Meet Ijeoma Mogo: An African Freelancer

Hello African Freelancers, we are back with an amazing set of interviews to inspire you, educate you, and provide you with the resources you need to move to the next stage of your freelance journey.

Meet Ijeoma Mogo (formerly Madueke), who is a finance professional with a background in investment banking and project finance. She is a CFA Charterholder with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance and a Master of Science degree in International Business and Finance. She calls herself a bit of a finance-nerd.

African Freelancers: What services/products do you offer?

Ijeoma Mogo: As a freelancer, I advise companies across the full finance lifecycle from business modeling for start ups to mapping out revenue streams and preparing documentation for raising capital like investor pitch decks, investment teasers, information memorandums and private placement prospectuses. I help companies and individuals outline business cases for projects to make critical decisions and advise on strategic choices to help improve the finance function. I have also found that there is an increasing demand for business plans, financial models, budgeting, loans and capital raise support and I’ve added those services to my offer portfolio as well. For single projects, I prepare outline business cases for projects and help clients prepare for and execute merger and acquisition activities. Although not typically as a stand-alone service, I also conduct market research and analysis for clients looking to map specific industries and opportunities.

African Freelancers: When did you realise that you wanted to become a freelancer?

Ijeoma Mogo: I’ve always been a bit obsessed with having multiple streams of income. While I was in University in Canada, I worked part-time at the student store, I was a fashion designer, professional makeup artist and even hairstylist. Looking back now, I wonder how I managed to juggle doing all of that at the same time. But I must admit that I am a bit of workaholic and get very bored with too much downtime. Fast forward to having a full-time job in Nigeria, I found that I still needed extra income to actually have meaningful savings. So in 2014, my mentor told me about Elance.com which is now Upwork and also connected me to my first set of freelance consulting clients. The journey started then and I’ve been freelancing ever since.

African Freelancers: What factors determined your choice?

Ijeoma Mogo: The biggest factor would have to be earning more income. There is no price on the financial freedom I get from being a Freelancer and supplementing my full-time income through not just one but multiple clients at once. The other aspect that is equally priceless are the skills I have developed from sourcing clients and then actually running transactions alone. From time management to advanced financial forecasting, building out numerous templates and business modeling to even creating marketing strategies. I have become a well-rounded professional and I owe that to the responsibility of delivering solo on clients’ objectives.