Lucy Pearson is the British Council Country Director for Nigeria and Director for West Africa. After 10 years of leading the organisation’s operations in Nigeria and West Africa, Pearson will move to Kenya as the Regional Director for sub-Saharan Africa. She tells GODFREY GEORGE about her experiences working in Nigeria, amongst other issues
Not many people may know the British Council beyond conducting English language proficiency tests. What are the core functions of your organisation?
The British Council is the United Kingdom’s leading cultural relations organisation. It is also the leading organisation for educational opportunities. We’ve been in Nigeria for 80 years. We just celebrated our 80th anniversary, and we work across education, arts and culture, and English language programmes. We also work with the educational system from basic education through to higher education. Our primary focus in Nigeria is on youths aged 18 to 34. We are creating skills, capacity, and life-changing opportunities for young people in Nigeria.
Can you reflect on your journey as the Country Director for 10 years?
It’s been wonderful. It’s been a privilege to be the Country Director in Nigeria. I came here in 2014, but I visited Nigeria for the first time in 1998, so I had an idea of what I was coming to do when I was appointed Country Director. Leading this operation, which is a country-priority operation in Sub-Saharan Africa and one of the most important in the world, has had many highlights.
Some of them include the visit of His Royal Highness, King Charles, when he was Prince Charles, in 2018. We hosted an event in the garden, creating a space for entrepreneurs to showcase their work and tell their stories. We had filmmakers, producers, and social media influencers come in, and it was absolutely charming; that was a real highlight. We also received recognition from the Universal Basic Education Board last year, which commended us for our work.
We also worked with the National Universities Commission to bring the first transnational education delegation to Nigeria to build capacity in the higher education system. It goes on and on.
How does it feel now that you are leaving after 10 years?
It is a mixed emotion for me. Nigeria has been my home for 10 years. There are many highlights for me: getting out and around Nigeria, meeting our beneficiaries, and seeing our work come to life are some of them.
Also, working with the federal and state government university boards is another highlight. Working with young people, with all their energy and vibrancy, is also beautiful. The creativity in our work in the arts and creative industries is a significant highlight. I could go on, but there are so many highlights over the 10 years, and it always boils down to the people of Nigeria.
What were some of the challenges you faced during your tenure, and how did you overcome them?
I wouldn’t say I faced many challenges, but there are two sides to every coin—opportunities and challenges. Nigeria is such a large, diverse, and rich country. Understanding its culture, people, sociocultural and political landscapes, and building relationships with our partners and stakeholders—both federal and state governments as well as civil society organisations—can be quite challenging.
I am quite a positive person, one who sees the glass as half-full. So I’d like to think about the opportunities; striving to learn as a person.
How would you say the British Council has evolved under your leadership in these 10 years?
I’d like to think we are a stronger, bolder, and more confident organisation. We are confident in getting out there, telling our stories, and building more sustainable partnerships.
The British Council is a values-based organisation, and I am a values-based person, so that is a nice match. Building our values and our culture in the organisation and taking that out to the world is something that has evolved over these 10 years.
During my leadership, every year we have taken 10 people from across Nigeria to be interns for between six and 12 months. We select these interns from minority groups, often people living with disabilities. This allows those who don’t often have the opportunity to work and gain experience in an international organisation to do so and take these values with them. I believe being people-focused and ensuring inclusion and diversity has made us stand out.
Also, after the pandemic, we had to rethink our operations and move more towards digital delivery. We recognised that face-to-face human connection is also important, so we had to find a hybrid approach in our programme delivery. We did a lot of work in equity, diversity, and inclusion, and we hope that commitment to our values infused our programme work.
As regards the UK-Nigeria education partnership, that’s a significant area of connection between Nigeria and Great Britain. Another area of great connection is arts and culture.
Can you tell us how the British Council has worked in this area under your leadership?
We’ve developed capacity and skills for everyone—both institutions and individuals. In the arts sector, we have our creative programme and entrepreneurial development skills acquisition programme. We have fantastic creative talents in Nigeria, but we need to turn that into a business, not just for the individual but to create jobs for others. We have showcasing events because we know that finance can be a problem for some creatives. This support is across Nigeria, not just in Lagos.
We’ve worked with artists and creative producers, both in the UK and Nigeria, to build skills, experience, capacity exchange, knowledge exchange, and learning. This exchange is incredibly important. We have also provided skills development for the creative economy and enterprise programmes to support young artists and creative entrepreneurs.
We have given these creatives the platform they need because we know infrastructure is a challenge in Nigeria. So, we let them use our office for free to showcase their talents and creative work.
Can you share some projects dear to you that the council has embarked upon during your tenure?
We have developed very strong relationships with the Nigerian Universities Commission. The executive secretaries have been warm, culminating last year with the launch of the Transnational Education Guidelines. The British Council and the NUC worked closely on that. We are building the higher education sector in Nigeria.
Another highlight is our work in the digital sphere. COVID-19 made us rethink how we deliver our work and engage when face-to-face interaction was challenging. We pivoted our programme to reach a broader audience through digital means. One of the programmes we developed was the Skills for Inclusive Digital Participation in Kano. We have also worked with marginalised communities—women, girls, and people living with disabilities—and with artists and creatives to develop 21st-century skills.
How have these partnerships contributed to the success of the mission in Nigeria?
We couldn’t have done all these without local partnerships. These partnerships are, I hope, long-term and based on mutual interests. We need people on the ground who really understand the communities.
The British Council is in its 80th year. We couldn’t have achieved the fantastic work we’ve done without dedicated partners. We can’t be everywhere and we don’t know everything.
We need to work in partnership to understand the real needs of the people and the communities we are working with. Our partners understand the culture much better than we do, which increases the reach and impact of our work. Working hand-in-hand with them has been mutually beneficial, contributing to the longevity and sustainability of our efforts.
Now that you are leaving Nigeria for Kenya as Regional Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, how do you plan to leverage your experience in Nigeria in your new position?
Nigeria has been a valuable experience for me. Even though I am moving to Kenya, I will always have a connection with Nigeria because it is a priority country. I think the experience of truly listening and developing programmes for the Nigerian people has been invaluable. Nigeria has also taught me how to connect with people, listen properly, engage, and work in partnership to deliver our programmes.
What is your impression of Nigeria and the Nigerian people?
There are many positive words to describe Nigeria and its people: warm, friendly, embracing, resilient, entrepreneurial, and strong. Nigeria and her people are fantastic.
How has your time in Nigeria shaped you personally and professionally?
I have gained greater empathy and improved listening skills. I have had to make some tough decisions, but I have drawn strength and resilience from Nigeria. My leadership style has evolved as a result. I am genuinely interested in getting to know people. I am not the traditional top-down leader. This approach has worked well, and I believe we have developed a fantastic team in Nigeria from whom I have learnt much, and I hope they have learnt something from me as well.
How many states have you visited?
I have been to over 20 states. I have covered all geopolitical zones. We have offices in Kano, Rivers, Abuja, and Lagos, but our work extends beyond these. I am a regular visitor to all those states, including Cross River, Oyo, and Adamawa.
Have you learnt any Nigerian languages?
(Laughs) I know ‘nagode’! I also know a few more words in Pidgin. For example, I know ‘wahala’.
What is your favourite Nigerian delicacy?
Jollof rice.
Can you make it?
Hmm… No. (Laughs) I have tried and failed. I can do chicken suya, but jollof rice defeats me, especially the smokiness.
What will you miss about Nigeria?
The people, the laughter, and the dancing. I will miss the fun, but most of all, the people.
If you could describe your time in Nigeria in three words, what would they be?
Life-changing, fun, and no wahala.
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