University of Ibadan Graduate Wins Master’s Scholarship to Canadian University, Shares Her Story
- Khadijat Sikirulahi cried after receiving a Forestry admission at the University of Ibadan instead of Medicine, and even fell sick over the disappointment
- She tried writing JAMB again and explored other universities to study Medicine and Surgery, but none of her attempts to change course succeeded
- After submitting six scholarship applications last year, Khadijat's journey took an unexpected turn that she is now sharing with the world
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Legit.ng as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Khadijat Sikirulahi, a University of Ibadan Forestry graduate, has become a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at the University of British Columbia in Canada after being selected from over 11,000 applicants across Africa.
She announced the achievement on LinkedIn on August 21, 2026, sharing the full story of a journey that began with heartbreak and ended with an opportunity she had never imagined for herself.
Source: UGC
University of Ibadan: From Medicine to Forestry
When Khadijat first received her admission to the University of Ibadan and found Forestry listed as her course of study, her reaction was not celebration.
She had spent years dreaming of becoming a medical doctor, and the admission felt like the wrong door opening entirely. She cried so much that she eventually fell ill.
Determined to find another way, she wrote JAMB again, looked into other universities, and explored every option she could find to study Medicine and Surgery. When none of those efforts produced the result she wanted, she resolved to give Forestry a fair chance.
That decision changed everything. Rather than simply enduring the course, she threw herself into it. By her second year, she was no longer looking for a way out. She had grown genuinely captivated by the science of forests, the role of biodiversity, climate resilience, and how forestry connects to the lives of communities and the health of ecosystems.
Six applications, one life-changing outcome
After completing her undergraduate degree, Khadijat set her sights on postgraduate opportunities abroad. She sent cold emails to professors, researched graduate programmes, and submitted scholarship applications. Some came back with silence. Others came back with rejections. She kept going regardless.
Last year alone, she submitted six scholarship applications. The effort paid off in a way that will take her far beyond the campus where it all started.
She has been selected as one of 42 Mastercard Foundation Scholars for the University of British Columbia's Master of Sustainable Forest Management programme, chosen from a pool of more than 11,000 applicants across the continent.
In her post, she credited her lecturers Quadri Onilude, Gbenga Ige, Samuel Olalekan Olajuyigbe, and Alfred O. Onefeli for their support and recommendation letters, and thanked family members and fellow scholars who helped ease her transition.
Netizens celebrate UI graduate
@Olatomide Ojajune said:
"Congratulations Scholar Khadijat Sikirulahi. Your story reminded me of my journey into Forestry. From Microbiology dreams to forestry, even having to convince family I won't end up becoming a carpenter."
@Kehinde Yusuf said:
"Congratulations, Scholar Khadijat. Yes, indeed, a closed door could just be a redirection. I can relate to that. It's been wonderful knowing you, and I am super excited for what lies ahead. Cheers, 'Dija."
@Abdulmujeeb Adediran said:
"Masha Allah! Man proposes, God disposes. Baarakallahu feekum, Khadijat Sikirulahi. This shall be the beginning of greater things in your journey."
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that a UI law graduate had shared her experience interning at Don Jazzy's Mavin Records
UI graduate bags scholarship to study in Canada
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a University of Ibadan graduate named Yusuf had bagged a master's scholarship to study in Canada.
Yusuf shared the news on LinkedIn in August 2026, recounting a scholarship journey marked by numerous rejections before his breakthrough.
Her academic focus was shaped by an unexpected discovery during his time at the University of Ibadan, where she first encountered mass timber construction, she said in her LinkedIn post.
Source: Legit.ng
