With his Penn State master’s degree, Abiodun Awoyemi has helped reshape the emergency response systems in his home country of Nigeria, proving that one learner can create national impact.
Awoyemi graduated in 2018, having specialized in the public health preparedness option of the Master of Professional Studies in Homeland Security.
He was shaken by tragic deaths in his home country and thought he could help make an impact by strengthening EMS systems, so he learned how to save lives in emergency situations.
Read more about Awoyemi’s story in the Q&A below.
What inspired you to pursue public health preparedness with Penn State World Campus?
I had heard about a plane crash in 2012 that occurred just a few minutes from its destination at the Lagos, Nigeria, airport. All 153 people on board died, and this pained me. Then I learned that people had survived the crash, but couldn’t escape the wreckage and died from their injuries.
I was particularly moved by one of the victims, whose dream was to become the first female president of Nigeria. If someone like that could go, it means the country would lose potential.
I noticed the lack of ambulances in Lagos — in the metropolitan area with more than 20 million people at the time, they had less than 30 ambulances, some of which didn’t work. I decided to devote myself to help Nigerian emergency management systems, and I enrolled in Penn State World Campus in 2016.
Why did you choose Penn State World Campus for your degree?
The homeland security program with a public health preparedness option was offered fully online. The program teaches you how to respond to natural and manmade disasters. I saw the value of these skills and how I can immediately apply them back home. The course work would help me aid the lack of state-level and local-level emergency management agencies.
How did your course work prepare you to help your community in Nigeria?
By the time I completed my first two courses, I immediately gained enough information to see the gaps back home more vividly and how much opportunity there was for me to contribute. I was able to begin to make impacts in my own country.
I’ve really benefited from the homeland security program, and I’ve been able to learn preparedness for emergencies, which is entirely what I’ve been able to replicate back home.
I wanted to finish my studies as fast as I could, because the longer I waited to complete them, the more lives were at risk back home.
How has your Penn State degree been a launchpad for you?
It gave me the confidence to engage with high-level officials. Soon after graduation, I secured a scheduled 30-minute meeting with a high-ranking Nigerian state official to discuss emergency management. The meeting ended up lasting around two hours because of tough questions I was asking.
The meeting led me to designing and leading a gap analysis for the state’s emergency medical services. Without the confidence I gained from my Penn State experience, I wouldn’t have the boldness to push governors, health commissioners, and ministers. I am proud to be a Nittany Lion.
What have you been up to since graduating from Penn State World Campus?
Since graduating, I have continued working in emergency management and resilience, currently serving as the Director of Emergency Management at Fayetteville State University. I have also supported large-scale public events such as the Lagos Marathon, where I helped develop emergency preparedness plans, assess risk zones, and coordinate medical and security readiness for participants and spectators. Additionally, I contributed to emergency operations during the COVID-19 response in Lagos, applying the skills I gained at Penn State to strengthen crisis preparedness and response.
This Q&A spotlight is part of “40k alumni: 40 stories celebrating 40,000 graduates,” a series marking the milestone of more than 40,000 Penn Staters earning their degrees online through Penn State World Campus.