A man full of drive and tenacity, Ako Ufodike has achieved several accomplishments during his time in Canada. Ako has lived in Canada for over 20 years and in that time, he has broken cultural and physical barriers and as a result, Ako has risen to the top of his career. Currently, serving as a member of the house of Parliament and Nigerian-Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Calgary, Afo also hails as an entrepreneur, director at Avion energy services and works as an associate professor at MacEwan University. Ako holds multiple degrees and is happily married with 4 children.
Ako is a firm believer that success as an immigrant comes from fully committing to living life as a Canadian and calling Canada home. While on the Wonda show, Ako emphasises that when fully immersed, one does not live in transit mode, undecided about living in Canada or seeing Canada as a temporary destination with the hope of one day returning home. Doing so according to Ako robs individuals of the opportunity to reach their full potential and establish wealth and relevance for themselves and others to come.
Ako believes that most immigrants live with this mindset and a lot find out that the relevance they are pursuing from their home country never comes. In his and his peers’ experience, culturally and economically investing in Canada causes many to become sought-after personalities both in Canada and their home countries.
Ako’s advice resonates strongly with me as I have personally spent the better part of my 6-year journey in Canada in transit, not fully investing in Canada and I can see how I have potentially lost time and resources by doing so. While I have now decided that Canada is home, Ako’s words serve as a reminder of the importance of focusing on adding value to Canada as the best way to benefit and become a relevant global citizen just as he is. Ako is proud to call Canada home and so am I. Make sure to tune in in August for “The Wonda Show” to watch this intellectually stimulating interview.