Youths must stop seeing policy as abstract, should spearhead conversations that affect them —Omolola Lipede, social entrepreneur, UNECA Fellow

Omolola Lipede is the Chief Programme Officer at Kayode Alabi Leadership Initiative (KLCI), the Regional Manager West Africa at The Development School, and the only Nigerian selected among 18 young African professionals for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Fellowship Programme. In this interview with IFEDAYO OGUNYEMI, she spoke on her work during the fellowship and how policy research can be leveraged to improve developmental outcomes.

How did you feel when you got the news on the UNECA fellowship, and what do you think set you apart, having been selected from over 2,600 applicants from Africa? 

I was super excited and rolled on the floor. Numerous emotions ran through me at the same time. I was glad for the opportunity because it has been a dream to work in a multicultural environment like the UN. This is a dream come true. I almost didn’t apply for this opportunity because I saw previous fellows’ track records and immediately dismissed myself. My good friend and boss, Hammed Alabi, always iterates the need for me to apply for opportunities. So, for this, I also got a push from my supervisors — three of my supervisors sent me the opportunity at different times over a week, and they followed up strictly. When I got the email, it was a sort of validation for me, and I was very happy to be part of this prestigious programme.

About what set me apart, I would say my art of storytelling in my application did. After I got the good news, I had to go back to check what I wrote, and I saw that my application was very specific. The motivation statement was very specific to what I do currently as the Chief Programme Officer of Kayode Alabi Leadership and Career Initiative (KLCI) and how it feeds into my research interest on inequality of opportunity. More so, I have the best supervisors in the world. They wrote me jaw-dropping recommendations. Another thing is my track record. I have been working on my area of interest with KLCI since 2019. These are the experiences I wrote in my motivation statement. It wasn’t a generic story; it was my story, my experiences and my overall life goal and how it connects to the core interests of UNECA. Importantly, I had God’s blessing on every endeavour made. That is the icing on the cake for me.

 

What does being part of the 2025 UNECA Fellowship mean for your personal and professional journey? 

It means a lot. Foremost, I get to work with and be mentored by experts in my core area of interest. That is a big deal for me in my professional journey. I get to learn a lot from them in terms of research and policy formulation — this is practically what I want to do as a profession. I love research and the nonprofit space. I currently enjoy my role in designing and implementing programmes that empower young people in underserved communities. Also, I am into non-profit consulting. I strongly believe that we are in an era where research must meet impact for sustainable and inclusive development to happen. So, in the intersection of my passion and interest to make a difference in underserved communities through planning programmes and helping nonprofit organisations lies a tool — research. I am into policy research that can help inform government policies, the private sector and nonprofit organisations’ role in development.

UNECA is the think-tank for Africa that’s doing all of this on a large scale. Being part of the fellowship to learn and be mentored is a great gain for my professional life. More so, I get to meet wonderful young people across the continent. Crucially, working in UNECA gives me a taste of what a diversified and inclusive workplace looks like.

 

What kinds of projects or research areas do you hope to work on during your time with UNECA? 

I am currently a fellow for the Gender, Poverty, and Social Policy Development Division. In this division, I will be working on reports that have to do with women’s empowerment and gender for the continent. More so, running a lot of poverty and inequality analysis, possibly infusing the issues around migration into the mix. I am super excited about the projects.

 

How do you plan to use the experience and networks gained from the fellowship to benefit Nigeria and West Africa?

One of my commitments when I got the news was that this wouldn’t just be for me alone. It’s a stepping stone to amplify the work I already do and to build bridges for others in Nigeria and West Africa. The UNECA Fellowship offers access to a robust network of experts, policymakers, and forward-thinking young professionals from across Africa, and I plan to leverage all of that. I want to take what I learn and localise it. Foremost, I will channel the experience into designing evidence-based programmes that better respond to the nuances of poverty, inequality, and education gaps in West Africa.

