Sodiq Mojibola & Sulaimon Olabisi
Despite the more than $20 billion Nigerians in the diaspora send home every year, Nigeria must urgently create meaningful employment opportunities if it hopes to attract skilled professionals trained abroad, the vice president of Global Services at Amazon Web Services (AWS), Uwem Ukpong has said.
Mr Ukpong spoke at a private reception hosted by the Board of Trustees of the i-Scholar Initiative (iSI) in Lagos.
He warned that without viable opportunities, highly trained Nigerians would have little incentive to return home.
While acknowledging the economic value of diaspora remittances, Mr Ukpong said the country risks losing long-term benefits if it fails to harness its human capital.
“Nigerians in the diaspora repatriate over $20 billion every year back home. They put it in banks, which enables lending and supports economic activity. That contribution is significant but we also want the opportunity for some of these brains to come back to Nigeria.
“The truth is that we are not doing enough today to create jobs in Nigeria for these students to come back and succeed. So, that needs to be done beyond the repatriation of the $20 billion we’re getting in that body,” Mr Ukpong, a trustee of iSI, stated.
According to him, the absence of structured opportunities explains why many Nigerians trained abroad choose to remain outside the country after completing their studies. “If you don’t create opportunities for them here, they are not going to come back,” Mr Ukpong reiterated.
Bridging financing and mentorship gaps
Another trustee of iSI, Titilayo Olujobi, said Nigeria has no shortage of talented young people but lacks the financial and mentoring structures needed to help them realise their potential.
She described iSI as a platform driven by Nigerians who invest in the future of people they may never meet, simply because they recognise the country’s untapped human capital.
“There is a lot of potential in Nigeria. What holds many people back is not ability, but financing and mentorship. Those are the gaps we try to fill,” she said, explaining that the organisation supports academically strong but indigent students who cannot afford postgraduate education abroad, despite their qualifications.
According to her, many applicants record outstanding academic results, including first-class degrees, but are unable to pursue further studies because of relatively small financial barriers.
“We receive thousands of applications, and at least half of them are qualified. Our limitation is not the quality of applicants, but the resources available to support them.”
Ms Olujobi noted that iSI provides end-to-end mentorship, beginning from the point of selection, to ensure scholars are supported academically and emotionally throughout their journey.
“The mentoring starts immediately they are selected. When they have doubts, frustrations or even feel like giving up, there are people they can talk to,” she said, disclosing that the initiative has supported over 450 scholars.
On recent visa restrictions affecting Nigerian students, particularly in the United States, Ms Olujobi said global opportunities for education remain broad.
“America is not the only option. There are Canada, the UK and other countries. Policies change, but people adapt. Some scholars are still securing placements despite the challenges.”
Systemic barriers limit academic opportunities
The president of the iSI, Victor Ogunmola narrated that the initiative was inspired by his personal experience of almost missing an academic opportunity because he could not afford an application fee.
He said similar barriers still affect many Nigerians, worsened by poorly funded universities, outdated curricula and limited access to modern research facilities. According to him, while talent is widespread, opportunities are not, leaving many Nigerian graduates at a disadvantage in global competition.
While Mr Ogunmola acknowledged recent policy measures such as the student loan scheme, he said funding alone is not enough without functional laboratories, updated curricula and mentorship. He warned that weak learning infrastructure, economic pressure and the pursuit of quick income are discouraging long-term academic goals among young people.
Beneficiaries giving back, not fueling brain drain
Addressing concerns about brain drain, the chair of the Board of Trustees, Tolu Ewherido, said programmes like iScholar do not encourage permanent migration.
Ms Ewherido disclosed that beneficiaries give back by mentoring new applicants, supporting family members in Nigerian universities and contributing skills to sectors including medical research and aerospace.
She added that several beneficiaries now serve as mentors and managers within the initiative itself.
