Six Nigerians students named top 50 shortlist for $100,000 Chegg.org global price 2024

Stanley Ihedigbo

Six Nigerian students was selected from over 11,000 nominations and applications from 176 countries
Award, now in its fourth year, recognizes extraordinary achievements of young change-makers from around the world.

The Nigerians are, Okechukwu Clinton Ifeanyi, an Optometry student at the University of Benin, Edo, Nigeria; Bello Peace Olalekan, a graduating Chemical Engineering student at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria; Joel Mordi, an activist student from Nigeria; Jennifer Uchechukwu Obiorah, a student mentor from Nigeria; Roseline Adewuyi, who has enjoyed a distinguished academic career and is now helping mentor Nigerian students; and Karimot Odebode, an education advocate from Ibadan, Nigeria, have been included in the top 50 shortlist for the Chegg.org Global Student Prize 2024, an annual $100,000 award to be given to one exceptional student that has made a real impact on learning, the lives of their peers and on society beyond.

Chegg.org partnered with the Varkey Foundation to launch the annual Global Student Prize in 2021, a sister award to its $1 million Global Teacher Prize.

The intention was to create a powerful new platform that shines a light on the efforts of extraordinary students everywhere who, together, are reshaping our world for the better.

The prize is open to all students who are at least 16 years old and enrolled in an academic institution or training and skills program. Part-time students as well as students enrolled in online courses are also eligible for the prize.

Okechukwu Clinton Ifeanyi, despite hardships, excelled academically and became a health advocate. He led the Retina Initiative’s social media, organized free visual screenings, and founded The I-CARE Campaign for cataract surgeries.

Rising from an average student to university top-scorer, he mentored peers and led health campaigns in Nigeria. His innovative methods include the Mob-Eye clinic and ocular first-aid kits.

Ifeanyi’s work with the Millennium Fellowship and Clinton Global Initiative promotes health and social development, reflecting his commitment to education, healthcare, and global citizenship.

Bello Peace Olalekan, inspired by his missionary parents, excelled in mathematics and chose Chemical Engineering to address societal challenges. At Obafemi Awolowo University, he achieved a CGPA of 4.82/5.00, led AIChE teams, and won prestigious awards.

His startup, Chemotronix developed an innovative carbon market solution, integrating AI, Blockchain and IoT which has received global recognition by reputable organizations.

Despite health setbacks, he persevered, contributing to sustainability through the Planet Positive 2030 Committees and the UN SDG7 Youth Constituency. His work in clean energy and digital emissions monitoring showcases his commitment to environmental solutions and academic excellence.

Joel Mordi, a Princess Diana Legacy Award recipient and University of York student, is a Nigerian activist and founder of the Mordi Ibe Foundation (MIF). MIF, Nigeria’s largest non-profit for empowerment, inclusion, equity, and diversity, impacts over 500,000 students and combats child labour and educational inequality.

Joel organized Nigeria’s first LGBTQ+ pride protest in 2019, leading to his forced displacement. Despite challenges like dyslexia and PTSD, he excelled academically, winning scholarships at the University of East London and Oxford University. Joel’s advocacy spans LGBTQ+ rights, refugee education, and youth engagement, with significant global impact and support.

Jennifer Uchechukwu Obiorah, driven by the loss of her father to poverty, founded TeamUpcyclers to empower marginalized communities through waste-to-wealth initiatives.

Her work spans Anambra State and Abuja, training 5,000 students, reintegrating out-of-school children, and funding recycling businesses. Jennifer, despite religious and cultural differences, supports Muslim and Hausa IDP communities, earning the Diversity and Inclusion Champion Award 2023.

She also co-founded Communitas Scholarium, mentoring 1,500 members online. Overcoming personal hardships, she graduated as top student and won the Learn Africa Canarias Scholarship. Her projects address education, health and climate issues, fostering resilience and sustainability globally. She is currently a Don Lavoie Fellowship student at Mercatus Center, George Mason University USA, Fairfax, Virginia.

Roseline Adewuyi, a gender equality advocate, began her journey facing discrimination and challenging stereotypes. Excelling academically, she is pursuing a PhD in French Literature with a Graduate Concentration in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies and founded the Roseline Initiative, empowering girls through education.

Recognized by the UN and various organizations, she led mentorship programs and became the first female President of the Nigerian Students Association at Purdue. Her advocacy extends to Nigeria, impacting over 6,000 girls.

