Mrs. Kehinde Nwani, GMD/CEO, Meadow Hall Group The Fidelity SME Forum is a weekly radio programme organized by Fidelity Bank Plc to educate, inform, advise and inspire budding entrepreneurs in Nigeria with knowledge and expertise that will enable them build sustainable and successful businesses. The interactive radio programme features subject matter experts and model entrepreneurs as guests on a weekly basis to share their insight and unique success stories.
In this interview, Mrs. Kehinde Nwani, GMD/CEO, Meadow Hall Group, shared her thoughts on Winning Strategies in the Education Sector
Q: You were once a Lawyer with extensive experience in the legal profession. Now that you’re an entrepreneur, what propelled you to go into the education sector and start the Meadow Hall School?
A: Alright, I would say passion and purpose. While I was growing up, I loved teaching; all I wanted to become was a Teacher. Maybe it was because my mother was a teacher, and I grew up in a University environment, so all I knew was teaching. The older I grew however, I realized that teaching wasn’t a profession that was respected; it was actually looked down on and here was I, a young girl, ambitious and looking for a respectable and lucrative career. So I decided to bury that passion and follow my desires. I actually went into the University to study Education but then changed to Law. Though I enjoyed studying Law, practicing it was something different. It didn’t take me too long to realize that Law wasn’t for me. It certainly wasn’t what I had been created to do. Personally, I’m a very creative person who likes to think out of the box; I love colour, flowers and things like that, yet here was I in a very conservative profession that was the exact opposite of who I was. I knew I had made a career mistake. At that point, I quickly retraced my steps. Actually, God spoke through my husband, who said to me “You are good with children (ours and other people’s children). I think you should go back to education.” It clicked. So thereafter, I went back to school to study Education, up to a Master’s level actually. Along the line, I started Meadow Hall and found fulfilment. It’s been amazing so far. My story is a bit like Jonah’s in the Bible – I went the opposite direction of what God had created me to do, but then I retraced my steps and now I’m having a lot of fun. So purpose and passion brought me back to education.
Q: So you started with an idea and now you have the Meadow Hall Group. How has the business evolved so far?
A: You know like most visions evolve, Meadow Hall has evolved over the years. We started in 2002 with the Infant and Junior School, and now we have a College. We have also just set up another site in Ikoyi. Then finally, Meadow Hall has grown into an educational group with five subsidiaries. We have Meadow Hall School, which we refer to as Meadow Hall Education. It is focused on 21st Century best practices and caters to the individual needs of every child. We have Meadow Hall Consult, an education consulting firm focused on training of Teachers. We actually set up a finishing school for Teachers, conduct leadership trainings and handle different education projects for the public and private sectors as well. We also started a foundation called Meadow Hall Foundation which takes care of CSR projects and charitable initiatives such as our School Adoption Programme. There is also the Graduate Trainee Programme where we train fresh graduates at no cost at all to them before turning them over to the society. There are 2 other companies; one of them is Spring Meadow Edutainment which focuses on developing non-cognitive skills in children. The Nigerian child needs more than the extra-curricula activities they take part in school. While this is necessary, they certainly can’t get enough practice to develop expertise in those areas. Spring Meadow centres provide such opportunities for them. We also have the Meadow Hall Branchise, which franchises these centres. I brought all these companies under one management to form the Meadow Hall Group.
Q: You’ve done something special by providing a strong brand, building systems and structures that work independent of you and I’m wondering how you’ve been able to do that. There are entrepreneurs listening who are struggling with one employee and you have hundreds of them. How have you been able to put in place the systems and structures?
A: I think one needs to be focused. To build a strong brand or system that would actually succeed you, it is very important to put very effective structures and standards in place. You need to have your standard operating procedures and your policies in place; develop them carefully and keep reviewing them; be mindful of your mission and vision. Once you’ve done all that, then put very seasoned professionals in charge and things will work out. I don’t try to save costs on staff; I employ the very best. We have a Quality Assurance and Control department as well; they’re constantly monitoring standards; the standard of education, the environment and the way we do things. Of course, you must continue to learn and improve. If you do the above you will have a strong brand that will continue to grow. It’s actually why we decided to expand, because of the phenomenal growth we were experiencing to the glory of God.
