Amb Wahab Akande:Navigating Cross-Cultural Currents as an Envoy in Europe
Soft-spoken and courteous, the Nigerian Consulate-General to Frankfurt, Ambassador Wahab Akande is an ambassador extraordinaire with exemplary leadership in foreign missions. In this encounter with Funke Olaode at his office in Frankfurt Am Main, Akande expressed his satisfaction in changing the narratives, and perception of Nigerians in his domain and why
he is proud to be a Nigerian envoy.
It is a Nigerian office that houses the Consulate-General Mission located on Weißfrauenstraße 12, 60311 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. A first-time visitor would experience its welcoming breeze while walking along the magnificent structure coated in white hues. At the end of the structure, which spreads across the entire floor lies the office of the Nigerian Consulate-General to Frankfurt, Ambassador Wahab Akande, an indigene of Ede, Osun State.
Akande joined the ministry of foreign affairs about 29 years ago and had worked in many Nigerian embassies abroad. In addition to working at the headquarters of the ministry, he was a secondment to the presidency in the protocol department.
“I worked at the office of the president and office of the vice president for six years before I got appointed as Consulate-General to Frankfurt a year ago,” he recounted.
Akande has made Nigerians proud in service delivery as well as his demonstration of patriotism through dedication to duties. He served in Belgium before he was posted to Frankfurt in 2021 to head the first and only Nigerian Consulate Office in entire Europe. Within a short period, his diligence, and respect for professional ethics have seen many Nigerians enjoying the privilege often experienced in the western world with prompt visa issuance and express visa appointment without delay.
His competence as the eyes and nose of Nigeria was put to test early this year when the Ukraine war broke out. The aftermath saw many Nigerians, particularly students fleeing the war zone. Akande was on ground ensuring safety of all regardless of their parental status. His devotion in that dark moment has been hailed as true patriotism.
For those who have followed his career trajectory, Akande is a child of providence who didn’t think he would become an ambassador or a career diplomat. His only aspiration was to become a teacher.
“I became a career diplomat by accident. I had always wanted to be a teacher actually. In the university, I wanted to be a lecturer and God actually answered my prayer when I was posted to Jos for my NYSC. In those days, those students with either a First Class or a Second Class Upper (2.1) were usually recruited and posted to the university. I was lucky to be among the chosen. I was posted to the University of Jos and after my NYSC I was offered a position as a graduate assistant. And I began life as a lecturer,” he recalled.
While navigating through life on campus, he met a mentor who believed his life was not suitable for a career in the classroom. There was a twist of fate as Akande’s career pivoted from being a teacher to a Federal Civil Servant. “I was a bit reluctant when my mentor was pushing me to obtain the Federal Ministry form into the Foreign Affairs. Reluctantly I came to Lagos to obtain the form and went straight for the interview where I met the wife of the late Head of State, Mrs. Shonekan who presided over the interview that morning.”
During the interview process, Akande discovered that he didn’t need a third party or external influence to secure his ‘dream’ job. His outstanding Second Class Upper Division from the University of Ibadan paved the way. “I was employed straight away with my 2.1 in French. With modesty, I was the only one with such a grade among the applicants for the job. I did documentation in the ministry of foreign affairs in 1993 and began work.”
Akande is a patriot who switches easily between his career and devotion to the nation as an envoy. And this is evidenced in his exploits where he believes in everything he does. Nigeria and Nigerians, however, take priority. “I was in Belgium at a time not as the head of missions, I was in charge of consular services dealing with consular problems of Nigerians and foreigners. And of course, you know that Belgium is also an important country, it is the headquarters of the European Union. Just like Frankfurt is an important city. It is the commercial headquarters of Germany and Europe. It is the investment capital of Europe actually. And of course, you also have the biggest airport here and you also have a lot of Nigerians around here. Everywhere we go, it is a service to Nigerians. Nigerians are the centre of everything we do. First and foremost, the embassies and the consulate exist because of Nigerians. It is for the welfare and the interest of Nigerians. We try as much as possible to render quality service to Nigerians, make the mission attractive to Nigerians, let Nigerians feel free to come, let them know that they can come without knowing anybody.”
