The care sector Chartered Manager who’s giving back to communities in Nigeria

Ambrose Isibor CMgr MCMI didn’t do very well in his exams, which he took at a Catholic college in Nigeria. 

“I was told off by the nuns, by my grandad. But my mum just said: ‘He’s not saying anything. I think he’s very emotional.’”

It turned out that Ambrose was not one to give up easily. After retaking his exams, he was accepted into Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria’s Kaduna State, graduating in 1999 with an honours degree in international studies.

His first job after graduation was as special assistant to the Nigerian defence minister at the country’s parliament: “Everyone was looking at me, saying, ‘He’s too young for the job, he’s going to be telling everybody what’s going on here.’”

From Nigeria to the UK – building a career in care

Ambrose moved to the UK with a scholarship to study information and communication technology at the University of Cumbria. As a student in Cumbria, he worked part-time as a residential relief worker in a care home. After graduating, he worked as a student advisor at Northumbria University and as a supervisor at Burger King. 

“I didn’t want to be stuck at a university, and at Burger King, they wanted to make me a manager, but I didn’t want to be working in fast food either,” says Ambrose. He moved to Newcastle to start work as a residential carer and to do his master’s in public health, writing a powerful dissertation on female genital mutilation.  

Ambrose built a management career in the care sector while dealing with significant personal challenges. His mother passed away from vascular dementia in Nigeria, and his wife gave birth to a premature baby girl. It was a difficult time, but despite the obstacles, Ambrose was “determined to give this job my all”. He named his daughter Christina after his mother.

Ambrose first became a manager for a company in Newcastle called Coquet Trust. 

“I’d turned down a well-paying job when my mum died and I wanted to get my Level 5 Leadership in Health and Social Care qualification.” He attained that qualification in 2012.