How a Nigerian Manufacturing Engineer Secured the Fully Funded Chevening Scholarship to Study in the UK

My Name is Onyinyechukwuka Okonji, and I am from Delta state, Nigeria. I was born and raised in Lagos state, the most populous city in West Africa. I am an internationally certified Manufacturing Engineer, the founder of Leendabelly, an ethical and Afrocentric clothing brand, and Leenspaces, a creative makerhub based in Nigeria. With my establishments, I tackle the issue of excess plastic waste in society by repurposing it in making clothing. I also subtly address the unattended mental health issues faced in my society through affirmative African quotes that are thoughtfully embroidered into these clothes. The skills being taught at Leenspaces aims to shrink the widening digital skills gap between the global North and the global South, I have a background in automobile development research, oil, and energy industry where I worked hands-on as a wellhead engineer, and I have recently grown a liking for engineering business development especially for Fast moving consumer good production companies (FMCGs). When I am not doing any of the above, I volunteer my skills for capacity development NGOs like Slum2school Africa and healthy living-focused NGOs like the Lagos Food Bank.

Scholarship Details

In 2021, I was awarded the Prestigious British Chevening Scholarship. It is a fully funded scholarship to study any course of your choice in any University in the United Kingdom. It is targeted at highly rated potential Leaders across various countries across the world. The application process is rigorous and takes almost a year from application to award. In 2021, out of over 64,000 applications, only about 1500 persons were admitted. 

Educational Background

In 2016, I acquired a bachelor’s degree in production engineering from the University of Benin, Nigeria. As a little child. I was perplexed as to why my country imported most of our consumables. I was determined to influence positive change in this regard. This determination was the genesis of my Career. In 2020, I started contemplating founding my startup, and I thought another degree would help me with knowledge, exposure, and networking that could help me succeed. I decided it was time to take a career break and pursue further studies. After extensive research, the Chevening scholarship stood out.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for Scholarships and Institutions?

It took me roughly three months to prepare for this scholarship. First, I had to identify a mentor as it was my first time applying, he was instrumental in giving feedback on my essays. Secondly, I scheduled times when I prepared answers to the questions on the scholarship platform. Part of the preparation required quiet times, where I reflected on my past feats and achievements; this enabled me to express myself in my essays. I researched the country (United Kingdom), the Universities, the Lecturers, and the courses. I also researched about the previous Chevening Scholarship recipients, profiled them so that I could position myself appropriately as a potential recipient. The essay writing came with a lot of iterations and reviews. In selecting my institution, I was particular about studying in a top 200 university in the world with a high reputation in my field of study.  I used rankings from QS and Times Higher rankings and international higher education news about my area of interest. Finally, I backed up my application with prayers. In summary, I prayed like I wasn't working hard, and worked hard like I wasn't praying.

What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again?

I wouldn't have done anything differently. I believe that everything I did while preparing for this scholarship finally landed me the scholarship. However, I wished I knew a bit more about opportunities. that abounded for me in the UK. It could have accelerated my growth in the new Country.

What Advice Would You Give to Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

I would advise anyone seeking this scholarship, to research about the scholarship extensively. Reflect on their long- and short-term goals, and what really matters to them, and why these things matter. Doing this will give them an edge in their application. They need to start writing their essays in good time, to allow for reviews and rewrites. Also, your application should have a “Theme”; as a reviewer, I need to go through your application and describe you in one word or sentence. Most of your essays should point to how you have been able to be the change you seek in any area of society. It is popular knowledge that you will need a writing strategy and for this scholarship, the STAR storytelling approach works well. They should endeavor to induce emotions moderately, use the right tones, vocabulary, hooks, and joining words. Something to note during your application that may have contributed to my success was that I kept asking why they should choose me and not the 63,000 other applicants. One way I did answer this was that I always relayed most of my stories to activities that the UK government was currently involved in, in my country. Get all required documents and references ready for the application round. Lastly, get someone to review your essays. A second eye could spot errors that they missed.