There are many ways to return to school. For Michael Ibie, it happened alongside a career in credit, a growing business, a wife, three children, and an active church life. Miva’s flexible approach to learning made it possible for him to pursue his degree while continuing to meet the demands of everyday life.
When Michael returned to university, he was chasing the knowledge and perspective to make a difference in public policy and administration. In the end, he got that—and the title of Miva’s best graduating undergraduate student at its maiden convocation.
Dive into the full conversation.
In This Post
A Second Shot at University, This Time With Purpose
Please tell us about yourself and what you do.
My name is Michael. I’m the COO and co-founder of Lumen Financials. We’re a fintech lending company primarily focused on lending to SMEs. I have worked in credit for most of my career, spanning over a decade now.
I am the husband to one wife and the father of three kids. I think that’s me in a nutshell.
You said you’ve been in your industry for about 10 years?
Approximately 13 to 14 years.
So was this your first degree?
No. I studied Computer Science at a university. I don’t know whether I can call that one a degree because I had issues. But that was my first time in school, and I guess I didn’t do it right. So, in some ways, this feels like my first degree.
That’s interesting. But why Public Policy and Administration?
The short answer would be that I felt led by God. I felt led by the Holy Spirit to do this.
But it also stemmed from a place. After everything that happened with the protests in 2020 and 2021 and the elections that happened in 2023, I felt like we had gotten to that place where we stop doing nothing but complain like everyone else on the internet.
It was time to learn how these things work and see how to get into those rooms or organisations where these things can be fixed. So, whichever way we can help, we should be prepared to. That was the decision for me.
So, you were working with a goal in mind, about making an impact.
Exactly. It was about trying to become the change we want to see, even if we’re not directly able to help the people who are there.
I think that’s one benefit of having a degree later, not just after secondary school. From your experience, you can choose what you want to study. Because those who go straight from secondary school sometimes just pick anything.
Yeah, I totally agree with you. When you go just after secondary school, you just want to be done with school. You don’t even know why you’re doing the degree in the first place. Afterwards, there’s a bit more focus and direction.
When the Whole Family Starts Studying at Miva
In your valedictorian speech, you mentioned that your wife and other family members were students. To clarify that, were they enrolled in Miva as well?
Yes. I have an older son who was schooling in Ukraine. His story might even be better than mine when it comes to how Miva has helped.
He was schooling in Ukraine, and then the war started. They kept bouncing them from place to place. At some point, I got worried. Europe was a bit volatile, so I told him to come back home.
Then, I had just started Miva. He was my first referral, even though I didn’t use the referral link.
One of the things that really stood out for me with Miva was how contemporary the curriculum was. I mean, it’s not like I’d done Public Policy and Administration before anywhere else. But I just knew the information I was getting was relevant to today’s society.
It wasn’t just historical stuff or stuff that’s just been passed down since schools were formed. It was very contemporary. The mode of transmitting the knowledge as well was also very contemporary.
When my son came back, most of the schools were saying he might have to start again.
Around that time, he thought he would rather just switch to something else. Software Engineering was that something else. Even though I always thought [medicine] was what I saw him doing, I didn’t want to stand in his way. So, he enrolled in Software Engineering.
And then my wife was like, “Oh, okay. This thing you guys are doing seems to be making a lot of sense.” She also decided to come study Mass Communication at Miva.
Then she has two younger sisters who we also enrolled. One’s in Abuja, and one lives with us. That’s what I meant by my family studying at Miva. Those are all of us studying at Miva.
Wow, that’s amazing. We should have you in one of our testimonials one of these days—the whole family.
The Miva Experience in Three Words
Now, if you had just three things to say about the curriculum and general experience at Miva, what would be your answers?
I would say, first of all, how contemporary and relevant the curriculum is for today. That really stood out for me.
Even when I talked to my son about what he was studying, as well as my wife, you just know you’re not learning outdated stuff. That was one of the things that stood out to me first.
In my first degree, that was one struggle. It felt like we were learning things that the world has moved on from. And even though a foundation is always good, we weren’t really learning about what was going on in today’s world. That’s number one.
Number two, I think the flexibility was so good because I run a business; I am an employee running a business as well. I have a family, a fairly young family, and I’m also very active in church.
I was able to juggle all these things because of the flexibility that Miva provided. I think that was good.
Then I should also add the people. The people, from lecturers to HODs to the success advisors. There was a culture of help, and I’m sure that must have taken a lot of work because, for someone who runs a business, I know how tough it would be to instil a culture of wanting to really help. That’s something else that was really good.
So, there was a time when I had a few issues and nobody was trying to just shove me aside with “I’m busy with other things.” It was a deliberate culture of help.
Those three things really stood out for me. They were all really great. But like I’ve said a few times now, the curriculum was really—I enjoyed taking classes.
For me, it wasn’t just about taking classes. I was talking to my wife and a few other people who cared to listen that exams and assessments weren’t just about studying.
I was enjoying learning these new concepts. The way the curriculum is shaped and dispensed to students helps a lot with that.
That was very clear. The curriculum is contemporary. We like to say “relevant in the 21st century”. That’s how we term it.
A Key Takeaway from Miva and Why He’s Back for an MPA
So, what lesson are you taking away from Miva?
When I signed up, I did a bit of research. I would even go ahead and type in ChatGPT questions about getting a degree at my age. It’s not like I was looking for a job or anything, but I was trying to see if this would lead to me making a difference.
