School of Social and Political Science

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Why did you choose to study your programme? Why the University of Edinburgh?

I chose Africa and International Development because of my own lived experience. I was born and raised in one of the largest floating slums in Africa - Makoko, Nigeria. I lost my mum when I was 7, and my dad also became unemployed almost at the same time. I lost my mum because she couldn't access quality healthcare, and my dad became unemployed, as there weren’t any systems that protected him. I stayed out of school for an academic term, and my brother stayed out of school for an academic year, and we had to start raising money from family to get back into school. My education became my lifeline in a way, because I went to school through support from family and friends. I got into the University, got the scholarship, and was thinking about kids who look like myself: what if we create a platform where they could develop the skills needed to forge trajectory for their lives and careers? All the support I got at the University and growing up created a pathway for me. Even when I was 14, there was a programme I attended for vulnerable children which introduced me to self-esteem and leadership - all of those topics shaped the kind of work I ended up doing. 

When I was 23, I started a nonprofit to help children of my kind. It was, number one, to help them with career-related skills and prepare them for the workforce. But not only that – I’d noticed that they were facing challenges within the community, and what if I created a platform where you could identify those problems and then co-create solutions using design thinking? So, I started a bootcamp where they were co-creating solutions and - as they were co-creating - they were developing 21st century skills. I learned so much doing that work as a young person and was later elected as Regional Manager for the global nonprofit Peace First, where I was helping young people start changemaking projects on the continent. I was supporting young people in more than 30 countries. It was like the work I was doing in my country, but on a larger scale. 

At Peace First I was providing mentorship and grants to young people, and it got me thinking: what if I build original knowledge in this area of work? What if I had more grounding in the history, politics and research? That was why I chose MSc Africa and International Development, to ground myself in this work. I was thinking Africa and International Development would give me that broader perspective to understand the interconnectivity and intersectional challenges around the work that I was doing. I noticed that the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Programme was offering the course, so that's why I chose The University of Edinburgh. It was only through the scholarship that I could have afforded that kind of education - young people like myself would not get the opportunity to study in a place like The University of Edinburgh. It was an opportunity to bring in my own story and my own lived experiences to the programme. Getting in was an opportunity to get credibility for my work and to give me not just the privilege you get by studying at the University, but to reflect on privileges I’ve accrued and use them for the good of other people and the good of my community. It was a combination of those things.

How did you get to where you are?

One of the things that I would say is that I'm always searching for problems. When I see a problem within my community, I want to do something about it. For example, when I was 15, I started teaching in the rural school where I was living, and also organised remedial classes for students who were struggling. It's me seeing the problem and doing something about it. All of those things actually increased my chances of success by 1%, because in every moment I was building up my story and credit. I didn't know that all those stories would become something I would probably use to get a scholarship. 

When I started my NGO, it was also about seeing a problem in my community and stepping up. That was how I started my nonprofit, Kayode Alabi Leadership and Career Initiative. Seeing a problem was also how I started Skill2Rural.Org, which is a platform where educators can cascade courses and resources to students in rural and displaced communities for free. I also noticed that there weren’t career counsellors in schools on the continent. Most students without proper social mobility or are from a disadvantaged backgrounds are the ones that don't get career support early, and then that affects their income potential in the future. I was looking at the scale of the problem, and there are about 90,000,000 unemployed and displaced young people on the continent. What do we do about that data so as to create a solution at scale? That’s why I created Rafiki AI, which is Africa’s first generative AI career advisor and counsellor for young and displaced people. 

Every moment I see a problem, I step up. I think that’s the grounding I've had from the MSc programme, where it's not just about thinking about profits, but also thinking about the change you want to make within the community and understanding the intricacies, engagements, and participatory approach towards making change. Sometimes you learn these things and you don't understand how you can use them in practise. You’re not just creating something because you want to create a solution, you're creating something because of the rigour of that work. I think the reason why I've gotten to this level is because of that grounding, my story and my experience. I've started to realise that the work is personal - it's personal to me and that's why I would probably die trying to solve those problems and challenges. 

