THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW

ATHENA & TELEMACHUS ALUMNI

ESTHER SHAIBU

Esther is a passionate advocate for education, community development, and youth empowerment in Nigeria. With a background in Biology Education, she has actively engaged in teaching, volunteering, and children’s ministry, including organising lessons and outreach programs in rural communities. She is committed to using her knowledge and experience to create meaningful societal impact, particularly in the areas of education and family development.

Q: Tell us a few things about you! Your background, your childhood and early beginnings! 

My name is Esther Shaibu, and I am from Nigeria. I studied Biology Education and I am passionate about communication, teaching, youth development, and personal growth. Growing up was not always easy for me.

My childhood came with several challenges, including emotional struggles and lack in certain areas, especially parental love and support. Because of this, I had to become responsible at a young age and started working early to meet some of my basic needs. Those experiences affected my confidence and self-esteem for a long time, but they also made me stronger, more compassionate, and determined to build a better future for myself and others.

Over the years, I have developed a strong desire to make meaningful impact, especially in areas related to education, public health, girl-child education, and youth encouragement. My faith as a Christian has also helped me remain hopeful and purposeful despite difficult seasons.

At this stage of my life, I am focused on personal growth, gaining clarity about my future, and creating opportunities that will help me grow academically, professionally, and personally while positively impacting lives around me.

Q: What are some of the key challenges in your society currently?

Some of the key challenges currently affecting my society are poverty, unemployment, poor access to quality education, gender inequality, and mental and emotional struggles among young people. Many families are finding it difficult to meet basic needs due to the rising cost of living and limited job opportunities, especially for young graduates. This has led to frustration, discouragement, and uncertainty about the future for many people.

Another major challenge is the limited access to quality education and opportunities, especially for girls and young people in rural communities. Many talented individuals are unable to further their education or develop their potential because of financial limitations and lack of support.

Gender inequality and lack of awareness about issues affecting women and girls are also significant concerns. In some communities, girls still face barriers related to education, confidence, and equal opportunities. This is one of the reasons I am passionate about girl-child education and community sensitisation programmes.

Mental health and emotional struggles are also becoming more common, especially among young people. Many people silently deal with low self-esteem, anxiety, pressure, and lack of direction without adequate support systems. Despite these challenges, I believe there is still hope. I believe more awareness, education, mentorship, community support, and opportunities for young people can create positive change and help people live more meaningful and empowered lives.

Q: Share with us some of the hurdles that you had to overcome in your life so far? How did you handle them? 

One of the major hurdles I have had to overcome in my life has been growing up with emotional struggles and lack, especially the absence of parental love and support in certain areas of my life. As a child, this affected my confidence and self-esteem deeply. There were moments I felt unwanted, not good enough, and uncertain about my worth and future. Because of the situation at home, I had to become responsible at a very young age and started working early to meet some of my basic needs.

Another challenge I faced was financial limitation. There were times when pursuing certain goals, especially academically and personally, felt difficult because of lack of resources and opportunities. It was discouraging seeing dreams delayed because of finances, but I kept pushing myself to remain hopeful and continue looking for opportunities that could help me grow.

I have also struggled with confusion about identity, purpose, and direction at different stages of my life. There were seasons where I felt emotionally overwhelmed and unsure of who I truly was or what path I should take. Those moments affected my confidence and made me question myself many times.

However, despite these challenges, I have tried not to allow my experiences define me negatively. My faith in God has been one of the major things that helped me keep going. Prayer, self-reflection, learning, and staying hopeful helped me handle difficult moments. I also developed resilience by continuing to work on myself, seeking growth opportunities, and refusing to completely give up on my dreams.

Over time, these experiences have made me more compassionate, stronger, and more understanding towards people going through struggles. They have also increased my desire to impact lives positively, especially young people and girls who may be facing emotional, financial, or social challenges similar to what I experienced growing up.

Although I am still growing and learning, I believe the hurdles I have faced have shaped me into someone who values purpose, empathy, perseverance, and personal development more deeply.

Q: Why is the role of a mentor important for you? 

