*The first time you meet Vision, he is either smiling or cooking up a joke. He is also rather fond of peering into his computer while rubbing his forehead, and occasionally passing comments to his colleagues. But is there more to AFEX’s new product management intern? We had a conversation with the graduate intern from the AFEX Bar Raiser Program to find out.

“I am not a fan of Marvel movies,” he says. So, you know quickly that you will not succeed in bribing him with a movie ticket to watch Dr. Strange in the multiverse of madness. However, a football date to watch a Manchester United match would work as the 25-year-old human dignity advocate is an avid lover of sports. That however is not the only thing that Vision loves. A man of many interests, Vision takes research seriously and is deeply excited about building a great career for himself.

“I hold a BSc in Biochemistry from the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi. After I graduated, I worked as a research intern at Sheda Science and Technology Complex, (SHETSCO) Abuja and National Centre for Genomic Research and Biotechnology (NACGRAB) Ibadan. I also volunteered with an international NGO, The World Youth Alliance, with our key value proposition being the promotion of human dignity”

The dance with the NGO cemented Vision’s drive to get involved with impact-driven projects, especially, those that focus on human rights and dignity.

“The idea of dignity is fundamental to how we perceive ourselves and relate with other people. I believe the world will be a better place if we all have dignity, we just need to recognize it and cherish it.”

Still very much with an eye on impact, Vision is experimenting with his career again, and this time he is looking to help Africa feed itself at AFEX. The opportunity to become a graduate intern at AFEX was one that even his sister could not let slip by.

“I remember stumbling on the call for graduate interns at AFEX on social media. It had the Bar Raiser Program written boldly on it. Then my sister also sent the post to me on WhatsApp. I remember scrolling through Twitter when my elder sister called me and yelled as to why I had not applied for the internship program she sent to me through WhatsApp. I immediately opened the message, applied, and was like "okay, I've applied, can you stop disturbing me now"

My official interview was so much fun. First, I had to choose my preferred location for the interview, and I picked Abuja, only to make another request for a virtual interview due to logistics difficulties. After my request for a virtual interview was granted, on the D-Day, my network connectivity decided to have a mind of its own. At a point, the interviewer had to say, “Abi village people de disturb your network?” It was hilarious. After the back and forth with my network, I was able to start my interview and before I could blink an hour had gone and I thought to myself, am I in an American movie where I am being interviewed? Because it was different from the norm. It was an interesting session and most importantly, I learned how to pronounce the name of the company for which I was applying.”

Like most of the graduate interns for the AFEX Bar Raiser Program, Vision had a blast during onboarding. The one-week orientation program for this cohort of graduate interns delivered an immersive and interactive experience that allowed the new talents to connect to the company’s values, vision, culture, and job expectations. About his orientation, Vision states,

“Joining the internship program, I had one thing in mind – to learn as much as possible and add valuable working skills to my skillset. My experience in the orientation program was surreal, from the welcome pleasantries I got from the team to the surprise package to the food, the fun, the conversational lectures, and extra-curricular activities. It was a top-notch experience. My key takeaway from that program was that hard work drives success.

Today, I am a product management intern and I work on one of AFEX’s technology stacks, ComX. I get to not only learn about how the system works but also apply what I learn to resolve real-life challenges logged by clients. I also collaborate with a team of fellow bar raisers on designing the WorkBench mobile app.

My journey so far has been all about learning – learning across the systems in my tribe, understanding the importance of teamwork, and eating a lot of cake. It is always fun to eat cake and I get to do that a lot here. I love the journey so far. The work culture here is impeccable and the mentality to BE BETTER, DO BETTER, is motivating. Being part of this team is amazing, AFEX cares for the E in the TEAM - "Everyone"

On his valuable tip for a future graduate interns, he says “have a growth mindset, be open to learning new things, and most importantly, be ready to be part of wonderful new work culture. Be mentally prepared to be thrown into a fast-paced world of business.”