Q: So you found good leaders and you empowered them to run. How do you find them? Because everybody struggles with finding the best Teachers; the best employees.
A: First of all, we use print media, social media, and word of mouth to get a lot of applications and then sieve through carefully. We then take them through a very rigorous recruitment process using our standard recruitment policy. After doing all of that and getting the best, we put them through a very detailed induction programme and then support them with mentoring and coaching programmes. When you do that, you will find that even if they were good when they came in, they’ll become better.
Q: The education sector has evolved significantly. When I was growing up, public schools were really what everyone went through. Now you have private schools almost taking over and then you have quite a bit of competition in the market place. How have you been able to differentiate yourself and how have you been able to partner with others to achieve greater impact?
A: To differentiate ourselves, we have remained focused; be true to your vision; don’t copy other people. Whatever it is that you set out to do, focus on it, concentrate and continue to learn. I keep saying to people “you cannot defeat a learner, because the learner is always moving up and getting better.” Once you continue to learn and you are reflective in your ways, you will remain ahead. We don’t joke with our SWOT analysis and we develop strategies from these analysis. So when you do these – that is, you’re learning; you’re reflective; you’re keeping true to your vision. You can’t really miss it. As for partnering with other people, I realized that there was only so much I could achieve as an individual; as one school. There’s this acronym I like a lot; it’s called TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. We tried on our own and I realized that the impact wasn’t enough, so I decided to partner with other people and associations. We’re members of the Association of Private Educators in Nigeria (APEN), Association of International Schools in Nigeria (AISEN). We are also part of I Stand for Education and Incubator Africa; I’ve partnered with all these associations in order to work on projects and train Teachers. We are also a pressure group trying to get the government to hear and listen to some of the things we’re saying concerning the education sector.
Q: Now as you think about this sector. There are listeners who are Lawyers or have other professions, but are really not passionate about what they are doing right now and want to start a business, maybe in the education sector or the entrepreneurs who are struggling in that sector. What advice would you give those people who want to find opportunities in this space?
A: First of all, I believe it’s very important to do what you’ve been called to do. I think everybody has an area of strength; you only need to identify it. You must be passionate. Actually, when you find your area of strength, the passion will follow and when you’re passionate about something you will keep learning about it. The mistake we make sometimes though is that we focus on the technical bit only. Like I said earlier, I went back to school up to a Master’s level, but I did not neglect the business development, the entrepreneurial development and the leadership training that one needs as an entrepreneur. So when you do all that and you focus, you’ll be fine.
Q: In the education sector in particular, if I wanted to go into that sector, where are the opportunities that still exists today?
A: Another mistake most people make is that they think education is just about being in the classroom with 25 children. It’s a lot more. In fact, Teachers make you feel that way, that if you’re not in the classroom you’re not a Teacher. I don’t agree with that. I think there are numerous opportunities; there is Quality Assurance and Control career path. You can act as a private inspector to schools to help them prepare adequately for official inspection. In our school it’s a well defined career path. There are other things you can do such as educational consulting, educational retail, and educational resourcing. You can also venture into book writing and publishing. For us, we have a franchise scheme which creates educational entrepreneurship opportunities for people. You can buy one of our Centres if you are passionate about education, children and their learning.
Q: Keenly aware that you’re involved in so many initiative; you’re a mother with 2 children, you juggle all these responsibilities and have a group with five subsidiaries. How are you able to handle all of these with your role as a mother, wife, entrepreneur and a change agent?
A: Planning, organization, getting people who are very good at what they do, I thank God for my husband who has been extremely supportive in every way, so I try not to disappoint him. I try to be everything I need to be as a wife. As for my children, they’re wonderful children but they need their mother as well, so I actually try to give on to Ceasar what is Ceasar’s. However, there was a time I realized I wasn’t giving anything to myself, so I decided to take time out to rest. So you’d find out that in a week, there is a day I work at my own pace. I call it the Flexi- day.
