•Fertility Expert, Dr. ABAYOMI AJAYI
It’s no longer news that Nordica Fertility Centre is 20, a landmark year which is being celebrated in a big way. The world-renowned fertility has come of age providing top notch reproductive health services. With its presence in Lagos, Asokoro in FCT and Asaba in Delta State, Nordica is putting smiles on the faces of their clients across the country.
Reflecting on how the idea of setting up the fertility centre was conceived, the MD/CEO of Nordica Fertility Centre, Dr. Abayomi Ajayomi narrated how it all started over 20 years ago. Below are excerpts from the interview with City People’s JAMIU ABUBAKAR.
“I always have a passion for people whose life may have given a short end of the string. That’s how fertility came into my space. I saw that there were people who had achieved everything in life but because they don’t have children people consider them to be second rate and they also consider themselves to be second rate. I remember there used to be a bank executive who achieved so many things and she said she was finding it very difficult to travel. Anytime people see her on the plane, they say she is going for treatment.
So, my turning point one day was; I was in UCH, then there was no IVF. We used to have this urologist. I was doing Urology posting. The man is of blessed memory. He was a renowned urologist; a professor of urology but a very disorganised man. He used to have this meeting in the office, you see men; pilots, accomplished people, come to his office on Tuesday morning. I did my urology posting with him. they come in, you see and when they are going, they are crying; men. So, I was at one of these meetings one day. Then they used to do testicular biopsy. They do Testicular Biopsy for a man who can’t have children. And the man will then tell you that; ‘you see, we have done everything, so you have to go and start praying. It’s only God that can help you.” Telling somebody who has money to buy almost everything. After one of these meetings one day, that must be about 1990. I called the man and I said; but I hear there is something called IVF and the man laughed. He said; IVF in Nigeria? Nobody should think of IVF in Nigeria. That was how I started thinking of IVF. There must be a way of doing IVF. I have never seen it but there must be a way. Then they should do media. If you are doing an IVF, you have to prepare for the media. So I saw myself reading a lot about ms media. I have never seen it before but it just fascinated me to read about it. when they changed the composition of the media, I would know. And one day, I was asking myself; are you crazy/ why do you want to know whether they are changing how they are preparing media.
When I finished my training, all I just wanted to do was IVF but there was no place I could do it in Nigeria. So, I had to go on with my normal gynaecology until 2001. The internet just came in in Nigeria, I think. So, we used to go to the cybercafé to go and study in 1999/2000. So, in 2001 I just received an email. Somebody was asking me if I was interested in IVF. And I think the way I replied to that mail, the guy now replied to me that yes, I think I have found the person I’m looking for. What was he looking for? These are Israelis and they have clinics in central Europe, Czech Republic and Slovak. And they wanted to open a clinic in Africa. So, they were looking for a partner; a gynaecologist. There was a group then; OBGYN.net which was a group of gynaecologists all over the world. I was the one representing Nigeria in that group. So that’s why the guy reached out to me and as they say the rest is history. The guy invited me to the Czech Republic. Then I was working in Lagoon hospital. So, I went. And that was the first time I was seeing IVF in my life. But unfortunately, my experience getting Slovak was bad. I was the only black man. I went to Slovakia. I went from the Netherlands to the Czech Republic, that was not bad; maybe about 3 of us were black on the plane. But between the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic, I was the only black person. I was the only black person in the airport. They had warned me here in Lagos that if I get to Slovak, I might have problems that I should call them at the embassy. So, when I got to Slovakia, they said I should come and sit down in one office. And then I sat down. I was there for about 2 hours. Majority of them could not speak English. I think the boss just came in. That was the only IVF clinic in the Slovak Republic then and so they are very well known in that place. They were already expecting me. So, they carried my name and they were waiting for me. But I couldn’t go out. I think the guy while he was coming to the office had seen that name. and then he came to the office. He saw my passport and he said oh! Are you the person these people are waiting for? I said yes and that was what bailed me out. I came out and of course we went. I stayed with them for a week but after that we had a meeting and I told them I was not going to come back. The agreement was that I was going to bring my people for them to be trained in Slovak but when one person entered your country, the whole place shook. So, if I should bring in 4 more people, what will happen? We agreed that we were not going to do the business. So that’s how I got to meet Carl Eric Nordica. There used to be a clinic called Syncronia, it was one of the best clinics in the world. It was in Denmark. I didn’t know that the owner was nearing death. He was very sick. He had cancer and was about to die. When he saw my mail, he sent it to Carl Eric. Carl Eric and his friend who was the first professor of reproductive medicine in the Nordic countries. So, they were in partnership. And his friend was the scientific director of Syncronia. He was still at the teaching hospital. So, the man sent this mail to him. Carl Eric said, Oh! He was coming to Nigeria and that was how we met in Nigeria. We had the meeting in Abuja then. That was how we came about forming Nordica with Carl Eric. So that was about 20 years ago. Looking back at what has been done over the last 20 years, Dr. Ajayi spoke on what they intend doing as they forge ahead in the business. He said;
“The only thing I would love to do is to have a building that will befit what we are doing. You can have a building and not have a business. It is better when you have a business and you are moving into a building. If we move into a building, we are not going to be waiting for the business to grow. We already have. Business. So, I prefer building the people that you are going to move into the building rather than having the building and then trying to build the people that are going to work with you. We have started the building and we are tugging at it; one block at a time until we are able to finish it. By and large, I’m happy when I look back and I don’t know how 20 years have spread by. I’m happy with what I see, especially the way maybe not even for Lagos because I wake up and come here every day but the way even our outside clinics run. It shows that we must be doing something that is right. If you are doing well, we can see, if you are not doing well, we can see. We can see when you are getting it wrong. For me, that shows we are building a structure. And that is what a business is all about.
