First class was not enough ABU graduate who won Mastercard scholarship shares strategy for other applicants who wants to apply for scholarship. A Nigerian first-class graduate of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Enilolobo Tiamiyu Tunde, has secured a fully funded Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program scholarship to pursue a master’s degree at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada.
Tunde will study the one-year Master of Food and Resource Economics programme at UBC after emerging among just 42 scholars selected from 11,061 applicants across Africa. Eighteen Nigerians were included in the final selection.
His story has attracted attention because, despite graduating with a first-class degree, he says academic excellence alone was not enough to win the highly competitive scholarship. He combined his academic record with work experience, volunteering, leadership activities, strong essays and recommendation letters.
Only 42 Applicants Were Selected From More Than 11,000 Across Africa
The scale of the competition helps explain why Tunde believes applicants need more than excellent grades. According to his interview with The Nigeria Education News, 11,061 people applied, while only 42 scholars were eventually selected.
With 18 Nigerians among the successful applicants, the scholarship was highly competitive even among candidates who already possessed strong academic qualifications.
This means having a first-class degree can strengthen an application but does not automatically make an applicant a scholarship winner.
Tunde Graduated With a First-Class Degree From ABU
Tunde’s academic record was an important part of his application. He graduated from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, with a first-class degree.
He acknowledged that his result helped him become competitive, but said he deliberately added other aspects to his profile rather than relying entirely on his academic performance.
His approach included:
- Academic excellence
- Work experience
- Volunteering
- Leadership experience
- Strong application essays
- Statement of purpose
- Recommendation letters
- Relevant internships and other experiences
He explained that many applicants have first-class degrees or second-class upper qualifications, making it necessary to demonstrate strengths beyond grades.
Academic Excellence Was the Foundation, Not the Entire Application
One of the strongest messages from Tunde’s experience is that academic performance remains important. He did not suggest that grades are irrelevant. Instead, he explained that his first-class result formed the foundation of his application, while his other experiences helped make his profile more competitive.
Evidently, for students preparing for international scholarships, this is an important point. A strong academic record can help an applicant pass initial screening, but competitive scholarship committees may also want to know what the candidate has done outside the classroom and what they intend to achieve with the opportunity.
Work Experience Helped Strengthen His Scholarship Profile
Tunde included his work experience as part of his application. Professional experience can demonstrate that an applicant has applied knowledge outside the university environment and developed practical skills.
For postgraduate scholarship applications, this can be particularly useful where the programme is professionally oriented or where the scholarship values leadership, community development and impact.
Tunde’s experience shows that students should not necessarily wait until after graduation before developing their professional profile.
Internships, part-time work, research assistance, volunteering and other relevant activities can become useful components of a future scholarship application.
Volunteering and Leadership Were Also Part of His Strategy
Beyond academics and employment, Tunde said his volunteering and leadership experiences contributed to his application. These activities can help demonstrate qualities that examination results cannot fully capture.
A scholarship committee may want evidence that an applicant:
- Takes initiative
- Works with other people
- Contributes to their community
- Can lead or support projects
- Has interests beyond personal academic advancement
- Is likely to use their education for broader impact
Tunde’s experience therefore reinforces the importance of building a well-rounded profile before scholarship applications open.
He Found the Scholarship Through LinkedIn
Tunde also identified LinkedIn as an important source of scholarship information. He said he deliberately followed the Mastercard Foundation, UBC and other universities that he had identified as potential destinations for postgraduate study.
This allowed him to receive information about opportunities when they were announced. He said many of the opportunities he had received in his life came through LinkedIn, referrals and his professional network.
For scholarship seekers, this highlights the importance of actively monitoring official university and foundation pages rather than waiting for scholarship information to reach them through social media groups.
He Applied Within One Day of Discovering the Opportunity
Tunde said he applied within one day of discovering the scholarship announcement. The speed of his response was important because the application period was relatively short.
He explained that the application cycle ran from October 2025 to February 2026, meaning prospective applicants had to prepare and submit their materials within a limited period.
This is one reason why he recommends preparing a scholarship profile before opportunities are announced. Waiting until the application opens to begin searching for documents, identifying referees and writing essays can leave applicants under considerable time pressure.
The Application Process Had Several Stages
According to Tunde, the scholarship selection process did not consist of simply submitting one application and immediately receiving an award.
It involved several stages. The process began with an expression of interest, followed by screening and a more detailed application to the Mastercard Foundation.
Applicants who progressed through that stage received a fee waiver to apply directly to their chosen UBC programme.
Shortlisted candidates then proceeded to the interview stage. This multi-stage process meant applicants had to remain competitive throughout the selection journey rather than relying on one aspect of their application.
