Scholarship Essays

1. We want to know more about what makes you the person you are. Reflecting on your life so far, tell us your story and how this fits with this scholar's program.

Essay A: May 2003 was an inspiring moment in my educational journey. My teacher recited a poem that clung dearly to my heart. I later realized they were the words of Dr. Eric Williams, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, in the 1962 independence rally. From that academic term, I took the first position till my graduation where I was, also, the Head Boy and winner of several science-related awards.

In high school, I took the first position from Grades 7 to 12, was awarded the Overall Best Graduating Student in the 2011 West Africa Examination Council, Ijebu-Ode local government, with over 3000 registrants, and was the Head Boy of the set. In 2012, I did a Foundation Program where I graduated among the top 5% with a CGPA of 4.67/5.00

My leadership potential took more redefined expressions as the Founder of Exposure for African Young Leaders, President of Mariere Hall of Residence, President of the Editorial Board Community Development Group, President of the 2019 VIMP Class at Lagos Business School, Vice-president of the 2019 PGFA Class of Poise Nigeria, the Academic Secretary of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, the Financial Secretary of the Nigerian Society of Black Engineers, and the Director of Operations of the Bridge Development Network.

Through these roles, I have organized educational projects that have positively impacted over 10,000 young people. Thinking about my journey, I have realized that the purpose of accruing theoretical tools is to position me to make substantial contributions to causes that seek to positively affect humanity.

Essay B: My professional experiences and academic record show that I meet the scholarship's requirements of being a bright student, and I can complete a rigorous postgraduate program with distinction. I have completed two mini-MBA programs, forty business-related online courses, and four consulting internships, and currently participating in a year-long scholars' program- co-sponsored by Mastercard- focused on entrepreneurship and innovation.

While I faced severe financial challenges throughout my education, I surmounted them through dedication. I graduated as the best student in Ijebu-Ode local government. This got me funding to progress to the university before winning the MTNF scholarship. While in the university, I worked part-time with OLX and Trevor; and by applying the knowledge I gained, I emerged 4th in the Unilever Ideatrophy Competition and 3rd in the Oraticle Business Pitch.

On leadership, I organized four academic competitions for 1000 students in 10 schools; and educated over 5000 students on how anemia affects academic achievements. At work, I have trained thirty colleagues on lead generation tools and spreadsheet modelings which have improved their competencies and resulted in eight new business partnerships. These earned me a monthly award twice. Outside of work, I provide consultancy services to start-ups which have increased their revenues by $5000.

As a prospective Mastercard scholar, I would be able to receive high-quality leadership and business education, and I have clear post-study plans aimed at helping start-ups scale up. These make me worthy of Mastercard's resources for raising transformative leaders who will drive changes in sub-Saharan Africa.

2. We want to learn about your leadership potential to be a transformative leader. Please, tell us about a current idea or project you are working on that clearly demonstrates your skill in this area.

Essay A: According to the Guardian, there is a significant growth in local consumption of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), which is pegged at 600,000 metric tonnes/year, with the government expecting 20 million households to switch to LPG by 2025. This growth has come with cases of explosions owing to leakages in cylinders and carelessness among consumers which have led to loss of lives, destruction of properties, and increased fear of using gas.

To address this, I am working on designing a tri-purpose leak detection system that will be attached to gas cylinders in homes by sounding alarms informing about leakage; auto-off the cylinder when it is left on while cooking is done; and informing the users about the quantity of gas left in the cylinder thus ending the challenge of gas finishing-up while cooking is ongoing as experienced by 90% of users I interviewed.

To design this solution, I need practical knowledge of programming, systems control, and IoT. I have enrolled at: Sololearn to learn coding, Energy University of Schneider Electrics to learn control systems, and online MOOCs to learn about IoT. Through previous participations in ImpactLabs, organized by Ph.D. students from MIT, where I co-designed a water purification system, and the Nigeria Energy Ambassador workshop where I theoretically co-designed a solar-powered light, I have learned about the importance of collaboration to achieve an idea.

The completed device would be commercialised in Nigeria as it has the potential to reach about 20 million users capturing a $200 million market value.