As Consulate General in Frankfurt, Akande is making his mark. Before his appointment a year ago, the Consulate office in Frankfurt only captured biometrics and data while passport printing and issuance were done in Berlin. Taking the Nigerian visitors around the newly installed equipment, Akande with a tone of accomplishment exclaimed, “we have changed the narratives. Everything is done here now and it is immediate.
“Before I was posted here a year ago, there was no passport machine in this place. You know the number one problem of all Nigerians in the Diaspora is the passport. In Germany, we have 79,000 Nigerians registered officially. Everything they do is tied to the passport and the validity of their passport. So not having a passport machine in this mission was a big problem. And there is no way you can meet the aspirations of Nigerians without having that key thing that they need, which is the passport machine. Nigerians here can get their passport immediately and at stipulated cost.”
Akande’s visionary effort has begun to alleviate the problems of Nigerians that want to renew their passports. “Officially, we are allocated to the city of Frankfurt and other states here. With the passport machine here, Nigerians in Norway, Finland, Austria, Luxemburg, Belgium, Poland and Finland now come here to renew their passports. It is a great feat.”
Akande praised the Nigerian Immigration Service, Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and the Permanent Secretary for his support to achieve such a milestone.
Recently, the Nigerian Consulate led by Akande hosted top management from the University of Lagos during a jointly organised summit tagged “Partnership for Change with German Universities” at Goethe University in Frankfurt. Elated, Akande said he is delighted to be part of the epoch-making initiative. “You know the popular saying ‘German machine.’ Engineering here is a way of life. Everybody you see created something. If you bring a German here now to this office and say you want to cut this office into layers, somebody can do that. There is nothing that they cannot create. Even from secondary school, they start to promote engineering. Like my son did eight years in secondary school, he was doing art in Nigeria. But even in art you still have to take some sciences. They want to fill up your mind. And that is one thing we need to do in Nigeria. And they also collaborate with the private sector. They send all the mobile companies Mercedes, Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsches, in collaboration with the university. They have a foundation, and that promotes the teaching of sciences and technology and gives incentives to the students and grants for research a lot. So the University of Lagos in partnership with German Universities is a welcome development that I will continue to support.”
On the state of many Nigerians seeking asylum or those who are on the wrong side of the law, Akande said though there are bad eggs it “does not have cases of too many Nigerians spoiling our image or reputation here.”
He continued: “Most Nigerians here are either schooling or gainfully employed. And you also have a lot of Nigerians who are professionals; we have medical doctors, lecturers so Nigerians are also doing very well too. But the few Nigerians who are in prison are mostly not even those that are involved in high-profile crimes. They are mostly involved in domestic violence, beating their wives, or fighting. We try to tell Nigerians that they have to imbibe the culture of where they live. Even in Nigeria now, you cannot beat your wife anyhow and get away with it not to talk of here. If you are no longer comfortable with your relationship, it is better to quit.”
Akande is also a committed family man who is able to balance his career with the home front. “My career is nomadic as we move from one place to another. While I was in Belgium, my family used to visit me four times a year. But this time around, my wife took a leave of absence and joined me with our last child.”
A very gentle and calm individual, his unassuming nature has constantly endeared him to all and sundry. “It is a reflection of my personality. There is nothing anybody has that nobody has not gotten before. You cannot be arrogant, and anything you have gotten anyway is through God it is not by your power. Why would you display arrogance, or show off anything? If you are humble, you get humility back. If you show arrogance to people, they will also show arrogance. I went to school in Ede, a town in Osun State. My parents never went to school, so I came from a very humble background, so I should be humble. I am grateful to God for everything he has done in my life because it is not by my power.”
