Usap Nigeria Leadership
A leadership team that believes not only in itself, but in its people too. Leading students with diverse personalities from diverse background - with energy, passion and enthusiasm, the Usap Ngeria leadership team has managed to get the right things done and to inspire commitment and teamwork. Year after year this team's results get attention.
Folashade Adebayo, Usap Nigeria
Ifeanyi Olagbaju, Usap Nigeria
Margaret Anyigbo, Usap Nigeria
Folashade Adebayo
Usap Nigeria
Folashade Adebayo is an EducationUSA advisor at the US Embassy Abuja, Nigeria. She has been advising Nigerian students for over nine years. She is responsible for professional advising and placement of Nigerian students and third country nationals. Over the years her advisees have been able to attend selective schools in the United Sates with various kinds of funding.
She has participated and present at various international educational conferences. Shade's sincere dedication to helping and promoting students at all levels provides strength and courage to Nigerian students.
Ifeanyi Olagbaju is an Educational Advisor at the United States Consulate General in Lagos with ten years of advising experience. She studied at Hillcrest School, Jos, and obtained her Bachelors in Business Administration from the University of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. She attended the United States Based Training Program in 2000, participated in Africa wide advisors conferences, and co-chaired sessions at several NAFSA conferences.
A former sprinter herself, Ifeanyi encourages young athletes in Lagos, Nigeria to get an education through sport. Several are now studying in the United States on sports scholarships. Working with a second advisor, Ifeanyi organizes summer internships for Nigerians studying in the US to work in Nigerian companies through the Career Connect program and facilitates the re-entry process. The efforts of the Lagos Advisors earned them a Group Franklin Award from the US Department of State in February 2006.
However, it is Ifeanyi's role as a Usap advisor that gives her the most satisfaction. By advising Usap students and sharing their success stories, Ifeanyi spreads a message of hope for a brighter future to talented young Nigerians.
Ifeanyi describes herself as an original 'Nija' with an amazing blend of cultures. She is extremely proud of her heritage. Her grandmother is Fulani, she is Ibo and her husband is Yoruba. She is a Lector in her local church and a mother of three boys.
Before joining the Educational Advising family, Margaret was a 'stay-at-home' mum for 13 years. She kept busy by volunteering for the American Women’s Club (AWC) of Nigeria, a charity organization. She was completely in charge of the AWC library and also worked with the scholarship committee. This committee had the task of identifying highly talented, economically disadvantaged students who need help with funding their education. Qualified students are sponsored by the Club to attend only Nigerian Universities. This was a good training ground for Margaret because it prepared her for working with Usap students.
Margaret started working as an Educational Advisor in 2000. She had her USBT in 2003, attended NAFSA conferences in Seattle, Montreal, Minneapolis and the Regional conferences in Joburg and Addis. She had the privilege of visiting several interesting universities during her pre-NAFSA campus tour, presented twice at the NAFSA Conference in collaboration with Yale and American University. She is slated to do her Professional Advance Leadership training in May 2008.
Margaret schooled and lived in the US for eight years; hence she brings to this job first hand information about life in the US and the educational system. Her personal experience and knowledge of the country, quite often, comes in handy in her advising job. But her claim to fame is her kids, three boys and a girl. Two of them are currently doing their Masters’ program, MPH and MBA, while the third is eagerly awaiting his fall 2008 admission. Putting her own kids through a US educational system is her most valuable "Advising Manual". She draws from her own daily challenges, as a parent, and use that experience when advising her students and their parents. She easily comes up with real life examples to share just to drive home her points.
Margaret believes that being an Educational Advisor is the best job in the world; nothing is as fulfilling as doing a job that changes lives for the better.