Essay B: I worked with Blue Advisory on a project aimed at presenting data on the factors that impede businesses and recommended implementable policies. As a Research Assistant, I interviewed 500+ businesses in Agriculture, Entertainment, Manufacturing, and Services across five locations. I conducted Zoom calls and leveraged WhatsApp to have entrepreneurs fill out detailed Google forms. I realized about 90% of these enterprises lacked growth structure.

I intend to scale this work by creating a digital platform where entrepreneurs will cross-fertilize ideas and offer one another support. This has the potential to spur growth and innovation. A section of the platform would be devoted to funding linkages while, also, providing training such as business plan writing focused on accessing these opportunities. Furthermore, the platform would be a medium where entrepreneurs would learn how to use big data and financial technologies to optimize their business processes using Interactive Voice Response.

I shall also partner with the Tony Elumelu and MTN Foundations which have invested over $20 million in the start-up ecosystem by engaging them to include the digital platform as part of their funding processes. In ten years, the platform would have impacted 100,000 entrepreneurs, connected them to $40 million in funding opportunities, and co-create 100,000 jobs.

This will translate into improved matrices in global assessing indices of bodies like the World Bank for national prosperity. My study at Edinburgh would help put perspective into this project and the understanding I would develop from the courses would further enrich the contents of this digital platform.

The 3rd essay essay prompt were different in the years juxtaposed here

3. We aim to award Mastercard scholarships to individuals who will benefit the most from the opportunity. Tell us about a challenging situation you have faced and, most importantly, how you sought to overcome it for the better.

Essay A: The very realization that I would only be able to graduate with Second Class Upper in my 4th year was a rather challenging one considering my academic history of being the overall best in primary and secondary school; and with GPAs of 4.86/5.00 in the first semester of my diploma studies, 4.57/5.00 in first semester of 200L, and 4.61/5.00 in the first semester of 300L.

There was an economic crisis in my family which made my brother and sister drop out of university; made my father very sick and eventually led to his death some years later. I felt depressed, and this affected my focus and grades. It was through a scholarship from the MTN Foundation that I was able to fund my studies to completion.

Realizing that the odds were against me, I decided to garner several professional certifications to be competitive in both the labor market and application for graduate studies. I participated in 5 courses from P&G Professional University; 5 courses from Energy University; 5 courses from HP LIFE Foundation; 5 courses from Smartly; 9 courses from YALI Networks; 5 Virtual Internships; 4 courses from EDC of Pan-Atlantic University; 2 courses from World Bank; HSE and IWCF Level 1, Subsea Systems Integration Course by Feddo Group, Energy Course by IFP, Venture in Management Program from Lagos Business School, Poise Graduate Finishing Academy, and Kectil Program for Emerging Global Leaders among others.

Through these, I got a graduate role with NoemDek Limited through an extremely competitive selection process.

3. I cannot Remember the Essay Question.

Essay B: Edinburgh rated 1st in Scotland according to the 2020 QS World Ranking, is the perfect catalyst to transform me into an innovative change leader as it would provide top-quality education that would develop my leadership potential, equip me with skills, and connect me with people passionate about Africa's development.

As Edinburgh is rated 4th in the UK for research power, the Methods of Business Research course will develop my knowledge about research approaches, literature evaluation, and professional reports presentations. This is important to me because I want to produce high-quality research reports- which will aid policy formulation- focused on Nigerian entrepreneurs and their ecosystems.

In class, I will develop broader business knowledge through lectures from faculty like Dr Sarah Cooper, and group work which will foster the fruitful exchange of ideas, and allow building on one another's insights and, through them, develop critical business skills.

In addition, I will learn about the developmental policies that made the UK ranked as the 11th in the 2019 global Legatum Prosperity Index. Outside academics, the Baobab Summit and the 320+ student associations will enable me to develop courage, connection, creativity, and cultural intelligence through cross-learning with other like-minded scholars.

The Mastercard scholarship would afford me the opportunity to explore the beatific UK culture and the people of Edinburgh thus widening my global perspective. I will also expand my network and get integrated into the Mastercard community- with lifelong support and opportunities for collaborative partnerships.