Strong Essays Became One of His Biggest Advantages
Tunde identified the quality of his essays as one of the strongest parts of his successful application. He said his result was important, but his essays also helped him stand out.
This is significant because scholarship essays allow applicants to explain aspects of their profile that grades and certificates cannot communicate.
A strong essay can connect:
academic background → experience → leadership or community involvement → career goals → programme choice → expected impact.
Applicants should therefore avoid treating essays as a formality.
Recommendation Letters Also Strengthened His Application
Tunde said his recommendation letters contributed to his successful application. Strong references can provide independent evidence of an applicant’s academic ability, character, leadership, professional performance or potential.
For this reason, students should develop good relationships with lecturers, supervisors and professional mentors well before they need recommendation letters.
A referee who knows an applicant’s work well may be able to provide a much stronger recommendation than someone who only knows the student’s name and final grade.
The Short Application Period Was One of His Biggest Challenges
Tunde said the limited time available for preparing the application was one of the most difficult parts of the process.
Writing strong essays, collecting documents and obtaining recommendations within a short period can be challenging. He therefore recommended that applicants have their materials reviewed before submitting them.
He specifically suggested seeking feedback from lecturers, previous scholarship recipients or people with relevant experience. This can help applicants identify weaknesses in their essays and improve the way they present their experiences.
The Scholarship Covers Major Costs of Studying in Canada
Tunde’s Mastercard Foundation scholarship provides comprehensive financial support for his studies.
The reported scholarship package covers:
- Tuition
- Accommodation
- Feeding
- Health insurance
- International travel
This makes the award a genuinely fully funded scholarship for the selected scholar, rather than a tuition-only award.
That being the case, for an international student studying in Canada, this level of support can significantly reduce the financial burden associated with postgraduate education.
Tunde Will Study Food and Resource Economics at UBC
The Nigerian scholar is undertaking the Master of Food and Resource Economics at the University of British Columbia. The programme connects economics with food systems, resources and related development issues.
For someone interested in agriculture, food systems, natural resources, economics and sustainable development, the programme provides an opportunity to develop specialised knowledge within Canada’s research and higher-education environment.
Tunde described the master’s programme as a professional degree and said the learning environment at UBC is considerably different from what he experienced during his undergraduate education in Nigeria.
UBC Has Given Him a Different Academic Experience
Now studying at UBC, Tunde said the academic environment is different from his experience as an undergraduate in Nigeria. He described the master’s programme as requiring a higher level of knowledge and professional engagement.
This transition is common for international students who move from a Nigerian undergraduate environment into a research-intensive or professionally oriented university abroad.
The scholarship therefore gives Tunde not only financial support but also exposure to a different academic system and international professional environment.
There are 21 Partner Universities Offering Mastercard Foundation Fully Funded Scholarships for African Students and you can try it out too.
Students With Second-Class Upper Degrees Can Also Compete
Tunde specifically addressed students who may feel that they cannot compete because they did not graduate with first-class honours. His message was that a strong second-class upper degree can still provide a competitive foundation.
He encouraged students without first-class results to maintain a strong academic record and complement it with volunteering, work experience and leadership.
This is an important clarification because international scholarships do not all use first-class degrees as a mandatory requirement. Eligibility varies by programme, university and scholarship.
First-Class Graduates Should Not Assume They Will Automatically Win
Tunde’s experience also carries an important message for students who already have first-class degrees. A first-class result can make an applicant academically competitive, but it does not guarantee admission or scholarship funding. In highly competitive programmes, many candidates may have excellent academic records.
The applicant must therefore answer a broader question:
Why should the scholarship committee select you rather than another academically strong candidate?
Experiences, leadership, community engagement, career goals, essays and references can help provide that answer.
Students Should Build Their Profiles Before Scholarships Open
Tunde advised students to begin preparing early rather than waiting until they see a scholarship announcement. This includes maintaining good grades while also developing:
- Volunteering experience
- Internship experience
- Work experience
- Leadership activities
- Research experience where relevant
- Professional relationships
- A strong academic and career direction
The advantage of early preparation is that applicants can respond quickly when a competitive opportunity becomes available.
Networking Can Help Students Discover Opportunities
Another part of Tunde’s strategy involved maintaining relationships with other people. He noted that a friend or contact may discover an opportunity and share it with someone who would otherwise have missed it.
This does not mean networking guarantees a scholarship. Rather, maintaining professional and academic relationships increases the number of credible sources from which applicants can learn about opportunities.
Students can therefore combine networking with direct monitoring of university, foundation and scholarship websites.
Following Universities and Foundations Can Improve Information Access
Tunde recommended following universities, scholarship foundations and relevant organisations on platforms such as LinkedIn. This can be useful because scholarship announcements can have short application windows.
