Small city surprises with big opportunities
Seventeen years after arriving in Kamloops to study at TRU, Nigeria-born TRU alum Adigo Angela Achoba-Omajali (BSc ’11, MN ‘20) was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Black Women to Watch in 2023. She has lived in many countries — including Kenya, England, Bangladesh and Ethiopia — but Kamloops is her chosen home.
“I didn’t expect to stay here. When I arrived, it seemed very small,” says Achoba-Omajali, who moved to Kamloops in 2006 to attend TRU direct from the capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, which had a population of well over 2.5 million in 2007.
“I planned to leave after graduating, but then I started to rethink my decision – deciding perhaps there are opportunities in smaller cities — and now I’ve built relationships here that are very meaningful to me,” she says.
Her roots are from the Igala tribe of Ibaji Kingdom in Kogi state in central Nigeria. Currently, she lives in Kamloops with her husband, Jacob Omajali, and children Olivia and Owen.
As the eldest of five children, she was the first to leave home to pursue post-secondary education. Soon after, though, her brothers Andrew and Alfred joined her at TRU. At one point, they all lived on the same floor of McGill residence, where they made friends with fellow Nigerians and students from all over the world.
“We had a lot of good times, and because we had the three of us, we weren’t homesick too much,” she says.
All four of her brothers and their parents now make their homes in Western Canada.
Adigo Achoba-Omajali appeared on season three of Family Feud Canada with her brothers Albert, Andrew, Alfred and Aaron.
Human connection key to eliminating racism
Achoba-Omajali started in the Bachelor of Science program, but altered course in her second semester when she was accepted to TRU’s nursing program. She faced obstacles, but also found kinship and support among the faculty.
While navigating the successes and the challenges, she developed a passion for health care and a fervent desire to be a bridge builder between cultures.
“I have experienced racism and I still do every now and then. But I try to focus on positives, because I find that gives me the energy to not allow the negatives to weigh me down,” she says.
“People may have lived a life that has encouraged certain stereotypes. And so, one of my goals is to educate them and create awareness; ‘We’re all human, and if I see your children out in the community, I will stand up for them. And I expect you to do the same for mine.’”
Achoba-Omajali is a member and co-chair of the Canadian Nurses Association anti-racism advisory council, co-founder and treasurer of the Coalition of African Caribbean and Black Nurses in British Columbia (CACBN), director of finance and co-founder of the Pan Canadian Association of Nurses of African Descent (PCANAD) and president and co-founder of Igala Canada, unifying and promoting Igala culture while advocating against discrimination that impacts the community. She also holds the elected position of executive professional responsibility advocate with the British Columbia Nurses’ Union and has been a union steward for nearly a decade.
Educating others to equalize care
For more than 10 years, Achoba-Omajali has worked with the Interior Health Authority in various roles and is now a clinical practice educator in tertiary mental health. She says she never intended to work in mental health, but now considers it the best decision she has ever made. After working directly with clients for many years, she now helps other health-care professionals provide the best possible care and solidify their practices in a way that is equitable and without prejudice.
“When we are seeking health care, we are at our most vulnerable,” she says. “When I’m not feeling well, I’m not a nurse, I’m a patient and I expect that whoever my health-care provider is will do the best they can for me, because at that point, my voice is diminished, my thinking may be impacted and I’m vulnerable.”
Achoba-Omajali provides one-on-one support to health-care professionals, organizes group learning activities and arranges expert speakers to share their knowledge. From injection support to evacuation protocols, she is committed to providing health workers with the knowledge and resources they need to support clients in the best possible way.
In 2023, Achoba-Omajali was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Black Women to Watch. As a student, she received multiple scholarships, awards and accolades, and through her professional work she has been recognized with several more, including:
- Named one of the 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women for 2024 (award ceremony upcoming September 2024).
- 2022 British Columbia Nurses’ Union Excellence in Leadership and Advocacy Award.
- Inducted into the Honor Society of Nursing in 2016.
Over nearly 20 years in Kamloops, Achoba-Omajali says she has seen positive changes in the city’s culture of acceptance. She is also teaching her young children how to advocate for themselves.
“We are teaching them to be vocal, but also teaching them the importance of relationships,” she says.
“If you look at the way society has separated people by race, it’s disappointing. The connections we make, especially when they’re meaningful, are the things that I think will change society, because when we’re connected that way, it reminds us that you’re human as much as I am. And it brings us closer together and that brings our children closer together.”