When asked if he had ever regretted setting up the fertility centre, this is what he said: “One thing about me is that that word does not exist. This is what I mean; every decision you make is your best judgement. That’s the best you could make at that point in time. I don’t have a regret button. That’s what I tell people because each point I made what I consider to be the best decision I could have made. If it’s wrong, I have just found another way of not doing that thing. So, when that thing comes up in future, I remember that’s not how to do it. so, let’s try another way. I’m sorry I don’t have any regrets. The best thing about me is that seriously I find it difficult to remember the past. I can remember people who have done good things to me. But people who have done bad things, I very rarely remember. I just know that this is a bad person. Why that is so I can’t remember. I have to start reminding myself; what did he do? Well don’t deal with this person. That’s all I know. So, I have to start remembering what he did, why did you say that? But most of the time I don’t border myself with that. I just know that; No this is not the person I’m going to do business with. That’s all. That’s why when I lie on my bed, I sleep like a baby every day.
He however advised young and innovative Nigerians out there who are looking for ways of breaking even in their respective businesses under the harsh economic realities in the land. He said migrating out of the country is not the best solution. He therefore gave hints about things they should adopt to pull through.
“Patience is number 1. I’m not trying to sound like an old man but social media is a horrible thing. It has changed the way our values are. There are some people I don’t think any young man should be looking up to. Those are whom people call their mentors. I shrink and wonder if you are serious! This person? This is a criminal! There is no shortcut in life. The earlier people realised that your value is not determined by your location. So if you like to run in Australia, your value is determined by the problems that you can solve. Why are they coming to take graduates from Nigeria? It’s because they can do basic things. But imagine you developed yourself to an extent. But because every day you are looking at a man who has worked for 30 years whereas, who has just started 3 years ago and you want to start comparing yourself to him. you know that you are going to end up in the ditch. If you like, you can tell me about Mark Zuckerberg, the owner of Facebook, that he has money, then I will tell you how many of his type there are in the world. When you know what you are doing and you persist at it. When only Lagos has 20 million people, I see people selling fried plantain. If you sell it and you scale up, you can imagine how many fried plantains they would be eating in Lagos in a day. I think we will need to be patient and also be strategic. If you ask me, I don’t see any reason why anybody is running anywhere. What you are doing is that you are leaving all your rights to a place where you don’t have any right. A migrant has no right. If you like, spend 30 years there. I have cousins who have been in America for years. They have green passports, they have everything. They are citizens but when push comes to show they ask you where you are from originally? When there is a sensitive thing to be done. Now I hear people talk about no night. But I don’t see how light would be the reason for migration. It’s tough, there is no doubt. but people say it’s because you are privileged. Yes, I agree but don’t forget I wasn’t born like this. I have had my own fair share of difficulties and issues. So, I would say just persist at what you are doing. Please don’t put criminal things into it so that you don’t end up; the bible says a life dog is better than a dead lion. If you find yourself in prison, all your dreams are gone. So, stay out of prison, stay out of the things that will make you not achieve your dreams and keep doing it. Success would come. Maybe at this point, let me say it; I hate those who talk about this multiple stream of income. They are robbing our young people off focus which is the key element to success. They say you need 4 sources of income, to do what? It’s part of the hurry. In my language, they say a dog is never so fierce that it would be looking after two houses. You can only look after one house. So, by the time we start looking after 4 houses, you are in trouble. You just don’t know it yet. When you are a jack of all trades, you become master of none. You need to master whatever you are doing in order to understand your industry inside out. And that is how you can see the opportunities that are in your industry.
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