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By Agatha Emeadi
Founder and Chief Executive of Kisha Immigration, Chioma Ogamba-Ifediata, many years ago began to turn her passion for helping people get a leg up towards achieving their goals into a business that enables such individuals to legally relocate to Canada.
Kisha Immigration is a licensed Canadian immigration company, established to help people find greener pastures and become global citizens.
In this interview, she parts the curtain, to give our readers a peek into her business and how her upbringing helped shape her into the successful person she has become.
What’s the story behind Kisha Immigration, what inspired you to start it?
My life as Kisha Immigrations chief executive has been fulfilling because I have been able to build something that I once considered a dream with my team members who I describe as amazing people.
Again, there has been a burning desire for a better quality of life and access to the basic needs, which I think one should have coming from my experience as a child. When I was five years old, my father passed away because he did not have the opportunity to access medical treatment abroad. I remember the stories about how he was diagnosed with cancer and needed a second opinion and treatment abroad. Sadly, his first visa application did not get a positive response, and when he finally got it, it became dead on arrival as he did not make it. We would never know what the outcome could have been if he had the opportunity to access better or global health service or medical treatment.
Years later when my mother was diagnosed with a terminal illness, she had the opportunity to seek a second opinion outside the country, which turned out to be different from what she had been diagnosed with in Nigeria. If my mum hadn’t had that opportunity, maybe she would have also joined my father in heaven. Therefore, the driving force behind starting Kisha immigration is the desire to create something transformational. Now, having a second residency and citizenship has been a good thing for my family and I because the chances of fatality are much lower in developed countries.
As a result therefore, I wanted to create that ripple effect and enable more individuals to transform their lives through getting a second citizenship or residency, because, when done properly, it is truly a gift that never stops giving. The amazing thing about Kisha Immigration is that we recognize the different avenues it can be achieved and help our clients through investments, entrepreneurship, skilled work experience and education.
Starting a business is not easy. What was the experience like for you?
For me, when I started Kisha Immigration, it was quite challenging and fulfilling at the same time because I was passionate about it. I worked alone for a long time while building my career in Artificial Intelligence – Robotic Process Automation at the time. Before I established Kisha Immigration, I helped a lot of friends and family who wanted to relocate abroad like I did. I could spend hours on the phone guiding them through the right procedure to follow. The joy that comes when they get their residency is indescribable. This is the main reason why I named the company ‘Kisha Immigration’ (Kisha means Great Joy).
Kisha Immigration is affiliated to different professional bodies like Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC), College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) and Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants (CAPIC).
Where do you see Kisha in the next few years?
I see Kisha Global Group as a whole, breaking grounds in helping more people around the world unlock their global access and potentials. God, my father, will help me work out the details and the ‘how’.
What are the things you recall and cherish about your teenage years and early adulthood?
At the age of18, I was an undergraduate at the Department of Electronics Engineering at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, when ASUU embarked on one of those prolonged strikes. Being that I loved school and did not want a break in my academics, I discussed with my mother for her approval and blessing to go abroad to further my studies. She consented to it but insisted I take my younger sister along since she had just finished secondary school at the time. I handled both of our applications, and without realizing it, she was my first immigration client at the time. Our first port of call was Malaysia where we started schooling.
I enrolled at Nilai University. From there, I transferred to the University of Sunderland, United Kingdom, where I finished with a first-class degree in Applied Business Computing. I went on to get educated in different disciplines afterward, and I ended up graduating with a perfect CGPA of 4.0/4.0 in 3 more programmes: Business Intelligence and Data Analysis Reporting as well as Canada Immigration Consulting, both in Canada. Then I got my Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the Jack Welch Management Institute in Strayer University, USA.
My education (degrees, licenses and designations) helped me transition from Information Technology (IT) to Finance and back to IT, specifically in Robotic Process Automation and then I began building my passion for global access into an immigration firm. It has exposed me to different domains, industries and a wide variety of skilled professionals on a global level. I achieved all these by having the right mindset and backing them up with hard work and prayers.
I must say that it all started with my mindset as a young girl. I’ve always aimed to attain excellence in all my endeavours and be a high achiever also. I also held unto God’s promises and prayed a lot about my academics and every other aspect of my life while growing up. I literarily saw God as my earthly father while growing up, so praying was like talking to my Daddy about anything.
What was the turning point in the business and your career?
