Fortune Granville
Alumni Relations Lead
Our Gap Closer of the month, Fortune Granville, Alumni Relations Lead, speaks about his work at the Foundation and what he finds most rewarding about it. “Witnessing the positive impact of reform projects implemented by alumni on the people and systems of government keeps me engaged and committed every day,” he says.
Please share your educational and professional background
I hold a Master’s in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from the University of Lagos, Nigeria; a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Administration (Programme Management) from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, Accra, Ghana; and a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems & Technology from the United States International University – Africa, Nairobi, Kenya.
Professionally, I hold a Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI) and a Project Management for Development Professionals (PMD Pro) Certification. I am also a Chartered and Licensed Member of the Chartered Institute of Project Managers in Nigeria (CIPMN).
What inspired you to pursue a career in the development sector?
I started my development career in Kenya as a volunteer for Enactus (formerly called SIFE) in 2011 and later, AIESEC in 2013. During this period, I saw the sufferings of people living in slums and how the very little help we rendered meant the whole world to them, at the time. So, this sparked a curiosity in me and I started researching more about social and development work, and how I could contribute, and that led me into Programme/Project Management, as it offered a holistic end-to-end view of supporting developmental interventions in communities.
What do you do at the Foundation?
As Team Lead, Alumni Relations, the overarching mandate of my job is to build and support the Alumni Association into becoming a formidable community of thought-provoking public servants who are driving and inspiring change across Africa. To achieve this, I organise and supervise upskilling, cascaded training and mentorship programmes; networking/award events; and provide support to alumni on their various reform projects. I also support the Alumni Association on their programmes and I serve as the Secretary of the Alumni Association’s Governing Council – which is the highest decision-making body of the Association.
What does your typical day look like?
I start my day by looking through and updating my to-do list (my own version of a Kanban Board), touch base with my team and then respond to messages sent on the Alumni WhatsApp Group and make/answer calls where needed. Afterwards, I visit the Alumni Community Website to monitor engagements and respond to requests, and then I follow up with Alumni who have deliverables such as articles, survey, reports, etc. – mostly in collaboration with the Communications Team. At the end of the day, I revisit my to-do list, update it and reflect the changes on the Foundation’s project tracking tool.
What makes the work that we do at the Foundation unique?
The key drivers of the change we desire to ensure we close the gap between Africa and the world are our Alumni, who are placed in strategic positions across Ministries, Departments and Agencies, including private and civil society organisations. The work I do at the Foundation is unique because my team is saddled with the responsibility of supporting alumni with their reform projects, ensuring impacts are achieved, sustained and scaled.
The mission of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation is to improve the lives of Africans through transformed public service delivery and access to quality primary healthcare, and we interface between the drivers of this change and the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation.
What do you find most rewarding about your work?
To witness the positive impact of reform projects implemented by alumni on the populace and systems of government. That sense of making a difference keeps me engaged and committed every day.