4. We want to ensure your time at Edinburgh benefits others in the future. Tell us how your choice of degree program will assist you to make the change you envisage. 

Essay A: Globally, it is estimated that approximately 1.3 billion people lack access to electricity. Lack of electricity limits access to education and makes it difficult to rise above poverty. From childhood, the problem of power supply is one that I have always been passionate about solving given that this ugly reality marked my childhood. When I read that my country has enough gas reserves to power the entire African continent, I became even more interested.

This desire informed my decision to study Petroleum and Gas Engineering at the University of Lagos. The reality in my country is challenging. In 2016, according to NNPC, companies flared about 244.84 bscf which could have been utilized to fuel about 7000MW of efficient thermal electric power. Also, there is a lot of energy wastage from major locations such as Oyam River Dam with an installed capacity of 9MW but is currently producing 0MW.

Nigeria's geographical location- with abundant energy resources, the possibilities of removing limitations and gaining insights on energy systems, and the end goal of making life better for citizens of Nigeria and all of humanity have collectively influenced my interest to pursue an MSc Sustainable Energy System at Edinburgh.

This program would help me develop a robust understanding of energy systems especially as it applies to developing countries while also developing workable knowledge about grid-connected systems and off-grid systems to light up the country. Through field trips and taught theoretical principles in the classroom, I would be able to understand consumption patterns, economics, and policies. 

Essay B: 4. According to PwC, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) account for 48% of GDP and 60 million jobs in Nigeria. My post-study goal is to see 10,000 MSMEs develop into larger enterprises that drive GDP and reduce unemployment by 2030.

Upon returning home, I will join the FATE Foundation to gain hands-on experience. After four years, I will register a company focused on providing advisory services for MSMEs. Knowing that start-ups fail because of knowledge deficits, I would organize programs aimed at bridging this gap. Courses such as Accounting for Entrepreneurs and Business Plan would help in teaching entrepreneurs how to create sustainable business models.

The Entrepreneurial Finance course would train me in opening entrepreneurs to financing opportunities such as the 200 billion naira loan scheme for MSME- coordinated by the Bank of Industry- and the £750 million UK Export Finance earmarked to facilitate the Nigeria-UK trade relationship. Furthermore, the policy knowledge I would gain from Managing Innovation in Context would be useful during the discussions of our Annual Policy Dialogues.

This will complement the effort of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council and the UKaid-funded Policy Development Facility programs aimed at making Nigeria rank above 70 in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index by 2023.

Overall, this program would prepare me for my long-term goal of lecturing at the Lagos Business School where I will train on and contribute to research in innovation thus creating a better world for posterity by strengthening the middle class through economic growth.

5. Having helpful friends and allies is an important part of bringing about positive change. If you were a Mastercard Scholar at Edinburgh, what sorts of relationships and networks would you seek to develop, and how would they help you when you have returned home?

Essay A: An identified problem in the world cannot be solved by one person alone. There is a need for synergy if I am going to be able to create sustainable change in the energy landscape in Nigeria. MSc Sustainable Energy Systems emphasizes the importance of collaboration among different professionals as it is an interdisciplinary program.

Therefore, at Edinburgh, I would develop relationships with my illustrious professors to learn about the tenacity and patience required in carrying out research and how to independently structure and drill down research problems. There are numerous researches I would need to carry out upon returning to Nigeria to gain more clarity about the energy situation.

Also, I would develop friendships with my colleagues who share a similar vision of making the world a better place through applying our knowledge in entrepreneurial efforts for the advancement of the energy industry at low cost. 

I would apply for membership at the Energy Institute as this would allow me to network with Chartered Engineers where I can glean from their wealth of experiences and dimension it to a feasible solution to the energy situation in Nigeria.

Also, through field trip programs that will be organized by the faculty, I will establish relationships with industry professionals to gain appreciable insights into the challenges and opportunities provided by renewable energy resources. These individuals will be my bankable consortium of knowledge when peculiar challenges arise back at home. 

Essay B: During my program, I will build a relationship with Dr. Sarah Cooper with the intent of gleaning from her wealth of experience in New Venture Creation. I will seek to learn about her work at the Education and High Growth Innovation Group and how I can adapt this to my company, our digital platform, and training.

