AFRICA | A brilliant Nigerian lady, Oluwabunmi Fatoyinbo, has achieved a remarkable milestone, winning the highly competitive Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Scholarship (EMJMD) to pursue a Master’s degree at three European Universities.
With this award, Oluwabunmi will study a Masters in Marine and Environmental Sciences across three prestigious European universities, Universidade dos Açores (Portugal), University of the Basque Country (Spain), and University of Liège (Belgium).
Oluwabunmi's Story and How She Did It
Oluwabunmi’s academic journey is one of faith, resilience, and perseverance. She began her higher education journey in 2014 at the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Nigeria.
However, her admission was not what she wanted. Oluwabunmi was offered a course she never intended to study, Fisheries and Aquaculture, instead of her dream course, Medicine and Surgery.
“At first, I was disappointed. I accepted the course with the plan of rewriting JAMB by 200 level, but God had bigger plans,” she shared on LinkedIn.
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Despite reattempting JAMB, her score was not high enough for Medicine and Surgery. With faith and determination, she continued in Fisheries and Aquaculture, not knowing that the decision would eventually shape her global academic path.
In 2019, Oluwabunmi graduated from FUOYE with a Second Class Upper Division, marking the beginning of her long, determined journey towards global opportunity. Two years later, in 2021, she began exploring international scholarship opportunities.
Encouraged by her siblings, she spent countless hours, at least 7 hours per day, drafting essays, writing cold emails, revising her academic CV, and applying for various programs, all while working on improving her professional profile.
“Between 2021 and 2023, I applied for several scholarships. “I spent about seven hours weekly on applications, yet I faced rejection after rejection. It was mentally draining, but my family, pastors, friends, and lecturers kept encouraging me not to give up,” she wrote.
After two unsuccessful attempts at the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship (MER+ Consortium), she nearly gave up. “By late 2023, I told my sister I wouldn’t apply again,” she said. “But after much encouragement, I decided to give it one last try,” Oluwabunmi said.
In November 2023, she submitted her third application, and by early 2024, she was once again placed on the reserve list.
This time, she decided to move on, enrolling for an MSc in Inland and Coastal Fisheries Management at the University of Ibadan to strengthen her academic background while continuing to volunteer and take professional courses on Coursera.
A few months after she was placed on reserve, Oluwabunmi received an email from the MER+ consortium stating that there was an option because of a recent withdrawal.
“On September 10, 2024, God showed up!” she exclaimed. “The MER+ consortium reached out to inform me that a spot had opened on the main list. You needed to see me that day, I couldn’t cry or laugh; I was just overwhelmed.”
Oluwabunmi was officially offered the fully funded Erasmus Mundus Scholarship, which covers tuition, travel, insurance, and living expenses, allowing her to study across three countries in Europe.
Now in her second semester, Oluwabunmi says her experience so far has been enriching and transformative. “All I can say is THANK YOU, JESUS! I’ve gained so much knowledge, exposure, and cultural insight, and I look forward to sharing my experiences and learnings with others soon,” she said.
She expressed gratitude to God Almighty, the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree in Marine Environment (MER+), and Dr. Igbalajobi, whose scholarship guidance and mentorship played a key role in her success.
“To everyone who has helped in my journey so far — my siblings, lecturers, pastors, and friends — thank you so much. See you all at the top!” she wrote with joy.
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