'I want to see as much as possible in East Africa'

Fiona Uwagwu has been the managing partner at OgilvyOne Africa in Nairobi since August 2016. OgilvyOne is a customer engagement company.

Before her posting to Nairobi, she had a 15-year career in London as an advertising and marketing professional, handling prestigious clients such as British Airways, Nestle, Saatchi and most recently, four years at OgilvyOne leading the digital team on American Express.
She was born and raised in the UK, although her family is originally from Nigeria. Nairobi is her first posting in East Africa.

She has a strong interest in African history and culture, saying that understanding her heritage is what gives her the most confidence.

“Our tradition is orally handed down and we’re losing so much. History is always written by the victor or whoever writes it down,” says Fiona.

This being her first time in East Africa, she is excited to be close to many destinations in the region she has always wanted to visit.

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What’s your off-duty passion?
I love travelling to see places I have never been to and I enjoy being in East Africa and close to places that I have always aspired to visit. I want to see as much of it as possible.

There’s Mount Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro, the Maasai Mara and just so many things to do. My family is from West of Africa and it’s very different there.

If you hadn’t turned into who you are now, what would you have been?
I studied journalism so I would have done commercial journalism and then I would have given it all up to write books. I would have written fiction books quite a bit, and about the African socio-political environment. My father raised me on Nigerian and African politics. I have done much of my own reading and there are things that I know that surprise people.

What signifies your personal style?
Casual and uncomplicated. It has to be simple and comfortable. If it feels too constrained or too formal, it exhausts me.

How do you manage your wardrobe?
I keep it really simple; it all depends on what am I doing on that day and how I need to look.

Is it a casual day or is it a client day? Generally, I will aim for a casual but polished look. Small things make a difference; for example, if I am going to a client meeting I may put on heels, so I can transition something simple into something quite smart.

I’m really tall so there are certain places where I always shop from. If I find something I like, I buy it in three colours. If there’s a sale, I’ll get everything that I can find that fits me.

It’s really simple. Everything is comfortable, it’s just degrees of comfortableness. Everything is built around simplicity and ease.

When in East Africa, where are you most likely to be whiling away your time on a Saturday afternoon?
I could be catching up on life, hanging out with my neighbour, hanging out with friends and just chilling out.

Or I could be shopping, going to church on Sunday and doing my hair. I recently started doing Pilates.

Describe your best destination yet in East Africa?
I’ve been to Tanzania and I love the fact that they’ve got so many little islands off the coast.

I went to one called Mbudya and the pure, unspoiled beauty is breathtaking. I was tweeting and texting everyone I knew.

Anywhere on your must-visit list?
I want to see more of Tanzania. I want to do Zambia, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda.

What do you see as East Africa’s greatest strength?

The ease at with you can come and live here. There are a lot of bureaucratic niggles and the traffic but above and beyond that, if you’ve got a job, it is really easy to transition to this place. People are so welcoming to foreigners. Also, the quality of life and the sunshine.

What’s your best collection?
My collection of books. You can’t be a journalist without a collection. I had a library in my flat in London and had to box up so many of them and leave them behind. Now my Kindle has become my library on the go.

What’s the most thoughtful gift you’ve received?
My dad gave me my very first Chinua Achebe book, Things Fall Apart. It’s a beautiful hardback and I cherish it. That came with me here.

What’s the best gift you’ve ever given?
I like to give gifts that are based on the thought that you can probably get yourself most things that you want. So I’ll give you that thing that you want but cannot get for yourself. I listen to what people say.

Your last great read?
Biafra Story: The Making of an African Legend by Fredrick Forsyth, although I haven’t finished it.

Forsyth, later to become a famous novelists was the BBC journalist based in Nigeria prior to and during the Biafra War.

He gave the most detailed analysis and reporting of what was going on in Biafra, the ravages of war, the starvation and the migration of people to avoid the frontline and the international meddling.

The book was originally published in the late 1960s and has recently been republished. My dad had told me about this book for years. I tried to get it repeatedly but never managed until about two years ago.

What’s your favourite music?
Quite an eclectic mix. R&B, a little bit of gospel and a few rock artistes. It is a matter of how good the music and lyrics are.

What’s the constant in your fridge?
A few items are staples: Plantains, when I can get them. Also, goat milk. Then I’ll always have tomatoes, some vegetables and avocados.