Our Alumni
AIG SCHOLARS IMPACT STORY
“The MPP is an international programme with a rich and diverse cohort from very different backgrounds. The experience of interacting with them, helped me to broaden my thought process and to develop critical thinking skills. I am now able to better analyse situations based on the big picture as well as consider contextual situations, external parameters and international perspectives.”
In her current role as Special Assistant to the President on Finance, Louisa assists in policy-making and works on technical committees to create policy strategies, advice on budgeting and implementation of plans. Her experience from the MPP has allowed her to be more effective in her role.
“As a result of the training and experience I received from the MPP, I am able to critically review my opinions as well as the views of other parties to structure my position so that my proposals and recommendations for policy direction are always evidence based. Additionally, I gained important soft skills that have helped me to enhance my results by being able to build consensus with people.”
Louisa was a member of the committee that monitored and evaluated the implementation of Nigeria’s economic sustainability plan, created in response to the economic impact of COVID-19. With a focus on job retention and creation, this work enables her to play a role in alleviating the effects of the pandemic on Nigeria’s citizens. She was also a member of the Fiscal Policy Reform Committee that came up with the finance bill for 2021 and was particularly interested to see how public and private sector players worked together in the policy formulation process.
Louisa says that the AIG Scholarships are a rare opportunity and she is deeply grateful to the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation.
“Not only did the scholarship make it possible for me to attend the University of Oxford, it also provided an outstanding support network. My fellow AIG Scholars were a ready-made community that helped me navigate the programme and settle into life in Oxford. The team at the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation were always on hand to provide advice and support. I encourage any Nigerian Civil Servant looking to create change in the public sector to apply for the programme.’’
2018 AIG Scholar Louisa Chinedu-Okeke is the Special Assistant to the President on Finance, working in the office of the Vice President.
Louisa applied for the AIG Scholarship to undertake a Master’s in Public Policy degree (MPP) at the University of Oxford because she wanted to make a leap from a career in consulting to the public sector and sought to gain knowledge and develop skills from one of the world’s leading universities that would help her be successful as she transitioned into the public sphere.
“The MPP allows you to engage with a broad spectrum of policy areas without feeling restricted. The applied elements of the course enable you to go beyond the theory and develop a diverse set of skills integral to working in public policy.”
She says that apart from the formal teaching from the faculty, one of the most interesting aspects of her time at Oxford was the knowledge she gained from her fellow MPP classmates.