Abdul-Kabir Abdullahi Adekunle
Abdul-Kabir Abdullahi Adekunle holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Adnan Menderes University in Aydın and a master’s degree in African Studies from Ankara Social Sciences University. His academic journey in Türkiye has strengthened his passion for diplomacy, international development, and Africa’s global engagement.
I found myself in Turkey by God’s grace in 2017 through a friend who introduced me to an exam called YÖS (Foreign Student Exam). I passed the exam with a good grade, and only one other person and I from Nigeria were selected by the university I applied to.
I proceeded with my visa application and finally got the visa after going through a lot of stress and panic in Abuja. The process taught me many lessons about patience and determination, especially since I did everything myself without using an agent and I succeeded.
Unfortunately, I arrived late for university registration due to the visa delay. It took about two months before my visa was issued. While waiting, I made a backup plan and applied for a scholarship in Malaysia. On the same day I received my Turkish visa, I also got an email from the Malaysian university informing me that I had been accepted for a scholarship. I became confused should I go to Turkey without a scholarship or accept the Malaysian one?
I sought advice from people, and one of them told me, “What is in your hand now is more reliable than what is yet to come.” I prayed about it and decided to go to Turkey. Later, I received sad news that the Malaysian scholarship program for Nigerians had been canceled by the Ministry of Education due to some issues. At that moment, I realized I had made the right decision.
When I arrived in Turkey, registration had already closed, and that was when my real challenges began. I decided to stand on my own feet. I asked myself, “What will I do for eight months without studying?” So, I started working in a factory for several months and saved money for the next academic session.
When the YÖS exam came up again, I took it and passed once more. I used the money I had saved from the factory to pay my tuition and accommodation for the first semester. I also bought some food supplies and lived very modestly. I avoided unnecessary spending no restaurants, coffee shops, or game centers. When friends invited me out, I usually ate before going and told them I had already had dinner. Some thought I didn’t like spending money, but later, when I became more financially stable, they realized I wasn’t selfish just disciplined.
That’s how I survived my first semester. The experience I gained from the factory and my careful spending helped me plan for the coming semesters. During every summer break, I worked to save money for the next academic year.
The funny part is that I often became the first student to pay my university fees and sometimes even lent money to friends who were waiting for theirs to arrive. This became my cycle: finish exams, work during the summer, save, pay for accommodation and tuition, and repeat.
This is how I managed to complete both my undergraduate and master’s degrees in Turkey without any scholarship or financial support from home.
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