Nigerians Shine at the 2017 British Council Alumni Award
Adedayo Adejobi
At the recently concluded British Council’s 2017 Study UK Alumni Award Dinner, held in Lagos recently, young, enterprising and innovative UK- trained Nigerians were honoured with varying awards in recognition of the outstanding exploits, exemplary leadership and achievements in their chosen professional spheres of influence.
The Study UK Alumni Awards, which was initiated a year ago, aims to recognise and celebrate the benefits that studying at a UK university has had upon the individual, their community and country.
“We are celebrating Nigerians who have come back to Nigeria following a very good education and have achieved so much they could go anywhere, but they’ve chosen to come here and contribute back to Nigeria,” the Country Director, British Council Nigeria, Connie Price said.
“The awards is no doubt timely, and most crucially symbolic, as it in no small measure encourages me do more, thus impacting the economy, push the boundaries and innovate and strategise to help the economy,” Timipre Wolo said
Wolo’s UK experience studying at the University of Aberdeen opened her up to multicultural experiences, solid educational development and career opportunities, giving her a breadth of knowledge and strategic tool. Driven by her passion and commitment to youth development, while serving in the PTDF, Timipre championed a number of youth empowerment initiatives such as the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme; the Special Training and Educational Scheme; the Vocational Training Programme and the PTDF pioneer Partnership with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). These initiatives led to the award of full foreign undergraduate scholarships to young men and women from less privileged backgrounds from the Niger Delta and across Nigeria, to study at various universities across the globe. Timipre also championed the first ever helicopter pilot training programme for the petroleum industry in Nigeria with the training of indigenous youths as internationally certified commercial helicopter pilots to take over opportunities hitherto dominated by Expatriates. Following the successful completion of their training, Timipre played a key role in initiating a job-creation partnership between the Fund and the private sector leading to the employment of the young budding pilots in the industry, upon completion of their type-rating/ hour-building internship.
The award was split into three categories: The Professional Achievement Award had an array of Mary Stephen, Tolu Ogunlesi , Olanrewaju Akinsola, Paul Oluikpo , Timipre Wolo, seeing Olanrewaju Akinsola clinch the coveted category.
The Social Impact category was slugged out by ex- THISDAY staff Bolaji Abdullahi ,Fatima Oyiza Ademoh, Mary Dinah and Mfon Ekpo. Fatima Oyiza took of the University of Leeds took home warad and shine.
On the entrepreneurial front, Nasir Abdulkadir, Ehime Eigbe, Adebambo Akani, Anas Balarabe Yazid and Isoken Ogiemwonyi, were paraded as contestants for this category. Anas Balarabe Yazid of Imperial College won the category