A passionate blogger and influencer, Roseline’s work in gender equality has earned her international accolades, and she aspires to collaborate with global organizations for social change.

Karimot Odebode, from Ibadan, Nigeria, advocates for education and gender equality. She delivered the Youth Declaration for Transforming Education at the UN, representing 500,000 peers.

Founding the Black Girl’s Dream Initiative, she’s impacted over 1,546 students in 73 schools. With a law degree and pursuing a master’s at Harvard, she consulted for the Oyo State’s Ministry of Education.

Karimot’s accolades include semifinalist in Harvard’s President Innovation Challenge and contributing to a G7 education report. Despite challenges, she’s a published poet and a UN-recognized leader, continuing to work with global youth to transform education.

Nigerian students have a history of excelling in the Chegg.org Global Student Prize. In 2023, Onyinye Omenugha, Noel Alumona, and Kate Ekanem Hannum were named as top 50 finalists. Stanley Anigbogu was top 50 shortlisted for the prize in 2022.

Three Nigerian featured in the top 50 shortlist in 2021: Blessing Akpan, Esther Ajari, and Oluwadamilola Akintewe, a student at Adekunle Ajasin University, who went on to make the top 10 that year.

Chegg’s Chief Communications Officer, Heather Hatlo Porter, said:“Huge congratulations to Okechukwu Clinton Ifeanyi, Bello Peace Olalekan, Joel Mordi, Jennifer Uchechukwu Obiorah, Roseline Adewuyi and Karimot Odebode. Chegg not only celebrates your achievements but also the endless possibilities that exist when young minds are driven by a passion for change.The top 50 Global Student Prize finalists deserve the opportunity to have their stories told and have their voices heard. After all, it is their dreams, insights and ingenuity that will illuminate a more hopeful future for everyone.”

“Our finalists this year have made a huge impact in areas from the environment to equality and justice, from health and wellbeing to education and skills, from youth empowerment to ending poverty. I can’t wait to see how this year’s inspiring cohort of changemakers use this platform to lift up even more lives,” Porter added.

Founder of the Varkey Foundation, Sunny Varkey, said: “Okechukwu Clinton Ifeanyi, Bello Peace Olalekan, Joel Mordi, Jennifer Uchechukwu Obiorah, Roseline Adewuyi and Karimot Odebode’s stories are a testament to the crucial role that education plays in building a better world for us all. As time runs out to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, it is more important than ever to prioritize education so we can face the future with confidence.”

Applications and nominations for this year’s Global Student Prize opened on Thursday 1 February and closed on Sunday 5 May. Students are being assessed on their academic achievement, impact on their peers, how they make a difference in their community and beyond, how they overcome the odds to achieve, how they demonstrate creativity and innovation, and how they operate as global citizens.

Last year’s winner was 24-year-old South Sudanese refugee Nhial Deng, who empowered over 20,000 refugees in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya through peacebuilding, education, and entrepreneurship programmes, as well as creating a safe space for young people to heal from their trauma.

He was selected as the winner of the 2023 Chegg.org Global Student Prize from almost 4,000 nominations and applications from 122 countries around the world. Nhial accepted his award in New York during UN General Assembly week.

The winner in 2022 was Ukrainian teenager Igor Klymenko, a 17-year-old student from Kyiv, Ukraine, who moved to the countryside at the start of the Russian invasion to finish his final year of high school. Sheltered in the basement of his new home, Igor successfully completed his studies while refining the mine-detecting drone he had been working on for eight years.

He was selected as the winner of the 2022 Chegg.org Global Student Prize from over 7,000 applications from more than 150 countries.

The first winner in 2021 was Jeremiah Thoronka, a 21-year-old student from Sierra Leone, who launched a start-up called Optim Energy that transforms vibrations from vehicles and pedestrian footfall on roads into an electric current. With just two devices, the start-up provided free electricity to 150 households comprising around 1,500 citizens, as well as 15 schools where more than 9,000 students attend.

The top 10 finalists of the Global Student Prize are expected to be announced in September this year. The winner, who is expected to be announced later in the year, will be chosen from the top 10 finalists by the Global Student Prize Academy, made up of prominent individuals.

If students were nominated, the person nominating them was asked to write a brief description online explaining why. The student being nominated was then sent an email inviting them to apply for the prize.

Applicants were able to apply in English, Mandarin, Arabic, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian. To join the conversation online follow @cheggdotorg.