TheJourneyVolume1 - Book - Page 90
#NextGenUNDP
Mohamed Yahya
NIG E RI A
ground for people is what interests me and has kept me
motivated in this space.
Throughout my career, I have been lucky to have had
managers and colleagues who have put trust in me and
my capabilities. I have had so many people help me along
in my journey. From early on, I was provided opportunities to manage programs, projects, and teams without
much prior experience. My managers had confidence in
me, allowed me to take risks, and supported me when I
wanted to try new approaches.
In the end, these experiences have really been instrumental for my personal and professional development.
Working with people that give you opportunities and
trust you when taking risks, has been a blessing.
THE PEOPLE WE SERVE
Beyond the support that I have received in my career,
what truly keeps me going is the people we serve. The
people that live and conquer their struggles every day
– who continue to support their family despite having
nothing. You see these people everywhere, from the
person selling the newspaper by the traffic light, the lady
at the market stall, the IDP [Internally Displaced Person]
who somehow manages to get by. These are the people
that keep me going and inspire me, and act as a constant
reminder of the work that is still left to be done.
I didn’t always know that I would hold a senior position
at the UN, but I was always curious about how Country
Offices operate and wanted to try and assemble a team
that delivers for the governments and the people we
serve. My driving force has always been to find solutions
to problems, and sometimes, this mean taking up a
leadership position to live out my vision and be able to
make a lasting impact.
GETTING THINGS DONE
My favorite part of being RR is the ability to get things
done, to assemble a team, and most importantly, to let
that team work together, take risks, make mistakes, and
learn from them. Putting a team together and trusting
them is so important. I always tell people I hire to make
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