Japa took the designer. It did not have to take the leadership.
A London-based African design director kept a standing fractional engagement with a Lagos scale-up: two days a month on site, weekly leadership cover remote.
How the model works
Timezone-adjacent, culturally fluent, and senior. The diaspora bench is a leadership asset the continent has barely priced.
Leaving the country does not mean leaving the work.
What it takes
A clear mandate, a local deputy, and honest scoping. The model fails only when it is treated as advisory instead of accountable.
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