Paul Orajiaka MC/MPA 2018 was certain his future lay in the United States. He had graduated high school in Warri, Nigeria, received an admission letter from Fort Valley State University in Georgia, and planned to sell his father’s wood carvings to pay his way through school. But while his friends successfully left the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos with visas, Paul did not. He tried again. And again. After several rejections, he decide to stay in Lagos, unwilling to return to his hometown for fear of being mocked.
Paul took a job with his brother-in-law in Lagos’s chaotic Idumota Market, a trade hub where commerce spilled onto the streets. It was here that he found a different path. Today, as the founder of Auldon Toys—a multimillion-dollar enterprise famous for its culturally relevant, African-themed dolls—Paul is no longer looking for a way out of Nigeria. He is looking for a way to fix it.
The paradox of plenty
Paul’s commitment to public service is driven by what he calls a “paradox.” Nigeria sits on a vast repository of natural resources, yet it suffers from infrastructure decay, corruption, and lack of economic opportunities. Having built a global business from a $30 investment, he realized that private success can go only so far in a dysfunctional system.
“I see firsthand the economic situation honest politicians and public officials face to maintain their integrity,” he says. He’d been navigating volatile politics for years, and concluded that to address corruption and other problems confronting Nigeria’s institutions, he needed to move beyond business and into government.
Training for change
Paul came to Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) to learn about public administration and push himself intellectually. “Participating in the MC/MPA program with hundreds of students and faculty who shared my passion gave me a safe environment to train to become grittier and steely-focused on being a change agent in the Nigerian polity. Having flourished relatively well in business, I am duty bound to prepare myself for the life of service through active politics because politicians make society’s choices and prioritize their needs,” he says. “The community and my time at HKS enhanced my skills in public service delivery and leadership.”
A social blueprint
Auldon Toys has always had a social angle. Its Unity Girl Dolls, which represent diverse African tribes, include storybooks that teach children about unique African cultures, regional geography, and local languages. Today, a portion of Auldon’s proceeds goes to rehabilitate schools in rural communities, provide vocational training, and invest in economic empowerment initiatives.
He aspires to public office because he wants to “be a change agent who will help enthrone values-based leadership” in Nigeria’s government. Paul says, “Nigeria is captured by corrupt elements and resources are not optimally distributed to boost development.” While he has stood for office but not been elected, Paul is undeterred in his goal: to advance public integrity and economic opportunity for all Nigerians.
Looking back, Paul now sees that initial visa denial as a “blessing in disguise.” Had he left for the United States as a teenager, he says he never would have fully understood the difficulties many Nigerians face, nor how to address them. He says, “To live and remain ignorant of events around you is to live in bondage, and to be aware of ills yet desire no change is itself saddening.” This is why he wants to “move the needle on the complex issues impacting my country today.”