Class of 2024 Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) graduate Fatima Yunusa has won the 2026 Rhodes Scholarship — the world’s oldest and most competitive international scholarship.
A Nigerian public policy researcher, Yunusa is one of three recipients of the 2026 Rhodes Scholarship in West Africa. She is also among more than 30 other Georgetown students and alumni who have received the scholarship, and the third graduate of Georgetown’s Qatar campus to receive the award in the past five years, joining the likes of Khansa Maria (SFS’21), and Asma Shakeel (SFS’24).
The scholarship selects promising young people from around the world who demonstrate integrity, leadership, character, intellect and a commitment to service to study at the University of Oxford.
"Fatima’s commitment to uplifting others combined with her focus on public policy and public service exemplifies Georgetown’s highest ideals, and we look forward to seeing what she will accomplish,” said Georgetown Interim president Robert M Groves.
As a Rhodes Scholar, Yunusa wants to build on her skills through public policy and public policy research graduate programmes in order to advance her home country’s national development.
"I’m concerned about poverty eradication, poverty, and how it prevents people from living a life of dignity. My interest in development comes from recognising that high-quality jobs and opportunities are the most sustainable way for poverty alleviation,” said Yunusa, adding: "It’s a huge opportunity. I’m excited to learn from people who know public service from around the world.”
Yunusa grew up moving across different parts of Nigeria. Along the way, she noticed how highly skilled individuals often lacked meaningful employment opportunities. She also saw people she loved struggle with these challenges in professions that hardly made ends meet. Her experiences made her question what she could do to empower communities to maximise their skills and talents.
"While talent development initiatives exist in the country, they are not sustainable enough to yield the scale of transformation necessary to secure the country’s future. Existing initiatives are fragmented across sectors, often outdated, or tied to political administrations rather than lasting institutional mandates,” she said. "Nigeria must align its talent, market needs, and position within the international economy to advance.”