Furthermore, I will join the Edinburgh Business Society to network and gain a better understanding of my courses as I desire to finish my program with excellence. During the holiday, I intend to volunteer with Opportunity North East which is helping Scottish businesses to grow through inspiring new thinking and innovative ideas.

Using LinkedIn, I would connect with the Program Officers of the Bank of Industry, GreenHouse Capital, Lagos Angel Network, and Ventures Platform to build relationships that are geared at training their existing and prospective funding beneficiaries.

In addition, I would reach out to the Project Manager of the Young Africa Works-Mastercard Foundation which is currently partnered with the Enterprise Development Centre in Nigeria to train entrepreneurs in Lagos, Kano, and Kaduna states. The focal point of our collaboration would be to extend their program to other states with the potential to reach 10,000 entrepreneurs.

Through email, I would build a relationship with the Director of the Program at the Lagos Business School to gain insider information about lecturing opportunities in the school.

Overall, I would network with successful entrepreneurs of the Mastercard Foundation and the Edinburgh alumni community to brighten my vision and draw inspiration for my post-study pursuit.

Applying to the School

Sustainable Energy

1. Please give a short statement that describes your academic interests, purpose, objectives, and motivation in undertaking this postgraduate study. (max 3500 chars – approx. 500 words)

The problem of power supply is one that I have always been passionate about solving given that my childhood was plagued by this ugly reality. When I read that my country has enough gas reserves of about 2.8 trillion standard cubic feet to power the entire African continent, I became even more interested.

This desire informed my decision to study Petroleum and Gas Engineering as I was curious about the technologies needed to exploit natural gas for power generation. Even though I am from a low-income home with five siblings and uneducated parents, I have stayed on the course of this career goal.

Through hard work, I was the overall best-graduating student in the 2011 West Africa Examination Council, Ijebu-Ode local government; and among the top 5% during my diploma studies. Even though I graduated with 79.4%, I have participated in over 40 online courses and trainings that focused on energy, leadership, and policy. I have, also, volunteered for numerous organizations that have impacted more than 10,000 people.

I realized from a report published by the Central Bank of Nigeria that depending mainly on gas for power generation is not enough to meet the energy needs of the country, the Paris Agreement of 2°C, and the SDGs 7. There is a need to harness renewable energy resources such as hydroelectric, solar, wind, tidal, and biomass.

This is why I have chosen an MSc in Sustainable Energy Systems. This program would help me to develop a robust understanding of energy systems and how to light up my country which, according to the World Bank, has about 60% of its population lacking access to affordable electricity, and power outages bring about an annual loss of $980 million according to the Council for Renewable Energy of Nigeria.

These are huge threats to economic growth, poverty eradication, and security; and are obvious in the disheartening economic indices of my country. I desire to learn about the systems that can effectively control the conversion, transmission, and utilization of many forms of energy that my country is abundantly blessed with to produce sustainable, reliable, and affordable energy.

I particularly want to learn how to harness our abundant solar insolation. The potential of solar energy in Nigeria, with a 5% device conversion efficiency, translates to 420,000 GigaWatt/hour of electricity production annually, which is about 30 times the current annual electricity production in the country.

I would love to research how solar energy can be effectively converted for reliable and affordable electricity generation. My proposed study would be on the efficient conversion of solar energy for buildings using innovations in photovoltaic technologies. I will be tweaking solar system components to increase conversion efficiency and reduce the cost of harnessing sunlight.

The University of Edinburgh is ranked 4th in the UK for research power with 83% of research activity classified as excellent. I particularly love the work of Dr Dimitri Mignard on bringing the magic of light to remote areas.

2. Relevant Knowledge/Training Skills

I have strong team-building skills. In 2015, I participated in the ImpactLabs Summer School, organized by MIT Public Service at the University of Lagos. Alongside five team members, we designed a water purification system that can be adapted in homes and in fish farms to reduce the rate at which farmers put on their pumping machines, and, also, help them in the unfortunate events of prolonged power outage that is prevalent in our community.

