People called me crazy for leaving N1.2m PTDF job — Ex-SMEDAN boss

L-R: Former SMEDAN Director General and author, Olawale Fasanya; Katsina Deputy Governor, Farouk Lawal; Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD Nigeria, Hon Jabiru Tsauri and the immediate past CEO of Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Gbenga Komolafe during the book launch in Abuja on Thursday. Photo credit: Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis

Former Director-General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, Dr Olawale Fasanya, has revealed that many people considered him “mad” when he voluntarily left a lucrative position at the Petroleum Technology Development Fund for a significantly lower-paying job at SMEDAN. Fasanya disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during the public presentation of his autobiography, Cradle to Saddle, in which he reflected on the sacrifices and career decisions that culminated in his appointment as the agency’s chief executive. According to him, he walked away from a monthly salary of about N1.2m, first-class travel privileges and other perks at PTDF to accept a position at SMEDAN that paid less than N300,000. “Some people thought I was mad by leaving a job that actually paid roughly about N1.2m and went back to a job that pays less than 300,000 in SMEDAN. Then, I was in the Petroleum Technology Development Fund. Of course, you know the kind of salary they pay, and I was at the level of a general manager. “Again, I had all sorts of perks of office. Apart from the salary, I could travel anywhere in the world for training three times a year. If I travel, it is business or first class. But I was working with a chief executive who was later replaced. The new executive also found me useful and begged me not to leave. But I wasn’t in charge.” Fasanya explained that despite the attractive remuneration and privileges, he was uncomfortable with a role that did not allow him to make meaningful contributions. “He just wanted me to be there as a figurehead. That’s why I said, I can’t be where I will not be able to be on top of things. You cannot warehouse me. So I’d rather go to where I’m getting less, and I’m not warehoused, and can make an impact. “So, I left all that to be in SMEDAN, where I was travelling for economy, not even knowing that God had something big in store for me and that I would become the director-general one day,” he noted. The former SMEDAN boss said the decision was never driven by financial considerations but by a desire to contribute meaningfully to an institution he helped build from inception. He said, “So, if it was about money, I would have stayed back and been enjoying that N1.2m