The role of a mentor is very important to me because I believe mentorship provides guidance, clarity, encouragement, and perspective, especially during seasons of uncertainty and growth.

At this stage of my life, I am still learning, discovering myself, and trying to become more intentional about my future, purpose, and personal development. Having someone more experienced to learn from is something I truly value. Over the years, I have faced different emotional, financial, and personal challenges that sometimes affected my confidence and sense of direction. Because of this, I have realised that growth becomes easier when there is guidance, accountability, and support from someone who has gone ahead and gained life experience.

I believe a mentor can help me see possibilities beyond my current limitations and help me grow both personally and professionally. A mentor is also important to me because I genuinely want to learn from other people’s experiences, wisdom, and mistakes. I believe mentorship can help me make better decisions, improve my mindset, and become more confident in pursuing my goals and purpose. I also hope to learn how to position myself better for opportunities, leadership, and meaningful impact.

Another reason mentorship matters to me is because I desire growth not only for myself, but also so I can positively influence others in the future. I hope that the lessons, guidance, and encouragement I receive through mentorship will help shape me into someone who can also guide, support, and inspire others one day.

Most importantly, I believe mentorship creates room for self-discovery, learning, and transformation. Sometimes people carry potential within them but need guidance, exposure, and encouragement to fully recognise and develop it. That is one of the reasons I value this mentorship opportunity deeply and look forward to learning, growing, and becoming a better version of myself through the process.

Q: Do you have a lesson that life has taught you and you would like to share? 

One important lesson life has taught me is that difficult experiences do not define a person’s future. Growing up, there were moments I felt limited by my circumstances, emotional struggles, lack, and self-doubt. At some point, I believed my challenges would prevent me from becoming who I truly desired to be.

However, over time, I began to realise that pain, rejection, and hardship can also become places of growth, strength, and self-discovery if we do not give up on ourselves. Life has also taught me the importance of resilience and hope. Even when things do not go as planned, it is important to keep learning, growing, and believing that better opportunities and seasons can still come. I have learned that healing and growth take time, and it is okay not to have everything figured out immediately.

Another lesson I have learned is that people genuinely need kindness, encouragement, and support. Sometimes a simple word of encouragement or someone believing in you can make a huge difference in a person’s life. This has increased my desire to positively impact others, especially young people who may be struggling emotionally, financially, or mentally. Most importantly, life has taught me that purpose is often shaped through both good and difficult experiences. The challenges we face can build compassion, wisdom, and strength that may later help us support and inspire others.

Q: Name a project, a foundation or a person in your country that you think is doing great work in helping improve other people's lives! 

One person in Nigeria that I believe is doing great work in improving people’s lives is Tony Elumelu through the Tony Elumelu Foundation. The foundation has created opportunities for thousands of young Africans by supporting entrepreneurship, leadership, and economic empowerment across different African countries. What I admire most is their commitment to helping young people become financially independent through training, mentorship, networking, and start-up funding.

Many young Africans have been able to start businesses, create jobs, and improve their communities because of the opportunities provided by the foundation. I also appreciate the fact that their work goes beyond giving financial support alone. They encourage innovation, self-development, leadership, and long-term impact, which I believe are very important for sustainable growth in society. Initiatives like this inspire me because they show how empowering people with knowledge, support, and opportunity can positively transform lives and communities.

Q: What are some of the challenges that women in your country face and what efforts are being made towards gender equality?

Women in my country, Nigeria, face several challenges that affect their personal growth, education, economic opportunities, and overall well-being. One of the major challenges is gender inequality, especially in areas such as education, leadership opportunities, employment, and decision-making. In some communities, girls are still not given the same opportunities as boys, and many young women face limitations because of cultural beliefs and societal expectations.

Another challenge is gender-based violence and abuse. Many women and girls experience domestic violence, harassment, child marriage, and emotional or physical abuse, but some are unable to speak up due to fear, stigma, or lack of support systems. Financial dependence and poverty also make it difficult for some women to leave unhealthy environments or pursue their goals independently.

Limited access to quality healthcare and education is another issue, especially for women and girls in rural communities. Some girls are forced to drop out of school because of poverty, early marriage, or lack of support. There are also many talented women who struggle to access opportunities for growth, leadership, and financial empowerment.

