Sometimes, the luxury of life is experienced in our little interactions with people we come by daily. For someone like Victor, a Clearing and Settlement Analyst at AFEX, social interaction is an essential currency to climbing the corporate ladder and he recognizes the beauty of life as a series of butterfly effects.

In this episode, he shares with us his perspective on how local delicacies can transcend tribes and how a perfect balance between social and career will help anyone win at life.

Hello, welcome. Can we meet you?

My name is Victor Umoru, and I’m an Analyst in the Clearing and Settlement tribe at AFEX. I belong to the settlement part of the title; I stay on the payout for all ComX transactions leaving the organization.

The ComX app? What does that entail?

Yes, I oversee every payment transaction, which means I need to always be on my toes, checking that there are no errors and that everything works out fine.

Tell us about you; interesting facts we may not know, perhaps you are team cash and no transfers. And in that case, how have you been surviving in this cashless economy?

In this cashless economy (laughs). Omo, I don’t have a choice between cash or transfer; it is the choice of that woman that sells food behind that car park area. But yeah, I’d rather use physical cash sha. It allows for easy movement. Also, I read about it in that *What is your financial love language? article on ComX *. I understood my financial language more after reading that piece.

However, what I’d say is the most fun about me is people’s confusion about my personality. I agree that I may seem quiet because of my looks; someone once said I am the human definition of “you look quiet.” The thing is - I really am not. People who have spent more time with me say I am much of a talker and much more outgoing than I initially seemed. Also, I am a non-Igbo who eats Okpa (the delicacy that looks like moi moi) almost daily; that counts as interesting abi?

Yes, it sure does; really interesting.

You’re welcome.

What tool makes your job seamless as a Clearing and Settlement Analyst at AFEX?

Some platforms do the work for me; I can't put the glory on just one, as I work a lot with finance and attending to the needs of our investors on the ComX app. So, a combination of payment portals, bank apps, and Excel do the magic for me. If one works and the other doesn’t na wahala. A day where I get no troubles from all of these turns out to be the best day in the month, and this is due to the rarity of such.

What are your earliest memories of working at AFEX, and how long have you been in AFEX?

I joined in October 2022, and my earliest memories would go around our social life here: The AFEX’s movie outing for Black Panther relaxed me because I have never worked with an organization that cares about your career and balances out your social life. The reward system helps you bond with your colleagues, which is quite refreshing. I’m building on my social capital. Please permit me to spin around “Social Capital”, I’ve been longing to use it.

Has working in AFEX improved your career journey?

People only fully grasp their growth once they look back; I recently did a mental check. I realized I had advanced mentally and career-wise in the organization, owing to the incredible people I have met in AFEX. Also, returning to the social capital I mentioned earlier, I’ve always wanted a place with a great bond. I don’t mean James Bond oo; I like that we have time to be serious and business-like and also cruise time.

Has your expectation of AFEX been met?

Before coming to AFEX, I saw a post about “helping Africa feed Itself,” I thought it was one of those lofty and vague visions organizations put out to sound inclusive. However, coming and working here has shown me that it is possible, and AFEX is doing this. So, looking at us pursuing and bridging the gap is an eye-opener, and I'm grateful I am here to help.

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

There are few AFEX out there, so if you want to come here, persevere. My current role wasn't the first application I applied for, but I continued applying until I got here, and now I'm also ready to help Africa feed itself. Watchword: Relentless.