Young Scholars Meet Opportunities as GRIND Initiative Debuts in Lagos

The GRIND “Graduate-In-Demand” initiative offers participants a holistic approach to personal and professional development by preparing them for the workplace and as leaders and innovators in society. Since its inception, GRIND has organized monthly mentorship meet-ups and weekly one-on-one sessions. This allows each fellow to work closely with industry mentors.

The GRIND Initiative has been described as a model specifically designed to equip young scholars with practical skills, experience, and networks they need to thrive in today’s fast-changing and futuristic world. This position and more were highlighted at the first-ever GRIND Fellowship Graduation, in partnership with the Office of Community Development Services (OCDS) at the University of Lagos on Friday, April 11, 2025.

Powered by Edubanc, The GRIND Initiative is more than just a fellowship or a hackathon. It is an initiative built to enhance the educational journey and professional readiness of high-performing students in Nigerian academic institutions. It has a Mentorship Hub called GRIND Fellowship, which was launched in June 2024.

According to Grace Akinlotan, Project Manager, The GRIND Initiative, the model focuses on helping students and recent graduates become solution-oriented, tech-savvy, and workplace-ready, through a blend of physical and virtual mentorship programs, physical, real-life problem solving, podcast and community building. GRIND basically breeds innovation by linking potentials with opportunities.

The GRIND is geared to bridge the gap between academia and industry by providing structured mentorship, practical insights, and skill development for outstanding students. Thus preparing them for future career opportunities and leadership roles.

Edubanc is on a mission to enable Africa’s socio-economic growth through forward-thinking education products, initiatives, and financial solutions which are tailored to the unique and evolving needs of learners, educators, and institutions. The whole idea is to make sure no academic dream is held back by financial limitations. Edubanc views education as a right for everyone, irrespective of social or financial status.

In his speech, Damian Umeasala, Edubanc’s General Manager for Business Development and Finance, stated that the Nigeria labour industry has the capacity to absorb the existing and potential workforce in the country. He also noted that some of the products of the country’s tertiary institutions are unemployable.

“Nigerian tertiary institutions admit approximately two million students and churn out six hundred thousand graduates yearly. The labour market is large enough to employ them. But some of them struggle to find gainful employment because they are not employable. The skill gaps, academic and social deficiencies are usually conspicuous. That is why we ventured into coaching young scholars from when they are still in schools. Most employers no longer make budgetary provisions for staff training. It becomes imperative to equip students to have an edge over their peers when they graduate. That is what informed the GRIND Fellowship concept”, he said.

The program focused more on practical than theories. The fellows developed innovative ideas which displayed their readiness in the quest to lead change. The collaboration with UNILAG OCDS for the inaugural cohort produced commendable results. Thus, setting a high standard for subsequent episodes.

Some selected UNILAG students, over the course of six months, immersed themselves in training sessions, team challenges, and a final hackathon that tackled real problems across education, technology, and financial inclusion. Some of the benefiaries of the programmes thanked the organisers for the rare opportunity while also highlighting their gains from the trainings.

To ensure the impact of the Fellowship extends beyond the program itself, Edubanc has also made components of the GRIND model accessible to a wider audience through its e-learning platform, Verticul. The GRIND: Graduates-in-Demand course, hosted on Verticul, is designed to help even more young people become five times more employable by equipping them with essential workplace and innovation skills. This complements the hands-on mentorship and training fellows receive, allowing graduates from across the country to tap into the same readiness-focused curriculum at their own pace.