CORPORATE ABOKI: MY FIRST TIME ON A PLANE
A countryside-bred young man working in Lagos anonymously shares the unconventional and probably humorous side of his work experience in Lagos. He writes every other Friday. See past editions here.
Yaya dei
I opened this column almost one year ago hoping I would be able to write fortnightly. Unfortunately, after the first piece, I didn’t have the motivation and the time to continue. I’m having another go. I hope it has come to stay this time around.
Okay, thought of what was worth discussing this week and it was my first time on a plane.
What does this have to do with Corporate Job? A lot…because it was my employer that sent me on a duty that required me to fly.
February 16, 2007. It was a pre-NYSC job. I had just spent 6 weeks in this investment firm and it was at the peak of the capital markets boom in Nigeria. We had lots of jobs – mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt financing etc – and we had our hands full with projects. It was tedious, but a great opportunity for me to learn as well.
Okay, so one day, I got an email from the Head of my Unit, that I will be delivering some documents at the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) office in Abuja the next day.
It was like an impromptu decision. Maybe because it was impromptu – no flight booking was done for me. I was just handed N50k to cover my expense.
I closed around 7pm and I must be in Abuja via first flight the next day. I had no idea of what to do (LOL. Bush boy). I thought of going to the airport that same night to get my ticket. I didn’t want to take any chances that could make me miss the flight. I hear people miss flights and where I was staying was 3 hours to the airport.
I just called a more experienced friend and told him my confusion. The fellow said he would get back to me in 10 minutes and asked me to go home. He did the booking for me on his phone and sent me the reference number.
Fiam. I left home 5am the next day and got to Lagos airport 6.30am. I presented my reference number and my booking was confirmed. I paid and asked questions on my next steps.
Got on the plane eventually and by 8am I was in Abuja. Got a cab and was able to deliver the documents at the SEC office. By 1pm, I was back at the airport. It was a Friday so I got a taxi driver show me the nearest jumaat mosque to the airport. Prayed and returned to the airport by 2.30pm
By 4pm I was back in Lagos. I was relieved. It felt like a big assignment to me. It was also my first time in Abuja.
Major Lesson: Always seek help from more experienced associates. No gains in being egoistic.