people might choose to sacrifice personal goals for professional ones or vice versa. I have worked incredibly hard and have taken opportunities that were often disguised as hard work in order to achieve my goals. I have given up some opportunities that may have been financially lucrative but did not align with my goals, and had to bear the consequences of all my decisions.
What will you say is the most defining moment of your career so far?
I hope I haven’t had the ‘defining moment’! I am not sure that there is even anything like a ‘defining moment.’ I still have a lot to achieve, but I have had a lot of great career moments like when I got my first academic post in 2000, when I passed my PhD defence in 2011, when I published my first book in 2012, when I moved to Stellenbosch University in 2016, and in 2017, when I published my second book and when I had my interview for a full professorship. All these moments were extremely gratifying, but my career is defined by showing up everyday and giving my best, regardless of how I feel.
What has been your experience working abroad. Have you ever suffered discrimination?
I have enjoyed every job opportunity I have had. I have worked in four countries to date and I can’t honestly say that I have ever faced overt discrimination at work, but I do feel that like many people of colour, I have had to work harder in order to get a seat at the table, so to speak. I think that generally black people have to be excellent in order to succeed in a global workplace.
What is your philosophy of life?
Give God room to work and thrive in whichever environment or season you find yourself. In other words, make it work!
What lessons has life taught you?
That I need to be more patient, not to sweat the small stuff, to be more reliant on the Holy Spirit, and I really need to have as much fun as I possibly can!
How have you been able to combine your career with the home front?
It is not that easy. Women can never have it all, at least not all at the same time. I have had seasons where I stayed home to be with my kids, and other seasons where I was away from them because I had to work overseas. Having a supportive husband who sees marriage as a partnership is crucial and being able to delegate household functions and having a strong support network is important.
What advice do you have for young Nigerians?
Many young people are impatient and want to succeed without putting in the time. The formula for success, if there is one, is hard work and opportunity. No one likes the hard work bit, but they are on the look-out for opportunities so they move from job to job, and from sector to sector, without actually staying in one place to learn anything or add value to anyone. Having a mindset that focuses on what you can get, rather than what you can give will not lead to growth or success, but rather frustration. Be patient, work hard, be kind, think of others and focus on being useful and not just rich and you will make the money you desire.
The post Black people have to be excellent in order to succeed in a global workplace —Prof. Sope Williams-Elegbe, Professor of Law, Stellenbosch University, South Africa appeared first on Tribune.