Despite these challenges, there are ongoing efforts toward promoting gender equality in Nigeria. Various NGOs, community organisations, activists, and public figures continue to create awareness about women’s rights, girl-child education, public health, and female empowerment. There are also programmes focused on supporting women through education, skills training, entrepreneurship, mentorship, and advocacy against gender-based violence.

Social media and digital platforms have also helped amplify conversations around women’s rights and equality, allowing more women to share their stories, educate others, and advocate for change. Although progress is still needed, I believe awareness, education, mentorship, and community involvement are gradually helping to create positive change for women and girls in Nigeria.

Q: Share with us a motto you live by. 

One motto I live by is: “No one is coming to save you, get up.”

To me, this means that while support and encouragement are important, I must also take responsibility for my growth, healing, decisions, and future. Life has taught me that waiting endlessly for perfect conditions or for someone else to change my situation can keep me stuck. This mindset has encouraged me to become more resilient, intentional, hardworking, and determined to keep moving forward despite challenges. It reminds me to keep pushing myself, keep learning, and keep believing that positive change is possible through faith, effort, growth, and consistency.

Q: If you had all the money needed to launch the project of your dreams, can you describe what you would do? 

If I had all the money needed to launch the project of my dreams, I would create a foundation and community empowerment initiative focused on young people, especially girls and women from disadvantaged backgrounds. The project would focus on education, mentorship, public health awareness, communication skills, and personal development.

One of the major things I would love to do is organise free community sensitisation programmes in both rural and urban communities, creating awareness on issues such as girl-child education, gender equality, emotional well-being, hygiene, and self-confidence. I would also love to provide mentorship opportunities and safe spaces where young people can learn, grow, and feel encouraged regardless of their background.

Another aspect of the project would focus on skills development and educational support. I would love to provide scholarships, learning resources, and communication training for young people who are unable to access such opportunities because of financial limitations. Since I am passionate about communication and spoken English, I would also love to create programmes that help young people improve their confidence, diction, and public speaking abilities.

I would also love to include outreach programmes that support struggling families and young girls who may be facing emotional, financial, or social difficulties similar to some of the experiences I had growing up. My goal would be to help people realise their worth, discover their potential, and believe that their circumstances do not have to define their future.

Most importantly, I would want the project to become a platform of hope, growth, empowerment, and transformation where people are not only supported financially or educationally, but also emotionally and mentally encouraged to become the best version of themselves.

Q: How is technology utilised for social impact in your country? For example are there mobile apps that support gender equality, inclusion, understanding of cultures?

Technology is increasingly being used in Nigeria to create social impact in areas such as education, healthcare, gender equality, financial inclusion, and youth empowerment. Social media platforms, mobile applications, and digital communities have helped many people gain access to information, opportunities, and support systems that were previously difficult to reach.

One major area where technology is making impact is education and learning. Many young people now use online learning platforms, social media, and educational apps to improve their skills, access scholarships, learn digital skills, and gain knowledge regardless of their location. Technology has also helped many young entrepreneurs and content creators build businesses and connect with wider audiences.

In the area of gender equality and women empowerment, several organisations and digital platforms use technology to create awareness about women’s rights, girl-child education, gender-based violence, and mental health. Social media campaigns and online communities have made it easier for women to share their experiences, educate others, and advocate for change. There are also platforms that support women through mentorship, career opportunities, entrepreneurship training, and access to funding.

Q: Anything else that you may wish to add?

I am truly grateful for the opportunity to be part of this mentorship programme. I believe this experience is coming at a very important stage in my life where I am seeking growth, clarity, direction, and personal development.

Despite the challenges I have faced, I remain hopeful about the future and open to learning, improving, and becoming a better version of myself. I am passionate about making meaningful impact, especially in areas related to education, communication, youth encouragement, girl-child empowerment, and community development.

I believe that with the right guidance, exposure, and opportunities, many young people can grow beyond their limitations and positively transform their communities. I also genuinely look forward to learning from different perspectives, building meaningful connections, and making the most of this mentorship journey. Thank you once again for creating this opportunity.