Interview with Dr. Peter Olatunde Bamkole

Grow Learn Connect: Quoting the Brazilian soccer player Pelé, "Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do." You set yourself up for success by acquiring the best education in the field of business management. You are not only an IFC master trainer, but you also completed the Executive MBA program with IESE. You have recently been awarded the Doctor of Philosophy in Entrepreneurship and Innovation degree by the International School of Management.

Yet, it all started with mechanical engineering. What made you change your educational path? 

Dr. Bamkole: First, I have Brazilian roots – my grandmother was Ferreira. So, I aligned 100% with Pele. I never really changed from mechanical engineering as I constantly infuse and use my engineering experiences in my entrepreneurship activities. However, my MBA amplified my path to entrepreneurship. It was during that period that I assisted entrepreneurs to grow through the advice that I gave them. So, I decided it’s probably better to do this strategically – hence my pioneering the EDC of Pan-Atlantic University. 

GLC: What issues in entrepreneurship and development did you explore in your doctoral thesis?

Dr. Bamkole: It was how to infuse e-learning into the training of SMEs. I was very sure that if the majority were to access learning at an affordable rate, then we would have no choice but to go the e-learning route. However, I didn’t want to stick with the traditional LMS (Learning Management System) model that assumed that all learners have access to smart devices. So, I investigated the drivers of e-learning, especially in situations where learners have access to only feature phones, limited or no internet access, and in some cases, pedagogy and language barriers. All of these deepened my understanding of what works for those who are unknowingly being excluded from learning when the rest pivoted online.

GLC: What motivated you to keep learning?

Dr. Bamkole: The day you stop learning is the day you start becoming irrelevant. Some would say, it’s the day you start dying. Whichever one you prefer, it’s just not in your best interest to stop learning. I guess that is what motivates me.

GLC: As someone who never stops learning, you must have the next educational goal in mind. Can you share with us your aspirations for the next 5-10 years?

Dr. Bamkole: Hmm… Too many.

First, I want to bring my experiences into the academic world. So, I will be engaging in a few publications and book writing. My first book will probably be on EDC – building an entrepreneurial ecosystem. This will condense all that I have learned in 20 years into one book.

Next, I want to bridge the gap between academia and practice.

And the third one will be helping our students use their learning to impact society for good.

There’s more but I’ll stop here.

GLC: You have been at the core of every single initiative for SMEs – be it the IFC SME Toolkit or Business Edge programs, the National Business Planning Competition, and you held leadership roles in the private sector development organizations (e.g., ANDE, Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council, Nigeria Climate Innovation Center, Youth Learning Advisory Committee of the MasterCard Foundation).

What brought you on this path? What sparked your interest in bolstering the development of the MSME and more broadly the private sector?

Dr. Bamkole: MSMEs in Nigeria have always been on the fringes and I reckoned that if they were well-equipped, they would compete better than their peers across the world. So, to make this happen, I will always be attracted to any value proposition that seeks to improve its lot. Also, as soon as we started seeing the result of these efforts, it further motivated me to do even more. The adrenaline kept on pumping.

GLC: You have been the director of the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of the Pan-Atlantic University since 2003. What prompted you to set up the center?

Dr. Bamkole: I wanted to develop an army of entrepreneurial leaders that are committed to continuous learning, improvement of their processes, and work with integrity. That became our mission statement and I believe in doing this, they will be able to compete better anywhere in the world.

GLC: Who are the EDC of PAU’s primary clients?

Dr. Bamkole: These are small and medium enterprises. However, a few of the projects that we handled made us work with micro-enterprises. Our focus is Nigeria but we have done a few interventions with the African continent.

GLC: What are the EDC of PAU’s major achievements that you’re proud of?

Dr. Bamkole: This is a difficult question for me but let's see if I can summarize it in 5 bullet points:

· Building an institution that SMEs can truly call their own

· Building an ecosystem that provides opportunities for SMEs

· Ensuring that entrepreneurship is taught to every undergraduate student at PAU

· Building networks – ANDE, Directors of EDCs across Nigerian Universities, Business Development Service Providers, etc.

· Amplifying the voice of MSMEs across Nigeria (federal, state, and local governments)

GLC: What is your favorite L&D role (e.g., instructional designer, facilitator, master trainer, coach, training consultant) and why?

Dr. Bamkole: I guess it must be a master trainer. This is where you hand-hold other facilitators to become better facilitators of learning.

Lightning Round Interview Questions

· Who is your role model? Jose Maria Escriva. He brought to life the idea of “Doing ordinary things in extraordinary ways”.

· What is your favorite quote? Time is Money!

· What hobbies do you pursue? Traveling. And I have tactfully made my family love it too.

· What was the last book you read? Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation, by Sharan B. Merriam and Elizabeth J. Tisdell

· Who is your favorite singer? The old-time classic will be Bob Marley but there are many young Nigerian performers today that I love equally.

· What did you want to become when you were a child? Interestingly, I wanted to be an engineer after my dad who was a telephone engineer.