6 Nigerians Who Got a Prestigious Canadian Scholarship & What They Have In Common

Cursory: Six Nigerian students have been selected as recipients of the prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) program for 2023.

Nigerians are limelight, easily recognized anywhere at any time. Obviously, they have shone forth yet again.

The Vanier CGS program has awarded six Nigerian students for being exceptional.

The prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) program was named in honor of former Governor General Georges Vanier, a respected statesman and hero.

The program was established in 2008, and aims to attract and retain exceptional doctoral students, thereby positioning Canada as a global hub for advanced research and education.

The program is jointly administered by Canada’s three major granting agencies: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

The scholarship covers a three-year period which the scholars will delve into diverse research fields that span social sciences and humanities, natural sciences, engineering, and health.

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Today we present the six Nigerian scholars who won the scholarship, their academic degrees, profiles, and more.

Let’s go!

Chukwu Otuto Amarauche is a multi-award-winning health policy researcher, pharmacist, and social impact innovator with over a decade of experience in policy research, health systems strengthening, and pharmaceutical services in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa.

He obtained his First Degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Department of Pharmacy, where he graduated with Distinction. He also got his Masters Degree from the same school and graduated with First Class Honours.

Dr. Omolara Fatiregun is a lecturer at the College of Medicine, Lagos State University, Nigeria. She has over 10 years of experience in cancer management, research, and clinical trials in Oncology with a special interest in improving quality and survival in cancer patients.

In 2017, she received the Commonwealth Scholarship award to study at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.

She also graduated with an excellent degree result.

Dr. Itanyi Ijeoma is a Public Health Physician, Epidemiologist, and Implementation Scientist. She is currently the Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

She bagged her first degree in MBBS from the University of Port-Harcourt, Nigeria, where she graduated with Distinction. Then travelled to the United States to bag her Masters Degree in Public Health.

Kehinde Abisola is a graduate research assistant (Ph.D. Student) at Parker’s lab at BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute and The University of British Columbia. Her research is aimed at tracking the metabolism of highly demanded nutrients (such as amino acids) in cancer cells and tumors. She is a Biochemist, Health Volunteer, Education Counsellor, and Research Enthusiast.

She got her first degree from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, where she graduated with First Class Honors (4.91/5.00) from the Department of Biochemistry.

In 2019, three (3) years after her first degree, she proceeded to The University of British Columbia, to pursue a Masters Degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, a degree she obtained in 2021. She’s currently doing her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at the University.

Iduye Damilola is a Senior Instructor at the School of Nursing, a Research Scholar at the Healthy Population Institute, and a member of the Joanna Briggs Institute Aligning Health Needs and Evidence for Transformative Change (AH-NET-C), Dalhousie University.

She holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, a Master of Nursing with a focus on Health Policy from Dalhousie University, and a Bachelor of Nursing Science from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Iduye also graduated with an outstanding result.

Ogunsola Samuel is a student at the Max Rudy College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada, where he’s undergoing his PhD program in Physiology and Pathophysiology.

His research is focused on studying how genetic mutations impacts alternative splicing mechanisms in human diseases.

Aside research, he founded 2 organizations aimed at creating awareness on healthy lifestyle and equipping young people in leadership.

He obtained his first degree in 2018 from the Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria, where he graduated with First Class (4.73/5.00) Honours from the Department of Biochemistry. Couple of years later, in 2022, he obtained his Masters Degree from the University of Manitoba, Canada.

Moral: All these Nigerians have excellent results in common. Wherever you find yourself, strive for excellence!!!