Name:  Emmanuel Omotayo Akande, Ph.D

Course of Study: Economics

Period of Study: 2002-2007

Additional academic and Professional qualification: M.Sc. Economics (Florida State University), Ph.D in Applied Economics and Ph.D minor in Statistics (University of Florida).

Employer: Central Bank of Nigeria.

Position: Economist

I was a self-sponsored student who had to sell my phone to pay my first year tuition fee in the University of Lagos (UNILAG). I would have quit school if it hadn’t been for my course adviser, the counselling office of the school, and the strong student-administrative relationship and support of the University of Lagos. I went on to become the only Lagos state recipient of the defunct Omega Bank Scholarship in 2005. In 2006, after a nationwide university competition, I was nominated to represent UNILAG at the Nigeria Model United Nations (NIGMUS) alongside 6 students. I was financially assisted by the UNILAG Endowment Scholar award after being nominated for academic excellence.

Through my experience as a scholar in the Mariere Student Hall, the mentorship, awards, and support of the university, I was able to graduate with a first class in Economics. The opportunities that became available to me after my graduation became numerous. Excelling from University of Lagos indicates that regardless of how high the mountain or how wide the river, you can and will excel anywhere in the world. This has reflected in my scholarly efforts abroad as I was able to benchmark on the NIGMUS platform to run for the Office of Tanglewood Mayor with a 78 per cent majority vote. I became a member of the University of Florida Mayor’s council in 2016. I competed with international students of different races to become the first student allowed to teach econometrics class; a class usually delegated to professors. I became the first student among my cohorts to finish PhD with over 5 awards and Scholarships (The University of Florida Merilyn Little Scholarship included).

I have the University of Lagos to thank for salvaging my dream and giving me a successful foothold on my academic and career path.