I wondered if I would just be this old man trying to do this. I’m almost 40, and I was asking if this was the time to be getting on this journey.
But getting to the convocation to see a lot of people who were in my situation, and in some cases even more critical, hearing Winifred’s story…
The takeaway is: it’s never too late to do something new. It’s never too late.
I didn’t join Miva at all to come and be the best graduating student at my age. It was not part of the plan. I didn’t think that was on the table for me, but then it happened, and I’m wowed.
First of all, God. I see what it means to heed those instructions. But there was also just hope.
I’ve already enrolled in the MPA, so I’m a student again at Miva, and that’s because of hope—knowing we can do this. Now I’m thinking maybe we can go all the way.
I don’t know what this is going to turn into in the end. I’m not entirely certain, but I know I’m better equipped to do that thing I had in mind to do because I know more.
And so, it was just that hope. That’s my great takeaway. It’s never, ever too late.
I have an older cousin who reached out to me. I’m a private person, almost shy, and this cousin reaches out to me like, “Did I just see you on InstaBlog?” She said it gave her hope because she’s been thinking about going back to school. I mean, she’s pushing 50, and she says she will go ahead and see what comes out of it.
So, that’s my greatest takeaway: that education can be decentralised. Miva itself is disrupting the old way we consumed knowledge so everyone can have a chance.
It’s good to see that what we are doing is giving people hope, and even your story as well is a message to other people that it’s never too late to start.
I was going to end with what’s next for you, but you already answered that, saying you’ve enrolled in the MPA.
So, I’ll just end with two questions. First, why did you enrol in the MPA?
As I said, we started it, right? And it seemed like the next thing to do. I enjoyed my experience with the BSc. In fact, I’m already enjoying my experience with the MPA because it’s like you guys saved a lot of the good stuff for the master’s students. The excellence is even better.
For me, it just seemed like the next thing to do. Now I have a strong BSc. Let’s build on that.
Again, the vision was to be able to create a difference or impact. If tomorrow some friend of mine or somebody I know or whoever gets into office and is looking for people who can come and advise on public administration and policy, or in whatever fields, maybe even the finance or credit sector where I work, I’d be better equipped to know how to go about it, and I wouldn’t just fumble my way through.
I also perceive that one of the problems we might have in the public sector or public service is not enough people who are technocrats who also understand public administration.
The MPA just seemed like the next step towards that, being able to bring proper influence and proper advice.
All right.
How Michael Became Miva’s Best Graduating Student
The last question: what do you think contributed to you becoming the best graduating student?
A lot of things, to be honest.
It was, first of all, my faith in God. I might have said ‘excellence’ at least once during this call. I think if God has asked you to do something, you do it like your life depends on it.
That’s what I lacked the first time I went to school. Now everything I do, I just try to do it well. As I said, I had no inclination that I was going to be the best graduating student. I wasn’t doing it for any sort of award or reward.
It was, first of all, because of that. That’s one thing that shaped the way I approach everything, the way I approach fatherhood and being a husband.
Then it was also having a supportive family.
There’s a part of me that sometimes wonders, knowing it could have been a different school.
While I felt the need and got the direction to go back to school, I searched. It’s funny that it was in the same month that Miva announced that they had launched. It just came on my timeline, but I was doing a search for other schools.
So, I’m thinking it could have been a different school, and it could have just been a frustrating process. Because I would have to waste a lot of time, either because of one strike or the other, or just bureaucracy in the institution and how things are not flexible. That culture of help being absent too. It could just be a frustrating process, regardless of the zeal I had because God asked me to do it.
That’s why I think it’s a combination of things. A family who understood when I had to study a bit more. During the first set of exams, my wife tried to take everything off that I would normally handle, just so that I could focus.
It was a combination of all these things, from a supportive family to faith in God, obedience, and the excellence that comes with that. Also, the way Miva is structured.
All right. These are key things that would help anyone achieve the great feat you achieved.
It was nice talking with you, and I’m glad you enjoyed Miva and that you’re where you are. Is there anything you’d like to say?
Not really, but thank you. You guys keep up the good work.
I keep referring people. At this point, I don’t know how many people I’ve referred, but I’ve referred a lot of people to Miva because I like what you’re doing.
Maybe I should also add that one of the deciding factors for me was Sim Shagaya. I’m in the tech industry, so I know what he’s built before. In fact, I said this at the first Hangout: most times, when you’re looking to invest in something, you look at the people who are building it.
I see what [Sim Shagaya] is doing and what you guys are doing. And I’m just entirely rooting for you guys and hoping that you guys keep it up.
Let the school not get so big, and then things start to fall apart because sometimes that’s the Nigerian problem. Maintenance becomes a big problem because it’s getting too big.
But so far, so good, and you guys keep up the good work.
Thank you so much, and thanks for your time as well.
Conclusion
Michael may have finished one degree, but graduation clearly wasn’t the finish line for him. He is already back in class, asking new questions and seeing where the next chapter takes him.
Maybe that is what makes his story worth following. Sometimes, you don’t return to school because you have everything figured out. You return because you know there is more you want to understand, more you want to do and, perhaps, more you can become.
If you’re ready to return to school, build new skills, and pursue your next goal without putting life on hold, explore Miva’s undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and get started today.