Dr. Rebecca Adeyeye

2022 IVLP Impact Award Project: Project STEMSTEPSNigeria

Dr. Rebecca Oluwayemisi Adeyeye is the co-founder and managing director of Lifefount Hospital a leading hospital in cancer care, surgery and endoscopy. She also cofounded Lifefount Foundation where she impacts her community in the areas of entrepreneurship, healthcare and women’s economic advancement. She is a fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants and the pioneer president of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs Alumnae, which is a part of the White House’s Women's Global Development and Prosperity initiative. She was recognized in 2021 as a global leader by the U.S Department of States under the International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP). She is an executive of NECA's Network of Entrepreneurial Women. She recently authored her first book, Entrepreneurship is a Beautiful Thing, which is a business guide for aspiring and seasoned business owners who seek to acquire business management skills.

Additionally, Dr. Adeyeye is an international mentor and trainer who has won several awards which include Top 100 Most Inspiring Women in Nigeria 2022 by Leading Ladies Africa, the Kwame Nkurumah Exemplary Leadership Award 2021 by ECOWAS Youth Council, and Entrepreneur of the Year 2020. She was a speaker twice at the Dubai Leadership Summit Dubai UAE. She has postgraduate certification in Entrepreneurial Management from EDC (Lagos Business School) of Pan-Atlantic University, in Leadership and Management in Global Health from the University of Washington and a postgraduate diploma in Education from NTI Open University. Her life goal is to use her experience, expertise and education to improve the lives of others. 

IVLP Impact Award Project: Project STEMSTEPS

Project STEMSTEPS was an eight-week training for 100 female graduates and final year students on digital technology, entrepreneurship and leadership skills.

According to a report published by the National Bureau of Statistics, the unemployment rate in Nigeria increased from 27.1% in the second quarter of 2020 to 33.3% in the fourth quarter of 2021. Further studies reveal that Nigeria’s unemployment rate has more than quadrupled over the last five years as the economy went through two recessions, casting a shadow over the government’s efforts to implement policies to drive growth and create jobs. Furthermore, more than 60% of Nigeria’s working-age population is younger than 34, meaning that most unemployed Nigerians are youth. It is predicted that the number of people looking for jobs will keep rising as population growth continues to outpace output expansion. This means that more young people will become unemployed in the coming years. Considering this, there is a need for young people, especially tertiary school students, to not only be schooled to become job seekers but to also become job providers who will create opportunities for many other young people in the future, and by so doing, reduce the rate of unemployment in the nation.

Project STEMSTEPS addressed these problems. The goals of this project included: (1) to help reduce female youth unemployment in Nigeria by teaching participants basic entrepreneurship skills relevant to STEM courses, (2) to increase the number of women providing digital solutions in the STEM sector by empowering participants with relevant IT skills that 21st-century businesses demand (3) to increase collaboration among women in STEM by bringing them together in a training program that amplifies the importance of teamwork and collaboration in achieving lasting impacts.

IVLP Exchange Experience

Dr. Adeyeye  was a participant in the IVLP Project Science and Technology Entrepreneurship, organized by the U.S. Department of State and American Councils for International Education.

Dr. Adeyeye's exchange experience led to the development of her IVLP Impact Award Project: "IVLP was a great program, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have learned from scientists in America about how they were able to start and sustain their businesses. Meeting other participants from 17 countries broadened my mind, and now I think globally as I provide solutions to local challenges."

U.S. Communities Visited Virtually 

San Fransisco, CA; Washington, DC; Boise, ID; Pittsburgh, PA

Country: Nigeria

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