Why I Created the BAG Scholar Initiative — And What I Want Every Nigerian Student to Know

There is a student somewhere in Nigeria right now who is brilliant — genuinely, undeniably brilliant — and who will never get the education they deserve. Not because they lack the ability. Not because they lack the drive. But because no one ever told them that their potential was worth investing in. This scholarship exists to change that.

It Started With a Question I Could Not Ignore

In 2009, I left Nigeria for China. I was going to teach English — something I was trained to do, something I was good at. What I did not expect was that fifteen years later, I would still be there, having taught in six different cities, managed teams of teachers, developed curricula, and mentored hundreds of young people who were hungry to learn a language that was not their own.

I watched Chinese students rise early, stay late, compete fiercely, and pour everything into their education. Not because someone forced them. Because they understood — or had been taught to understand — that education was a ladder. That it could take them somewhere. That their effort today would become their opportunity tomorrow.

And through all of that, one question would not leave me: What about the children back home?

I knew Nigerian students who were just as capable. Just as intelligent. Often more creative, more resilient, more adaptable. But the environment many of them were growing up in was not telling them the same story. It was not showing them the same ladder. Too many were falling through cracks — not because of who they were, but because of where they were born and what their family could afford.

That question — What about the children back home? — is the reason the BAG Foundation exists. And the BAG Scholar Initiative is the Foundation’s most direct answer to it.

What the Initiative Actually Is — and Is Not

The BAG Scholar Initiative is an annual merit-based scholarship programme. In its inaugural 2026 edition, it awards a total prize pool of ₦100,000 to three Nigerian secondary school students selected through a rigorous, transparent process.

The Gold Scholar receives ₦50,000. The Silver Scholar receives ₦30,000. The Bronze Scholar receives ₦20,000.

But I want to be honest with you about something: this is not just about the money. ₦100,000 is meaningful, but it is not what will change a student’s life on its own. What changes a life is the moment someone — anyone — looks at a young person and says: I see what you are capable of. I am investing in it. You matter.

That is what this scholarship is really about. The money is the vehicle. The message is the destination.

Why I Ask for an Essay — Not Just Grades

Some people have asked me why the BAG Scholar Initiative requires a 500-word essay. Why not just give the scholarship to the student with the highest grades?

Because grades alone do not tell me what I need to know. They tell me a student can perform in an examination. They do not tell me whether that student thinks about their community. Whether they have something to say. Whether they have the kind of mind that will one day solve the problems Nigeria actually faces.

The essay theme is deliberate: “How Education Can Transform My Community.” I chose this because it forces the applicant to look outward, not just inward. I do not want to fund a student who is brilliant in isolation. I want to invest in a student who already understands — even at fifteen or sixteen years old — that education is not just a personal ladder. It is a community tool.

If you are a student reading this and you are thinking, “I am not a good writer” — I want you to hear this clearly: I am not looking for perfect grammar. I am not looking for university-level vocabulary. I am looking for honest, clear, original thought. Write what you actually believe. Tell me what you have actually seen. That is worth far more to me than a polished essay that says nothing.

A Direct Message to Every Student Who Thinks They Are Not “Scholarship Material”

I have been in education long enough to know that the students who most need support are often the last ones to apply for it. They talk themselves out of it before they even begin. They say, “Someone else is more deserving.” Or, “I do not come from a wealthy family, so who will take me seriously?” Or simply, “I did not think this was for people like me.”

Let me be direct: the BAG Scholar Initiative was specifically designed for people like you. The financial need requirement is not a source of shame — it is a selection criterion. It means we are looking for students whose brilliance has not yet had the resources it deserves. That is the whole point.

You do not need to be perfect. You do not need to come from the right city or the right school. You need to be a Nigerian secondary school student, working hard, with something real to say about what education could mean for your community.

If that is you — apply. Please. Do not let doubt make the decision for you.

What This Grows Into

The 2026 edition of the BAG Scholar Initiative is the first. It will not be the last. My intention — God willing and with the support of donors and partners — is to grow this programme every year. More scholars. Larger prizes. Mentorship connections. Pathways beyond secondary school.

But every great thing starts small and starts somewhere. This is where we start. Three scholars. ₦100,000. One essay that asks you to think about more than yourself.

That is enough to begin.

Dr Ayobami Gideon Babalola

Founder, BAG Foundation · Educator · DBA · Author (A. G. Babs)

Dr Babalola has spent 15+ years teaching in China and has dedicated his career to advancing Nigerian education. He writes personally on scholarships, study skills, teaching, and the future of education in Nigeria and Africa.