The Africa Initiative for Governance (AIG) today announced the recipients this year’s AIG Scholarships who will be part of the incoming MPP class from September: Babafemi Adebola (Nigeria), Onyekachukwu Erobu (Nigeria), Nasir Mohammed (Nigeria), Kwame Sarpong (Ghana), and Hakeem Onasanya (Nigeria).

Every year since 2017, AIG has awarded fully funded scholarships to young, outstanding West Africans from all backgrounds who are passionate about the public sector. After spending one year in Oxford to study for our Master of Public Policy (MPP), AIG Scholars are expected to return to their home country and apply their learning experience as change agents in their country’s public sector.

“I am very impressed with our third cohort of AIG Scholars”, said Mr Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Founder and Chairman of Africa Initiative for Governance. “All five of them represent West Africans of great potential. Three qualities are common to all of them – strong intellectual ability, leadership and a passion for public service. It takes a strong value-system to want to serve the public good and these five individuals have demonstrated a compelling desire to do so.”

The five scholarships are part of the partnership between the Blavatnik School of Government and AIG which aims to contribute to the development of talent critical to support Africa’s future; the partnership also brings an AIG Fellow to Oxford each year to undertake a period of study, reflection and engagement.

Applications for AIG scholarships to study for the MPP for the academic year 2020-21 will be accepted from Wednesday 31 July up until Monday 23 September 2019.

Candidates will have to demonstrate exceptional academic and leadership skills and intend to return to the public sector in Africa after completing their studies. Those who emerge as finalists in the Africa Initiative for Governance selection process will be expected to apply directly to the Blavatnik School for admissions, which open officially on 2 September 2019. Finalists who are offered admission to the MPP will be considered by the School in the final selection of AIG Scholars.

“I felt an overwhelming sense of joy and relief to have met the exceptionally high standards set by AIG for the prestigious scholarship. Being selected as an AIG Scholar is a vote of confidence in my latent abilities which I intend to nurture during my time at the Blavatnik School, in preparation for my contribution to public service. I intend to use this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop myself both personally and professionally.” - Nasir Mohammed, AIG Scholar 2019-20

“The AIG Scholarship is a stamp of recognition of my academic abilities and leadership potential, which not only humbles me, but also spurs me to do more for the benefit of humanity. The desire for public service has burned within me for as long as I can remember. It was against this backdrop that I decided to pursue Law because I considered it a powerful tool to effect widespread change. After the MPP, I aim to return to Ghana and apply my enhanced skillset to help shape the implementation of trade policy.” - Kwame Sarpong, AIG Scholar 2019-20