Scholarship / The Chevening committee is looking for people with networking skills to create a national network [2]

Networking essay - Chevening

Chevening is looking for individuals with strong professional relationship-building skills, who will engage with the Chevening community and influence and lead others in their chosen profession. Please explain how you build and maintain relationships in a professional capacity, using clear examples of how you currently do this and outline how you hope to use these skills in the future. (minimum word count: 100 words; maximum word count: 500 words)

XXX is a body that aims to support start-ups and initiative that uses technologies like data science, blockchain, and machine learning to deliver products that strive to solve problems facing the continent.

I met AFF back then in 2017 when I attended a hackathon organized b yXXX where we had to build an innovative product using blockchain or machine learning. I exchanged emails with one of the Judges (XXX). After that meet up, we have met on two different occasions in which I pitched different ideas to him.

In 2018 I had told XXX, I was looking for a new job and after a few months, XXX got me an interview with AAA, which one of the biggest and fastest-growing back in Nigeria.

On returning to Nigeria, I will collaborate with XXX to provide me resources and the enabling environment needed to drive my vision of improving how loan analyses and increase the depth of financial inclusion using Artificial Intelligence.

Scholarship / Reflecting on your life so far, tell us how you meet the key selection criteria for Scholars Program [3]

Essay for MasterCard Foundation Scholarship at University of Edinburgh in Education Challenges

Reflecting on your life so far, tell us how you meet the key selection criteria for the Scholars Program. You should include information on your academic achievements and barriers to education you have faced

Thinking about my childhood and my Primary Education, I know I definitely did not get a quality Primary Education due to financial constraints, but that was something I never focused on or I ever thought would limit me. I knew I would get the best education at a higher level.

My beliefs were re-enforced when I got the highest score in JAMB (The Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board) score in my secondary school. I got admission to Michael Okpara University of Agriculture to study Computer engineering. In my first year, I got a commendation letter from the school board due to my exceptional performance.

My second year, turned out to be the greatest low of my life because my parents were in debt because they had to collect loans to pay my first-year tuition fees and accommodation fees. For a while, I almost lost faith and thought I would drop out. But I got to apply for a scholarship in my second year in the university and I was awarded the scholarship, and thanks to that, I was able to complete my university program. Though the scholarship only covered my tuition fees, accommodation and getting study materials was still a challenge, so I had to move to a less expensive apartment with a roommate and relied on online resources for school materials I could not afford to buy. At the end of my undergraduate program, I was able to graduate with an Upper-class degree in Computer Engineering.