Why we are preparing youths for leadership roles ―iSI

THE i-Scholar Initiative (iSI) has reaffirmed its commitment to bridging the opportunity gap for underserved but talented Nigerian youths through its annual scholarship award programme.

This is just as iSI President, Victor Ogunmola, said the organisation will continue to build Nigeria’s younger generation and prepare them for leadership roles.

He stated this when the organisation onboarded 100 scholars, who have received funding and mentorship to pursue postgraduate studies at leading global institutions, in the 2025 edition of the programme. The scholars were unveiled at an event tagged “Expanding the Pipeline of Change Agents to Transform Africa.”

Ogunmola said: “In Nigeria and across Africa, there are bright and talented people who need help, and we are bridging that gap. Our belief is driven by the fact that talent is universal, but opportunity is not.

“We have identified that there are many brilliant Nigerians who could compete and qualify for top global universities yearly, but the challenge there is they cannot afford the cost of standardised tests or even pay for application fees or visas. These are the areas in which we intentionally and strategically invest.”

The organisation also disclosed that the scholarship covers payment of standardised exams, such as GRE, GMAT, IELTS, and TOEFL, graduate school application and visa guidance, and mentorship through a global network of professionals.

It added that since inception in 2019, the initiative has supported over 455 scholars, achieved an 85 per cent success rate in securing full scholarships, and unlocked more than $45 million in cumulative scholarship value.

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