Whether it is through KLCI or in collaboration with state institutions, I want to bridge that gap between research and policy implementation. My focus is on practical solutions. So, translating data into action is key for me. Also, from a broader standpoint, I want to work with government and private institutions in Africa, starting with Nigeria, of course, to promote policies that foster inclusive growth. I have always believed in Africa-led development solutions. So, this platform is not just for exposure, it is also for influence. I want to be part of that generation that moves conversations from “what should be done” to “how do we get it done sustainably.” Finally, and importantly, I want to keep spotlighting the role of research in solving grassroots problems. And, as I always say, God goes before me, and I follow with intentional steps.

 

In your view, what role should young Africans play in shaping development policy across the continent? 

This question excites me because I strongly believe young Africans are not just the leaders of tomorrow, we are the partners of today. I mentioned the generation I want to belong to and young people should be in this generation also. The generation that moves conversations from “what should be done” to “how do we get it done sustainably.” We have to take the “action role.” We need to stop seeing policy as something far removed from us. It affects everything and young Africans must be at the forefront of shaping those conversations. We bring unique lived experiences, fresh perspectives, and digital savviness that older policymakers may not fully have. So, our involvement isn’t just about representation, it’s also about relevance. I truly need to add this, or else this is unbalanced.

Many young Africans are already doing the work. Look at the social entrepreneurs, the youth-led nonprofits, and the grassroots organisers, they are filling development gaps every day. What we need now is intentional inclusion at the policymaking table, not tokenism, but real partnership and investment in youth-led development. So yes, our role is to lead, challenge, build, question, and collaborate. Africa is young, the median age is less than 20, and if the policies we create today don’t reflect the needs and dreams of the youth, then we are failing the future before it even begins.

 

What challenges do you think young researchers and policy advocates face in Africa today? 

Beaucoup de challenges! Young African policymakers and researchers face many challenges. First on that list is access to quality and reliable data, funds, and tools. For instance, an important software I use, STATA, is not free and not cheap. There is also a lack of mentorship and a voice to communicate our work. Sometimes it is not that we don’t have the ideas or the passion, but there is a bridge missing between our heads and the tables where decisions are taken. Institutional bottlenecks are another challenge. Attempting to move through bureaucracies that are not youth-friendly or open to new ideas can be discouraging.

However, despite these setbacks, we’re managing to move forward. Young people are creating their own platforms, hosting think tanks, building data-driven projects, and designing policies from the grassroots. The challenge is real, but so too is our resolve. What we require now is for institutions, governments, and development partners to move beyond tokenism and invest seriously in the capacity of young researchers, voices, and leadership.

 

How can we make development research more attractive and accessible to young people, even outside academic circles?

As a young development researcher, I have had my moments of “who sent me” because of the little or no information about how it works, the possible career pathways, or the feeling it is too vague. I got my breakthrough when I met my supervisors at the University of Ibadan. They made me see the relatability of research. Not everyone in my set had that luxury.  We need to start by demystifying research. Let’s break it out of the four walls of academia and show young people that research is not just for professors and PhD holders. It is simply about asking the right questions and finding answers that can spark change.

Development research becomes attractive when young people see how it connects to their everyday struggles, from the price of garri in the market to access to quality education or healthcare. We must show that research can be a tool for advocacy, for building community-led solutions, and for holding systems accountable. We have to create engaging, inclusive, and helpful portals and tap into digital narratives, podcasts, infographics, Twitter threads, hackathons, and even popular culture to grab people’s attention. We need to partner with youth-led movements, provide mini-grants and mentorship opportunities for community-based research, and create spaces in which their voice is not merely heard but prioritised. When young people are shown that their actual life experiences are good data points and that they are included at the table, development research will not just be attractive, it will be unstoppable.

 

You are passionate about inspiring young African women to enter this field. What specific barriers do women face in development research and policymaking? 