People that know me know I am very passionate about being a global citizen. For me, it means having global access to anywhere in the world. Apart from my passion for travelling and seeing the world, there’s also the desire to have access to basic needs which a human being should have and also global opportunities. Marrying all these together with my desire to help people also meant that my goal wasn’t just to help people relocate to a particular country but also to unlock their global access to the world without having to relocate.
Regardless of the pathway we deploy depending on a client’s profile and resources, whether it’s through business immigration programmes, citizenship/residency by investment programmes, having sought-after skilled work experience or study abroad options, the ultimate goal for us is to help them unlock their global access and have the doors of the world open up to them. In this regard, we have been able to grow our list of services with programmes in over 20 countries, each of which contributes towards achieving that mission of helping them unlock their global access and having the doors of the world open up to them.
Have there been challenges in all these things?
Sometimes people trust you because you are the embodiment of the kind of life they want to live. Some are scared of being duped, perhaps because once bitten, twice shy. When clients who have been previously burnt by fraudsters approach us, the initial conviction could be a daunting task to get them onboard. Eventually, we do overcome this hurdle when they recognize the value we offer including that we have not failed any client.
It has also been challenging getting people to understand that having a license is more important when it comes to keeping a professional and licensed immigration consultant accountable. Working with a licensed consultant or an immigration firm that is at least partnered with a licensed consultant is a more important factor to consider, especially when one wants to relocate to Europe.
Looking, what would say have been the memorable moments in your life and career?
My most memorable moment was when I left the shores of Nigeria for the first time; that ultimately set the motion for everything else. Other memorable moments include relocating to Canada just five days after our church wedding. The most recent memorable moment is being Canadian! Recently, I received my Canadian passport, and getting that after the amount of hard work and dedication I put in was pretty memorable and joyful! I now have access to over 180 countries. Even when I went on a recent trip to the Caribbean, I did not need a visa. That was a whole new level that is better experienced than explained.
At what point did you marry? Please share your experience and how it affected your relocation journey?
I got married while working on my immigration journey. My husband was the first beneficiary of all the hard work I had put in this journey, followed by my son that was born as a Canadian. It was a privilege being a blessing in that regard, especially since he could have also gotten his permanent residence himself later down the line. However, being together saved us a lot of time and helped us avoid long distance relationship. With my experience, I would advise young ladies to go for their dreams while you wait for your man to come along. There is no benefit to keeping your life on hold. Live fully while you are still breathing.
What inspires and motivates you as an entrepreneur?
I get inspired as an entrepreneur when I see the impact and difference we make in people’s lives. What we help them achieve is absolutely life-changing! It totally transforms their life, the lives of their family members and future generations to come. That keeps me going in the tough times because my team and I are making a difference that will echo and create ripple effects even when we are gone.
What lessons has life taught you?
In summary, the belief in God can move any mountain. One’s resilient positive mindset can help create the life one wants and having the practical skills one needs to execute is essential!
Life has taught me not to give up on my dreams but to keep pushing, regardless of how long it takes. Nothing is impossible with God; when you present your plans before Him and have the conviction that you are working with him, impossibility is not for you again. It doesn’t matter how limited your resources are or where you come from; God, the Creator of all resources, will lead you to achieve those goals.
Who are the people you admire, role models and mentor?
My mother who was widowed at a young age with her eldest, me, being just 5 years old at the time. She had a really difficult time, but she persisted. She worked hard to give us the best she could and somehow still managed to devote her time to bringing us up properly.
My dad did not live long, as I can barely remember him. Bug while growing up, I heard amazing stories of how excellent he was in his business and relationships with others. I guess I grew up wanting to be as excellent as he was in his work and in so many ways. I honestly admired the feedback people gave about him.
How do you marry the home front, immigration entrepreneurship and work?
First, I am a great believer in God who makes all things beautiful. I love spending time with my family, watching crime-solving shows and interesting movies. I thoroughly enjoy seeing the world and experiencing different cultures. So, naturally I enjoy traveling as well; it lights me up like a Christmas tree!
What advice would you give to young people who want to go into the sector?
I have had young people come to me and express interest in doing what I do when they move to Canada. My advice to them is to focus on being passionate first, learn as much as you can, give value, and then positive impact. Money will follow when you are solving a problem and delivering that solution in the right way to the right people that need it.
