The ‘Home from Home’ project aims to explore the legacies of pioneering British Nigerians in the UK and their impact on society. The project highlights and celebrates British Nigerian contributions to the cultural, political, educational, artistic, spiritual, and sporting life of Britain and London, in particular. In this interview we feature Dr Ruth Oshikanlu MBE
Who is Dr Ruth?
I am a multipotentialite, multiple award-winning expert nursing, midwifery and health visiting leader and social entrepreneur with almost 30 years’ experience in delivering secondary and community healthcare services in the public, independent and voluntary sectors.
To fulfil my multiple interests, I founded Goal Mind, a training and coaching consultancy to support healthcare professionals and organisations. I also founded Abule CIC to create a village for underserved professionals and populations; working as a Global Nurse Consultant, pregnancy mindset expert, trainer, speaker, mentor and performance coach. I love to challenge the status quo, am passionate about equity and social justice and have spent most of my career working with communities the system has marginalised to reduce health inequalities and improve life outcomes.
I am a prolific writer and blogger, regular columnist and have published several feature articles in numerous national nursing and healthcare journals. My most rewarding role is being a single parent and I love parenting my son and travelling with him.
What does “Home From Home” mean to you?
For me, “home from home” means that I can be taken out of Nigeria, but you cannot take the Nigerian out of me. My formative years were spent in Nigeria and I was moulded there. I attended Queen’s College Lagos, a unity school where I was taught to speak the three main Nigerian languages: Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa, and learned the different cultures. I also learned to speak Pidgin English. I am very Nigerian and blend this equally with being British. I am proud to be a Nigerian who is also British and showcase both in how I live and work.
How do you celebrate your Nigerian heritage?
Naija no dey carry last! I am Naija to the core and the Nigerian in me oozes out of every pore. I celebrate being Nigerian by being the best version of me. From a young age, excellence was an expectation. As such, I strive to excel in everything I do. To date, I have won several healthcare and business awards, and been conferred with several prestigious Fellowships, and hope to inspire other Nigerians in the UK and at home. At award ceremonies, I celebrate being Nigerian, donning Naija clothing, sometimes with a gorgeous gele. As part of the celebration, you can always find me on the dance floor, singing and dancing, loudly and proudly, often to Afrobeats.
What does being “British Nigerian” mean to you?
Being British Nigerian means that I have blended both values into my identity with great pride. I have perfected my art of code-switching and can seamlessly move from being British to Nigerian and vice versa. Being British shows up when I am Nigerian and conversely. I also watch with interest how my son uniquely blends both cultures and I beam with pride knowing I am leaving a legacy through him.
How do you stay connected to your identity?
I feel blessed to have had my parents and grandparents instil Nigerian values in me. They continue to do so as I am currently learning to speak Ijebu. My identity is a badge of honour that I wear proudly. Being an offspring of two polygamous grandfathers, my family is very big. We celebrate births, weddings and funerals in style. I love Naija food which I learned how to cook very early in life. I love Nigerian music, and proudly speak Yoruba at home. I have also maintained my links with Nigeria, and am active with the Queen’s College Old Girls Association, supporting projects done in Nigeria.
What does culture mean to you?
Culture for me means my way of life, my beliefs, my behaviour and how I show up. I have always strived to live authentically, hiding no part of me. That means I show up as a British Nigerian encouraging fellow British Nigerians to do the same. Culture also means legacy and I strive to do so by ensuring my son embraces and shapes both cultures as a British Nigerian.
What do you imagine the future of the British Nigerian Community to look like in the next few years based on your industry?
Nigerians make up one of the largest diaspora groups in healthcare. Many British Nigerians are trailblazers in the healthcare industry. In 2019, I was a member of the organising committee of the Nigerian Healthcare Professionals (NHCP) UK, a platform set up to showcase the difference 70 Nigerians HCPs had made to healthcare as part of the NHS at 70 celebrations. Celebrating the difference Nigerians continue to make in healthcare brings me so much pride and inspires me to continue to leave a legacy. My dream is that we come together to collaborate on how we can improve the standards of healthcare back at home.
Links to website/Social Media:
IG @RuthOshikanlu
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-ruth-oshikanlu-mbe-frcn-frsa-frsph-faan-ffnmrcsi-duniv-06b9121b/