I am so passionate about this because I have lived it, still living it, and see it every day. I was invited as a panellist for a programme organised by the Policy Innovation Centre (PIC) on Women’s Leadership in Economics and Law. From the experience shared, these are the barriers highlighted. Many young African women don’t even know these fields exist in a way that they can be part of them. There is no mentorship, there is poor representation, and the spaces are usually gatekept.

Don’t even get me started on the heaviness of negotiating social expectations from family responsibilities to unconscious prejudices questioning your competence the moment you walk into a room. One story that stood out for me in the PIC event was that of the need and feeling to always lobby to have a stake on the table — a very stressful need and feeling. Lobbying, not because you don’t merit it, but because of your gender, and that is a sad reality we live in.

 

What changes would you recommend that could make leadership and research spaces more inclusive for women? 

We grew up listening to songs like, “Mummy in the kitchen cooking rice, Daddy in the parlour watching film,” and seeing images of women in magazines being cooks or washing, etc., while men do the brain work. We can start rewriting the narrative, using storytelling and visibility. We have to show young African women, women generally, that it is possible, and there are people just like that firing up on all cylinders in the research milieu. We have to spotlight amazing African women who are already on the ground doing the work.

I have always dreamed of winning the Nobel Prize in Economics, but I didn’t see the possibility as a woman. Do you know when my mindset shifted? When I saw that Esther Duflo won the Nobel Prize in Economics. To crown it all, she won in the very field I have so much interest in — poverty analysis. My confidence level grew by 1,000 per cent. More so, we need to create, develop, and invest strategically in programmes that give young women tools, mentors, and access.

 

Can you share an experience where your identity as a young African woman influenced your work or perspective?

Every time I introduce myself at gatherings or research workshops as an economist passionate about poverty and inequality analysis, micro-econometrics that connect with people, human capital development, and the economics of conflict, the room literally shifts. I have seen the side eyes, heard the subtle chuckles, and the remarks. “You are too young for this.” “All these heavy topics, are you sure?” And my all-time favourite: “Will you even be able to stay in a man’s house like this?” Honestly, this one still cracks me up every time.

But I never let those comments define me. If anything, they remind me that being young, African, and a woman is not a limitation — it is my superpower. It gives me a lens of empathy, a lived experience that breathes life into every data point I analyse, and every report I write. I show up boldly, not just for myself, but for girls like me who are often doubted before they even speak. My identity fuels my work in development research because I know what it means to be unseen.

 

Looking ahead, what are your biggest hopes for development research and policy in Africa? 

To look ahead, I hope development research in Africa will be more grounded in the realities of our people, not numbers and figures, but voices lived experiences, and local realities shaping the data. I am a strong believer in people-driven programmes, policies, and research — it has to be for the people. I would like to see policies that are not only evidence-based but also people-centred, the kind that acknowledges that every figure has a human story behind it. I would love to see a shift from foreign models to indigenous African solutions. Who is better equipped to solve African issues than Africans themselves?

Honestly, we need to start writing our economic theories and concepts that reflect our realities. My dream is for a continent where data drives action, research drives justice, and policies give form to equal opportunities for everyone to thrive. That is the Africa we work and pray for.

 

How would you advise young Africans aspiring to work in development policy and research?

First things first, don’t wait until you have it all figured out to start. Please, don’t do that to yourself. My dear, jump in, literally. I started with an interest in education and inequality of opportunity, volunteering here and there, and look where that has led me — fellowships, policy chambers, and working on real problems affecting real people.

My best advice? Start with what breaks your heart and ask: “How can I fix this, even on a small scale?” That’s how purpose finds you and don’t go alone; build your tribe. I have mentors, cheerleaders, and friends who send me opportunities, sometimes even three to four people sending the same one, just like this UNECA opportunity. Learn to tell your story, not necessarily the perfect one, but the real one, because that’s what connects you to opportunities.

More so, rejections would come, multiple of them, trust me. However, do not allow them to deter you from the bigger picture. Keep pressing on, be that onward soldier in development research. Finally, always remember it’s okay to be young, to be African, to be a woman, to be learning, and still be bright enough for those policy tables.

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