Digital Nomads: Grace Abikoye’s journey from Unilorin to a global investment bank

Tucked in the quiet contours of Ilorin, a city in Nigeria’s North Central, the University of Ilorin (Unilorin) has stood for half a century as an academic beacon. Now, with the rise of remote work and a new generation of talents, it’s becoming something more—a launchpad for global ambition. No, it has become a place where deserving students, regardless of their backgrounds, nourish their wildest dreams to work in the best global financial companies. The university’s merit-based system rewards the best-performing students, whom they call “Scholars,” creating an ecosystem where excellence isn’t just encouraged but expected. At the heart of this culture is The Investment Society (TIS), a student-led organisation existing across different universities that grooms young Nigerians for careers in global finance. One such student was Grace Abikoye, who now works full-time at a leading global investment bank and seconded on a global sustainability initiative in the UK. “For context, if I were to compare my job to a role at a top Nigerian financial institution, I’d say I work somewhere in strategy,” said Abikoye. “My role involves more of strategy and project management. While I was briefly exposed to the trading floor during my internship before transitioning to a full-time role, I’ve mainly worked in business support, interfacing with regulations, strategy, and executive coverage.” Beyond her day-to-day role in strategy and project management, where she’s managing relationships and projects, developing strategies, and travelling rather infrequently—but necessarily—she’s stood for years as an inspiration for many students after her. Grace Abikoye by the Seine River, France, which hosted the open-water events at the Olympic Games 2024 But her story isn’t the typical high-flying finance trajectory—it’s one of audacity, a calculated risk to abandon the familiar and dive into a world that, for many Nigerians, seems impossibly distant. A win for TIS, a win for Unilorin Abikoye’s path to securing a full-time role at a prestigious global investment bank was not straightforward. She’s had to persevere, position strategically, and commit to learning from scratch, she said. As an Agricultural Economics undergrad, her introduction to the financial sector began during her time at Unilorin, where she actively sought out opportunities beyond the lecture room. She had joined societies like TIS and attended networking events. The turning point came when she applied for an internship at a top global investment bank. She’d applied and failed to secure a spot multiple times before she landed one early in 2021. The internship, a rigorous ten-week programme, exposed her to global markets, where she rotated on the linear rates trading and FX sales desks. “I struggled a bit with the core financial concepts at first,” she admitted. “But I realised I had a strong ability in relationship management and strategic thinking. I leaned into those strengths.” Her resilience paid off. Despite the challenges, she made an impression on her managers and was offered a full-time position while still an undergrad at Unilorin—a fully sponsored opportunity. 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Beyond her core responsibilities, she has found immense value in exposure to leadership at the bank and initiative. “I support executives with key stakeholder meetings. It