By Oluwabunmi Amosu is a first class graduate of the Lagos State University who recently bagged a Master of Arts in Education and Society at McGill University in Canada, graduating with a perfect CGPA (4.0/4.0). In this interview with BlackBox Nigeria, she talks about her background, academic feat, work in the development space and future plans.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Oluwabunmi Amosu and I hail from Ajido, Badagry, Lagos. I recently graduated from McGill University. I studied Masters of Art in Education and Society. My education at McGill was made possible through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. I have had the opportunities to work on many developmental projects particularly, in the field of education and girls empowerment. I am also the founder of a NGO called Smart Innovation Hub and we are committed to promoting learning opportunities.
Would you say your background motivated your academic aspirations?
Yes, my father, Sewhenu Amosu was my inspiration. I lost my mother in 2007 and my father in 2021. Even though my father wasn’t financially bouyant, he didn’t take my education for granted. I come from a average family and after my father retired, things were very difficult for us. Despite growing up in a remote part of Lagos with less access to resources, my father believed in me.
You recently bagged a Masters degree from a top Canadian university with a perfect CGPA, after graduating with a first class in Business Administration from the Lagos State University. How does this make you feel?
I feel good for making my parents, Late Mr Sewhenu and Mrs Taiwo Amosu proud. I am grateful for my siblings and fiance for their support and encouragement. They were my strength. I am also grateful to my colleagues and friends for their support. I feel so blessed by God for his mercy over my life.
Graduating with a perfect CGPA at postgraduate level is no joke. How did you do it?
The journey was not that easy, but I managed to graduate with a perfect CGPA. First, I was very careful with my coursework. I tried to analyse what is required from each course, I equally paid attention to the deadlines. To be honest, I had to put a lot of effort. I spoke to my colleagues each time there was an assignment or project that I wasn’t sure about. I brainstormed with them and tapped from their ideas. And of course, the God factor was there. In sum, the feat was made possible by my resolve to put in a lot of work through reading, doing my assignments, preparing ahead for classes and investing a lot in my research work. It all required hardwork and sacrifice.
You were selected for the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship Program. How did this opportunity aid your academic aspiration?
The opportunity aided my academic aspiration because I got into the best school in Canada and in the world. It was a great opportunity to have learned from the wealth of knowledge of my professors and colleagues.
Despite being an international student, you were involved in a number of extracurricular engagements at McGill University. How did you manage to pull this off?
I knew those opportunities would be beneficial towards my professional career journey. Besides all of my needs were been meet by the Mastercard Foundation. I had to maximize all the resources available at my disposal as long as I was eligible to apply for them.
Can you highlight your experience as a Nigerian student in a Canadian varsity?
It was really challenging. I questioned myself several times if I was good enough to be here. It was really difficult for me because I was the only black student in my class and about 3 black students in the whole of my faculty. I would cry several times but would pick up myself again. Many of my professors were helpful and they were really flexible with deadlines.
You run a non-profit organization that aims to promote entrepreneurship skills among young people, particularly girls in Africa. Tell us about your works and progress so far.
It’s really going well. We are growing. We have a project we are working on, called “Smart Pad”. We are putting a lot in place to begin execution. This is what I live for and I am happy giving back to my immediate society and the world at large.
What are your future plans and career aspirations?
My career aspiration is to become the Secretary General of the United Nations. I am working everyday and getting myself involved in development projects. This is my life work.
