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Summary
Three Nigerians, Remi Olusoga, Ijeoma Okereke-Adagba, and Ikram Bello Sadiq, who won the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission Award for 2024, train intending applicants on strategies to apply to win the prestigious developmental aid.
Making an immediate impact in their home countries, Nigerian Commonwealth Scholarship beneficiaries Remi Olusoga, Ijeoma Okereke-Adagba, and Ikram Bello Sadiq train intending applicants on how to win the prestigious award for the 2025 academic calendar.
First established in 1959, the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) is funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to aid people in developing countries in accessing the higher education required to develop their nation.
With over 31,000 beneficiaries across 65 years, Remi Olusoga, Ijeoma Okereke-Adagba, and Ikram Bello Sadiq are among the scholars impacted by the CSC in 2024. Remi won the award to earn a Master’s Degree in Energy and Climate Change at the University of Sussex, Ijeoma won the award to study Media Practice for Development and Social change at the University of Sussex, while Ikram won the award for a doctoral study in Sustainable Built Environment at the University of Sheffield.
After receiving the award, the Commonwealth scholars trained over 100 Nigerians on the strategies and steps to help them earn the CSC. The training, which took place virtually from 12 noon to 2 pm on Sept. 28, 2024, included a comprehensive guide on the CSC’s eligibility requirements, the nominating bodies to consider, and the steps for a successful application.
On their motivation to train others, Ijeoma said, “We just thought it was the right thing to do. It would be unfair for us to keep the lessons we learnt during the application process to ourselves.”
Among several insights, Remi advised that applicants should go the extra mile to prove they are worthy of the scholarship, including being familiar with FCDO’s projects. She further advised that applicants should strategically choose the nominating agencies that represent their needs.
“If you are a woman, you may want to apply through the Forum for African Women Educationalists,” Remi said. “If you are a person with a disability, you can consider applying through the Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum.”
Ijeoma, who guided attendees through the steps of applying for a Master’s CSC scholarship, advised that applicants should select three institutions they would prefer to study at and ensure that they are in partnership with the CSC.
“You will need to select the three institutions you want to attend and give justifications for selecting the schools. Make sure they are schools in partnership with the CSC and the courses you want to study at the institutions are similar across all institutions,” Ijeoma said.
Ikram, who focused on sharing insights with PhD students, advised that doctoral applicants must align their applications with their proposed thesis.
“You know, PhD is mostly about research, so make sure your application aligns with the proposed study,” Ikram said.
She further advised that applicants should contact a few beneficiaries to review their essays.
Before the session ended, the Commonwealth scholars answered all attendees’ questions, encouraged them not to give up even if they didn’t earn the award on the first try, and wished them success with their applications.
The training attendees expressed that the session equipped them with an in-depth understanding, which they are confident would improve their chances of getting the CSC award.
“I have been applying for Commonwealth scholarships in the past years, but I have focused only on the Commonwealth Shared Scholarships, where the institution has to nominate me. This is because I didn’t know how to connect with a nominating agency for the Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship.
“With this session, I have an in-depth understanding of the procedure to apply for the scholarship. The facilitators have also volunteered to review essays before submissions, which would be useful,” said Blessing Oladunjoye.
The CSC application, which focuses on six developmental themes, is currently open. Applicants are advised to submit their applications before October 15, 2024.