Also, I participated in the 2017 Nigeria Energy Ambassador workshop where, alongside ten team members, we theoretically designed a solar-powered electric system that can be used in construction sites to aid visibility.

As an energy enthusiast, I have taken several energy-related courses from Massive Open Online Courses like the Energy University of Schneider Electrics where I took courses in Strategic Energy Planning, Lighting Economics, Financial Analysis of Energy Efficient Projects, Energy Audits, and Energy Efficiency Fundamentals; and from the Institute of Petroleum in France where I took a month-long course on Energy Transition Towards a Low Carbon Future.

Also, because safety is at the heart of engineering, I have participated in certification trainings like Basic Health, Safety, and Environment training organized by Deeprimex Consulting; Lean Six Sigma Primer by BitDegree; Handling Hazardous Materials at Work, and GHS/Hazardous Communication Training from P&G Professional University; Energy Efficiency, 3D Printing, and Design Thinking from HP LIFE. I have, also, taken some basic coding classes in HTML, CSS, and Python from Sololearn; and with plan to start beginner classes in R and MATLAB from Coursera by January 2020.

In my work experiences as a Graduate Energy Intern with NoemDek Limited, past Engineering Intern with Broron Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited, Research Assistant with Fate Foundation/Blue Advisory, and Virtual Intern with KPMG, Deloitte, CitiBank, and H2 Ventures, I have developed skills set that include: Data Quality Analysis, Data Analytics, Data Visualisations, Industry Research, Project Planning, Critical Thinking, and Presentations.

I have, also, participated in leadership training like the Venture in Management Program from the prestigious Lagos Business School, the Kectil Program for Emerging Global Leaders, the Common Purpose Global Leader’s Experience, the GEMSTONE Value Based Leadership Program, and the Nigerian Student Fellowship Program organized by Ford Foundation.

Through my volunteer engagements with UNILEVER Nigeria Plc where I spearheaded outreach programs that educated about 5000 students from 16 rural community schools in Southwest Nigeria on iron deficiency anemia; President of Mariere Halls at the University of Lagos where I led a team of 8 executives and 20 volunteers to organize a weeklong event that attracted about 3000 people cumulatively and raised about $3000 for our many programs.

In my role as the founder of Exposure for African Leaders, an initiative that has trained about 200 students on life skills such as leadership, organized academic sensitization programs for 500 students in 5 schools, and organized Mathematics and General Knowledge Competitions in Osogbo, Osun State, I have developed leadership and project management skills while, also, honing my emotional and cultural intelligence.

MSc: Entrepreneurship and Innovation

1. Please give a short statement that describes your academic interests, purpose, objectives, and motivation in undertaking this postgraduate study. (max 3500 chars – approx. 500 words)

In 2019, I worked with Blue Advisory on a project that presented data on the factors that impede businesses and recommended implementable policies. As a Research Assistant, I interviewed 500+ small businesses in Agriculture, Entertainment, Manufacturing, and Services across five locations in Ogun state.

I conducted Zoom calls and leveraged WhatsApp to have entrepreneurs fill out detailed Google forms. I realized from the study that about 90% of these enterprises lacked a growth structure. A 2020 report by PwC showed that Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) account for 48% of GDP and 60 million jobs in Nigeria - and they have the potential to stimulate economic development and create more employment.

However, these broad capacities to enhance development could not be harnessed due to the non-expansive potential of these enterprises. To combat this problem, I am motivated to study Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Edinburgh to help MSMEs enhance their growth potential by providing advisory services.  

I have chosen the University of Edinburgh for this program because it would offer me a top-quality education that will develop my leadership and business potential.  I am convinced that I will develop broader business knowledge through lectures from faculty like Dr. Sarah Cooper and Prof. Ian Gordon with research expertise in SMEs.

The course module on Methods of Business Research will develop my knowledge about research approaches that would enable me to produce high-quality research reports- which will aid policy formulation- focused on the Nigerian entrepreneurship ecosystem.