However, applicants should verify information through the official scholarship or university website before submitting personal documents or paying any application-related fee.
Social media should be used to discover opportunities, while official institutional platforms should be used to confirm eligibility, deadlines and application procedures.
The Biggest Lesson From Tunde’s Scholarship Success
Tunde’s experience can be summarised as a profile-building strategy rather than simply a first-class strategy.
- His academic result provided a strong foundation.
- His work experience demonstrated practical exposure.
- His volunteering and leadership showed engagement beyond academics.
- His essays explained his suitability.
- His references provided additional evidence of his capabilities.
- His LinkedIn monitoring helped him discover the opportunity early.
- His quick application gave him enough time to enter the selection process.
Together, these elements created a stronger application than academic performance alone.
A Practical Scholarship Strategy Based on His Experience
Students preparing for similar international scholarships can use the following approach:
| Area | What applicants should build |
|---|---|
| Academic record | Strong CGPA and relevant coursework |
| Work experience | Internships, employment or professional projects |
| Leadership | Student leadership, community initiatives or project management |
| Volunteering | Consistent involvement with credible organisations |
| Research | Research projects, publications or academic activities where relevant |
| Essays | Clear story connecting past experience with future goals |
| References | Strong relationships with lecturers and supervisors |
| Scholarship research | Follow official university and foundation channels |
| Networking | Connect with academics, professionals and previous scholars |
| Preparation | Keep transcripts, CVs and other documents ready |
The Scholarship Competition Shows Why Preparation Matters
The selection of only 42 scholars from 11,061 applicants demonstrates the level of competition surrounding major international scholarship programmes.
Applicants should therefore avoid preparing only when an application portal opens.
A stronger approach is to spend months or even years developing the profile that will eventually be presented to the scholarship committee.
For undergraduate students, this means beginning early with academic performance, leadership, volunteering and professional development.
For graduates, it can mean strengthening work experience, research, community involvement and career direction before applying.
Tunde’s Story Offers Encouragement to Nigerian Students
The success of an ABU graduate in a highly competitive African scholarship selection process demonstrates that Nigerian students can compete successfully for major international opportunities.
His experience also shows that scholarship success does not necessarily come from having an extraordinary record in only one area.
Instead, applicants can become more competitive by combining several strengths into one coherent profile.
The objective should be to show not only that you are academically capable, but also that you have used your abilities to contribute, lead, learn and prepare for the next stage of your career.
Key Facts About the Scholarship Winner
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Scholar | Enilolobo Tiamiyu Tunde |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Undergraduate institution | Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria |
| Undergraduate result | First Class |
| Scholarship | Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program |
| Host university | University of British Columbia |
| Country | Canada |
| Master’s programme | Master of Food and Resource Economics |
| Programme length | One year |
| Applicants | 11,061 across Africa |
| Selected scholars | 42 |
| Nigerians selected | 18 |
| Funding | Tuition, accommodation, feeding, health insurance and international travel |
| Application cycle | October 2025 – February 2026 |
The figures and scholarship journey are based on Tunde’s interview published by The Nigeria Education News. There is another Ghanaian First-Class Graduate (Amamata Tanko) that also won the Fully Funded Mastercard Foundation Scholarship to Study in Canada that you can study and learn from.
Conclusion
Enilolobo Tiamiyu Tunde, a first-class graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, has won a fully funded Mastercard Foundation scholarship to study Master of Food and Resource Economics at the University of British Columbia in Canada.
His achievement came from a highly competitive selection process involving 11,061 applicants across Africa, with only 42 scholars selected.
Although his first-class degree strengthened his application, Tunde says academic excellence alone was not enough. He combined his result with work experience, volunteering, leadership, strong essays, recommendation letters and other relevant experiences. His advice to Nigerian students is therefore clear: build your profile before the scholarship opportunity appears.
Similar Scholarship Awards worth Trying
- Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Scholarship Full details
- Chevening Scholarships full details – Pick your choice
- Commonwealth Scholarship Commission – Master’s Scholarships
- DAAD Scholarships Full details – Choose from the list
- Australia Awards Scholarships Full details
- Study in Japan – MEXT Scholarship Information
- Study in Korea – Global Korea Scholarship Full details
- Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship Full details
- Türkiye Scholarships Full details in Turkey
- Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship – University of Toronto
A first-class degree can open the door, but for highly competitive scholarships, applicants may need to demonstrate much more about their experiences, leadership, goals and potential impact.
A Travel Consultant dedicated to helping students, job seekers, and professionals discover life-changing opportunities around the world. He holds a Diploma in Human Resource Management, Project Management & Ticketing, Degree in Microbiology, and Master’s in Public Health.