Affiong Osuchukwu is the Founder & CEO of Oh So Nutrition, a lifestyle company focused on promoting wellness through food. Prior to her venture into plant-based food and beverage entrepreneurship, she spent over 20 years of her career in North America, Europe and Sub-saharan Africa as a successful B2C and B2B brand, product and device marketing, strategy and tech expert. Some of her most notable positions include Chief Marketing Officer at Google in Nigeria, Regional head of YouTube marketing and Google Apps marketing, and strategy consultant at Deloitte serving Fortune 50 clients.
She was born in England and like many children of Nigerian parents at the time; she was fostered by an English family. Her parents did this while they focused on finishing university and holding down jobs. It was a thing back then. Affiong actually met and heard many stories that were similar to hers. She grew up in a small village in East Anglia and for 90% of her childhood; she was the only black person in the village. “Well, when I started my career in the US, nine times out of 10, I was the only black person, and oftentimes, the only woman in the room. It didn’t bother me, because I had lived with that most of my life. So I never shied away from speaking my mind or being vocal or doing what I had to do.” She said. She didn’t feel uncomfortable in many instances where most black people do today because she had been groomed for years on handling being the only one. “Race is very much still an issue around the world. Whether I’m traveling, in meetings or conferences or working with clients day today, I am me, 100% Affiong, not the black person nor the woman. Racism can make you conscious of your skin colour most times. The Nigerian blood in my veins also added to my boldness” Affiong reveals.
Her foray into plant-based living began six years ago due to health reasons, as well as, her desire for her family to live a healthier, well-balanced, cleaner life. In 2014, Affiong was on the verge of a second major surgery and was wondering why. The one thing that came to her mind at the time was that it must be food. She had changed many other aspects of her lifestyle, but her diet had not changed at all. She was still eating and drinking the exact same way between one surgery and the next. “A series of tests revealed that there were a number of foods that I was also allergic or had very high sensitivities to as well. I had to completely change my eating habits overnight, going from being a conventional eater of practically everything to completely vegan, eating only plant-based foods.”
There are several questions on being Vegan. Questions like “Where do you get your protein?” Are you deficient in calories?” And, “you must only eat salads…how boring!” These are myths Affiong debunks saying “I hear these all the time. These are all far from the truth. Human beings are not actually designed to digest animal products. All the nutrients, protein and calories we need to function daily can be obtained from plant-based foods. As for eating salads all the time, also not true. I can make cheese out of cashews and ice cream out of a fresh coconut.”
Having worked previously at Google, her experience there can surely not be forgotten. I say so because she tells me “When I joined Google in Nigeria, we were in start-up mode and I was the third full-time hire in the Lagos office. It has been one of my most exciting corporate roles to date – working for a global tech brand helping to ensure that people in Africa are connected to and empowered to participate and contribute to the global online ecosystem. Being at the forefront of that endeavour and actually meeting people who were positively affected by the programs I led was extremely fulfilling.” Affiong says.
Having spent 20 years in developed countries and Sub-saharan Africa, Affiong says there are so many things to learn from developed countries. She says, as Nigerians and Africans as a whole, we have to promote our own successes and achievements otherwise; the story of our country will always be one of doom and gloom. Aside from advising Nigerians to project positivity, she says “we need to have an export, not an import mindset. Put crude oil aside. Nigeria is blessed. We have access to significant resources that the world needs, yet much of it is untapped or exported in raw form. We have to learn to add value to our resources and selling that value. This will help grow our economy, increase job opportunities, wealth creation, and distribution.” Says Affiong.
According to her, each one of us is a work in progress and life is about constant evolution. “We are not trees; therefore we are not rooted in the ground and can move. People may look at me or read my profile and think ‘wow she’s accomplished’. I laugh because I’ve failed woefully many times; I once lost everything I had ever owned. I was put on probation at university because my grades fell due to personal circumstances.
I found myself alone in a foreign country at 20 with no idea of how I was going to pay my school fees or remain there legally. You can knock me down 7 times, I will stand up 8. Always stand up, brush yourself off and keep stepping every day in the direction of your dreams. To realize your dreams, you must have grit, laser-like focus, full sensory visualization (imagine it into reality) and profound belief. And for now, I am still very much a work in progress.” Affiong admits.
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