Na Lagos Continental Hotel for Victoria Island, British Council don gather big big people to celebrate Naija graduates wey go school for UK and dey use their knowledge change things for Nigeria. The event wey happen on February 28 na part of Study UK Alumni Awards wey dey recognize international students wey don use their UK education make real impact for their countries.
Donna McGowan, British Council Country Director for Nigeria, talk say the awards show how UK education dey reach everywhere for world. “This award don dey for twelve years now and we don get over 1,800 applications from alumni across 120 countries wey represent more than 110 UK universities,” she yarn. “Na dis show say UK education still get strong influence globally.”
Four winners collect awards for different categories. For Social Action category, Kola Alapinni, human rights lawyer wey graduate from University of Ibadan and University of Essex, win for his work on religious freedom cases. Alapinni don handle high-profile blasphemy cases for Kano, including defending Omar Farouq Bashir and Yahaya Sharif-Aminu. Both cases don overturn for appeal court, even though Sharif-Aminu own still dey Supreme Court. Alapinni don even collect United States Secretary of State’s International Religious Freedom Award for his work.
For Culture, Creativity and Sport category, Yemisi Sophie Odusanya, wey people sabi as Sisi Yemmie, win for her work with digital storytelling and food media. Through her YouTube channel SisiYemmieTV, Odusanya dey show Naija food and culture to over one million subscribers worldwide. She study for Igbinedion University before she go get Master’s degree from University of Birmingham for International Studies and Diplomacy.
Dimeji Sofowora, co-founder of Helium Health, win for Business and Innovation category for how him dey use technology change healthcare for Africa. Helium Health don support over 10,000 health workers and digitize more than two million patient records since 2016. Through HeliumCredit, the company don give more than $11 million to healthcare providers. Sofowora wey graduate from University of Leeds and Queen Mary University of London, before dey work for Goldman Sachs and Aluko & Oyebode, now dey support startups as general partner for MAGIC Fund.
For Science and Sustainability category, Prof Abdulazeez Ahmed from Bayero University Kano win for his work on hearing healthcare. After him study Audiovestibular Medicine for University College London, Ahmed set up Nigeria’s first Audiometrician Training Programme for Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital and National Ear Care Centre. Him also help develop Nigeria’s first Master’s degree for Otolaryngology and help introduce undergraduate audiology programmes for Northwestern Nigeria. For 2016, him get Nigeria’s first grant wey dey specifically for training community health workers on basic ear and hearing care.
British Council talk say international education dey play big role to strengthen UK-Nigeria relations through knowledge exchange, research collaboration, and professional partnerships. Alumni networks dey remain important channels for sustained engagement, make professionals across different sectors fit collaborate on solutions for economic growth, healthcare development, cultural promotion, and technological advancement.
The event end with commitment to continue strengthening educational ties between United Kingdom and Nigeria through collaboration, professional networking, and knowledge-sharing initiatives wey go support next generation of leaders. British Council wey don dey operate for Nigeria for over 80 years, dey continue support skills development, education exchange programmes, and institutional partnerships between both countries.
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