Gratitude for the Gift of Education

My parents never had the opportunity to pursue higher education, but I grew up hearing my mother affirm that all her children must do so because she never had that privilege. Today, I am living beyond that dream, and I owe deep gratitude to my parents for the gift of education and to the Mastercard Foundation for exceeding my parents' expectations.

As a child, I was glued to my books. When my dad, frustrated, called me to do my chores, he’d say half-jokingly in our native Igbo language, “I na-agu Cambridge,” meaning “You are studying in Cambridge.” He said it with a mix of exasperation and pride, never knowing that he was unknowingly speaking a prophecy into existence. It is pretty amazing that my father never attended college, but he knew what Cambridge represented: excellence, prestige, and the pinnacle of academic achievement.

I now live in that reality as a Mastercard Foundation Scholar. The invaluable experience I have garnered at Cambridge is not lost on me. But rather than a destination, I am challenged to see it as a step out of the cave and a call to greater responsibility.

This journey started at the University of Nigeria, where I developed my passion for economics and public policy. I questioned why development failures happen in Africa and how policy, evidence, and economic tools could be harnessed to address development failures around me. This curiosity led me to Cambridge, where I have explored the intersections of education, development, and economic resilience, especially in fragile communities affected by poverty and climate change.

Together with a team of other passionate young people, I lead the African Economic Scholars Program (AESP), an initiative that mentors, trains, and connects young Africans to frontier knowledge in economics and development policy. Through AESP, we have created a platform that equips emerging scholars with the analytical tools, mentorship, and confidence they need to contribute to Africa’s development discourse and policymaking. We have trained over 100 African scholars and partnered with think tanks and NGOs on the continent.