Life at AFEX can be dynamic. Full of new projects, exciting opportunities, and daunting challenges for Xperts to navigate, it makes for a rich work experience that can turn a newbie into an actual expert provided they are willing to show up every day and put in the work.

In this episode of the AFEX story, we sit with Timothy Akagwu, an Internal Control and Compliance Analyst and an avid Chelsea fan, who shares with us his journey into the Risk and Audit world, his first-ever job interview, what sets the AFEX culture apart, and how Excel is the “Beyonce” of all computing spreadsheet systems.

Hi Timothy, welcome to my seat; tell us a bit about you, exciting facts we may not know. Do you love dangerous pets, I recently found out someone has a cub as a pet.

My name is Timothy Akagwu, an Internal Control and Compliance Analyst at AFEX. Lol, I’m not even a pet lover. One thing you don’t know about me is that I sing: I’m an excellent musician, only in the bathroom. Honestly, the best musicians and artists worldwide have nothing on me when it comes to bathroom concerts. I’m the best, nothing short of a fantastic performer. I’d say ask around, but no one knows that yet. The concerts are impromptu, but it is my superpower.

Our very own artiste. Out of curiosity though, how did you find out about AFEX?

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) posted me to AFEX for my primary assignment. Before that period, I hadn’t ever heard about the organization. So, I had to research my PPA(AFEX) before coming for an interview with the CEO himself. The interview itself remains a highlight of my AFEX memory to date.

So, a lot of people don’t get to sit down with the CEO in an Interview and I’m wondering how that went, what made your interview memorable?

Uhhhh, it’s not every day you see a CEO interviewing for an internship position, I thought it would be just myself and HR, considering I was sent in by NYSC. However, I turned up and met the CEO. I felt confused, diffident, excited, and intrigued, the feelings were rolling out at the same time. It’s like being happy that I was talking to this person, but also scared that I wasn’t properly prepared for that situation. The end they say justifies the means, though. I left there happy because he commended my confidence, something I thought I lacked then.

What are some of your earliest memories of working at AFEX?

It’s been a minute here; however, one that stands out of the many was the launch of our commodity trading app; ComX. I came into the company in the thick of the planning and launch of the app. Honestly, every Xpert felt the impact; I’d say it was my own launch into the organization too. Also, after my service year, I had to go to the field to audit, immediately I came face to face with over 40,000 sacks, and my heart skipped. I couldn’t believe I wanted to leave the comfortable office for that. Still hilarious to date. So, yeah, that and my excellent interview.

Do you have any tool that makes the job seamless now?

Microsoft Excel!

You can only excel with understanding your spreadsheets in this line of work because we deal with numeric data. Inputting, balancing, and all of that awesome stuff associated with data analysis requires accuracy, and Excel makes little to no mistakes with data. So, it’s Excel for the win here.

So, are you an all-work, no-play person?

Never, I balance out the equation; all parts have to succeed for the other to be effective.

Okay, I see you, which social platform does it for you, and where do you find yourself laughing away?

Twitter- the bluebird app and TikTok. I doubt you’d ever be bored surfing both apps. Just have an internet connection and bant away! I’ll give credit to Nigeria’s Twitter; it has the best things to offer, and no matter how you feel at that moment, you find yourself laughing.

What advice will you give anyone looking to work with AFEX?

I’d say maximize resilience, and you need to stay on top of trends and understand that dynamics are constantly evolving within the organization. Above all, know how to enjoy yourself because problem no dey finish.