More so, the program will connect me with people passionate about the entrepreneurship ecosystem, which will enhance the cross-fertilization of business concepts and networking.  I am equally fascinated with the impact-filled extracurriculars such as the Baobab Summit, Edinburgh Awards, Company Treks, and Edinburgh Innovation that would enable me to develop well-rounded professional competencies for my post-graduation plan. 

Upon the completion of my postgraduate studies, I plan to register a company focused on providing advisory services for MSMEs in Nigeria. My knowledge from modules such as Accounting for Entrepreneurs and Business Plan would help me in teaching entrepreneurs how to create sustainable business models.

More so, I would apply my knowledge from the Entrepreneurial Finance course to open entrepreneurs to financing opportunities. The policy knowledge I would gain from Managing Innovation in Context would be useful in helping shape dialogues on business growth in Nigeria. These will complement the efforts of my country’s Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council and the UK-funded Policy Development Facility programs aimed at making us rank above 70 in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index by 2030. 

In ten years, I aim to have impacted 10,000 entrepreneurs; connect them to over $40 million in funding opportunities, and co-create 100,000 jobs. These will translate into improved matrices in global assessing indices of bodies like the World Bank for national prosperity. Overall, through this program in Edinburgh, I would have the opportunity to widen my global perspective, expand my network, and develop expertise to create a better world for posterity by strengthening the middle class through economic growth.

2. Relevant Knowledge/Training Skills: This may include details of required laboratory, computer programming, specialized software packages skills or voluntary work that you have undertaken pertinent to the program. If you have not finished your first degree, please tell us about the program of study you are taking. 

During my professional and volunteer experiences, I have acquired both soft and hard skills that are oriented towards business. In my previous role at Noemdek Limited, I rotated across the Logistics, Business Development, Finance, Bidding, and Sourcing departments as an Analyst. During these rotational roles, I learned to use accounting software tools like Quickbooks for preparing estimates, invoices, and waybills for the customers; and Microsoft tools like PowerPoint and Excel. Also, I developed skills in bidding, proposal development, negotiation, spreadsheet modeling, and presentation.

Furthermore, during my three-month role as a Virtual Intern with Deloitte, KPMG, H2 Ventures, and Citi- I had the opportunity to work on numerous datasets. I leveraged tools such as Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Power BI to analyze and visualize data. During these experiences, I developed skills in data quality analysis, data analytics, communication, presentation, project planning, opportunity analysis, and comparative analysis.

Furthermore, I have participated in 100+ hours of courses in Management Mathematics, Financial Accounting, Finance, Spreadsheet Modelling, and Management Communication on the Harvard Business School Publishing portal. I also took part in a 4-month weekly innovation management program that comprised videos, flash cases, written materials, and webinars delivered online and optimized for business execution and growth.

Through the courses and teaching pedagogy, I developed more knowledge in Logistics and Supply Chain Management; Innovation and growth; Leadership and Human Capital; Sustainability and risk Management; Business Systems and processes; and Execution and Growth. I further developed skills in business analysis and knowledge in new venture creation. 

Finally, in my volunteer role as the President of Mariere Hall of Residence at the University of Lagos, I led a team of seven executives to organize a weeklong event that attracted a crowd audience of over 2,000 persons of the university community and environs cumulatively. I designed the proposal and communication materials we used in interacting with over ten sponsor organizations that supported over $2,000.

In the process, I developed my teamwork abilities, project management skills, fundraising, event planning, resource planning, persuasion, and negotiation.

Currently, I am participating in a one-year postgraduate fellowship program at the Nigerian University of Technology and Management that is focused on Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Some of the courses covered are Design Thinking, Economics of Globalization, Rhetoric and Public Speaking, Market Creating Innovation, Accounting and Finance, Contextual Leadership, Social Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Human-Centered Design, Critical Thinking and Public Speaking for Effective Communication, and Strategy.

Through these courses, I have strengthened my analytical approach to problem-solving, developed my communication skills, and enhanced my learning abilities. Also, I am developing more knowledge in customer segmentation, data-driven presentations, data visualization, critical thinking, industry research, value analysis, project delivery, planning, cost estimation, and feasibility assessment.

Upon the completion of this Master's program, the new skills I would gain and the strong networks I would have will help in develop insights and strategies aimed at making a great impact in my country.