How have you used the knowledge and skills gained from your time at Edinburgh in your career journey? What did you gain from your time at the University?

I did a placement during my master's, and I did a placement with the Mastercard Foundation Scholars programme as well. I was looking at a project called the Foundation for All, a project that looks at preparing refugees for higher education in Uganda. I started as an intern, and the work became my dissertation project. It gave me more experience in the challenges refugees were facing in terms of accessing higher education. I was grounded in doing that research, learning how to communicate data, and using that to inform policies. That gave me ideas around the refugee crisis and the challenges that we're facing, which added to the layer of my work because I used to work with displaced young people.

I went ahead to work with an organisation called Refugee Education UK after my Masters, where I was working with refugees and asylum seekers in London as an Education Mentoring Coordinator. I was connecting them to mentors for educational support within the west London area. All the experience gained from my dissertation got me that role. At that time, I also co-created a mentoring programme where I was connecting the Mastercard Foundation scholars at three different institutions to the refugees in Uganda to support them in their academic journey. I transferred that experience to my dissertation and to my job. It gave me more context, and I ended up writing a paper that I presented at the UKFIET Conference in Oxford. It was published by NORRAG, which is one of the biggest think tanks in education globally. I wrote about foundational learning, and again I didn't know what that would lead to - it was just me engaging and finding a way to contribute to the community. Whether it's through research, through creating a solution, or working somewhere, I can learn from the experience and advance something that is good. 

One of the ways that I've started to see things is that sometimes a form of revolution and rebellion is quiet. My form of revolution and rebellion is now through creation. How do we respond to all the crises that we are facing in the world today? I understand the role of carrying placards, but for me now, it's through creation. I think there's something powerful about creating to disrupt the system. It's a form of quiet rebellion, and I think that's now been the focus of my work. I think it's all the grounding you get from written papers, articles and courses that you've taken, all those experiences, shaping the way you contribute and communicate.

What 3 words describe your time studying at the School of Social and Political Science?

Challenging, present and process. 

The reason why I say “challenging” is because I challenged myself in many ways - challenging my own thinking, my own ideas. 

“Presence” is another one. I think I tried to be as present as possible in all the things that I was doing, even in terms of the friends and connections that I made. I tried as much as possible, even though it was a COVID year.

The third one is “process.” The process was more important than the outcome. I know people were always fascinated by their grades, but I switched my mindset from grades to process. That was what created the pathway for opportunities that I've gotten - it's been about understanding the process, leaning onto the process and raising the pathway for the future.

What is your favourite memory from your time studying at the University of Edinburgh (or SPS)? 

It was going with some of my classmates and Mastercard Foundation scholars to the Loch Side House at Stirling - Stronachlachar. After we'd completed our coursework, we went to the loch for three days to refresh our bodies. It was one of my best moments - I cried. I cried because of being present with everybody, observing each other, and seeing good things about each other whilst relaxing and resting in nature. You know, hearing the birds chirp! I think most of the time people focus a lot on the academic side so much that they forget to take little breaks that can energise them, and get to know people better. It's good to see the other side of you that is even more human. That’s the memory I continue to carry. With those friends, we've got plans to meet every three years for a reunion. For the next one we are thinking of going to Japan! 

What advice would you give yourself if you were just starting your academic journey?

Again, it's to lean onto process. Outcomes are great, I’m not saying they aren’t, it's good to focus on the outcome. But don't focus so much on the outcome that you don't see the good in the process. Whether you're writing your dissertation and coursework or focusing on the learning, these are the things that you translate into the workforce or what you choose to do next. So long as there’s something in the process that you are confident about, there is something that is going to create a pathway for the future opportunities you're looking for. 

I know it's hard. People don’t want to believe this because everybody's focused on outcome. But if you just focus on the process, the outcome will be a byproduct of the work you put in. Give it your best, learn, ask for feedback from your lecturers and tutors. Learning how to give and receive feedback is part of the process. Just focusing on the outcome can block us from the opportunities that we're supposed to get, or even how to communicate our stories better. The advice I'll be giving is to lean onto the process and see how the magic happens along the journey. 

Written 2025