Grace Ishatah

Epidemiologist || Researcher

[Grace Ishatah @GIshatah]

IMPACT 2.0 was a success.

From the Alpha location, it was an awesome time working with the audio crew. The team had great sound engineers who gave their best to ensure the program was a success.

#IMPACTWithKumuyi
#GlobalYouthConvocation
#DLConversations
#TransformedtoLead

[Grace Ishatah @GIshatah]

I am honoured to serve this community of great leaders in this capacity. Let's do this together.

#TheSCALEAgenda
#YALINetworkOyo
#YALINetwork
#Service

[YALINetwork Oyo @yalinetworkib]

INTRODUCING THE 2026 EXECUTIVE TEAM

We are honored to present the leaders who will steward YALI Network Oyo State through 2026; a team shaped by service, grounded in values, and committed to building real impact in our communities.

#YALINetworkOyo
#YALIExecutives2026
#SCALE

[Grace Ishatah @GIshatah]

This is a new month. What is that thing you need to do, but are afraid to take the necessary steps?

You can do it. I am rooting for you.

[Grace Ishatah @GIshatah]

The 41st Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria (APHPN) tagged ABEOKUTA 2025 took place on 9th-14th March 2025 in Ogun State. This was my first conference in-person

[Grace Ishatah @GIshatah]

A very big thank you to the Global Research Group led by my Director Dr. Akindele Adebiyi for this opportunity. It is a memorable one for me.

In your journey, you will need others who have gone ahead. You cannot do it all alone.

[Grace Ishatah @GIshatah]

The feedback from my presentation came after this opening statement. You may ask, how did I feel? Great! I took it with open arms, and that boosted my confidence for my next presentation at another event which was better.

[Grace Ishatah @GIshatah]

Meanwhile, a message was already waiting for me after my presentation from my Director and Leader. I opened and read.

“You were sharp. Congratulations…..”

[Grace Ishatah @GIshatah]

There is a need for ongoing training, and adaptation to new tools cannot be overemphasized. Even individuals who are familiar with using these tools need continuous updates and refreshers to stay competent.

[Grace Ishatah @GIshatah]

District Health Information System/National Health Management Information System (DHIS/NHMIS).The usability of SORMAS may not be optimal from the end users’ perspective, while training can influence perceptions of usability.

[Grace Ishatah @GIshatah]

Workers in Oyo State” which explored the lived experiences of the users of these tools.

The learnability and usability was poor for Surveillance Response Management and Analysis System (SORMAS), while the learnability and usability was more acceptable to those who routinely used

[Grace Ishatah @GIshatah]

The documentary on the life and times of Prof. Kamil Alausa is one that will stay with me. A life of true impact is never forgotten.

I presented the abstract titled, “Usability and User Experience of Digital Tools for Infectious Disease Surveillance among Primary Healthcare

[Grace Ishatah @GIshatah]

and my first abstract presentation in any conference. I was excited about this privilege and looked forward to all of it.

From the pre-conference, “Rethinking Research Impact” to plenary sessions, scientific sessions, and networking moments, all were educational and impactful.

[Grace Ishatah @GIshatah]

@olumuyiwaayo Congratulations, Doc

[Michael Taiwo @AskMichaelTaiwo]

The danger of comparison is that it shifts your focus outward instead of inward.

Instead of asking “How can I grow?”, you start asking “Why am I not like them?”

That kills your ability to be grateful.
Makes you hateful.

It makes you ignore how far you’ve come, because you’re too busy measuring how far someone else has gone.

The only person you should compare yourself with is "who you were yesterday."

That’s a race you can actually win.

Nothing is more freeing than measuring progress by your own growth, not someone else’s timeline.

[The Force! @Orifunke]

How to Stop Shrinking Yourself in Big Rooms

Picture this: you somehow find yourself on a table or in a room with people bigger, more accomplished, and more successful than you are.

At first, you are grateful to be there. It's a dream come true. You're sitting in a room that you have only dreamed of before. You can't even believe it.

But another emotion tugs inside your heart.

You start wondering, “How did I get here?”
“I don’t have the qualifications”.
“I don’t have the experience”.
“I don’t have the pedigree”.
“I don’t have the network”.

It begins to feel like you found yourself in the room by mistake.

Then you also start to worry. You begin to feel like a fraud. It feels like whatever has qualified you to sit on this table must have been a fluke.

What if they sent you out?

So, you do what seems logical: you're in the room, but you stay quiet. You barely move. If you could, you would sit far behind, away from the limelight. You do not want to be seen.

And if you happen to be seen by chance, you do not want to be heard.

You fear that if you spoke up or said something, you would say something wrong, and it would confirm their worst assumptions about you.

So, you keep mute. After all, you're just grateful to be there, and that’s enough.

If this has ever been you, I wrote this for you. Read this carefully:

1. If God brought you into that room, there was a reason. He didn't bring you in there by accident.
- You're not small simply because you're younger or less experienced.

2. Prepare ahead. Preparation builds conviction.
- Sometimes, you're not scared, you're just not prepared enough.

3. Dress the part.
- Don't dress for who you are, dress for who you want to become.

4. Get there early and pick the right position, based on the protocols of the room.
- If you want to be seen, go sit at the front!

5. Don’t wait for the stage, take it. Let your voice be heard. Speak.
- And when you're given the stage, speak up confidently like you were born to hold the stage.

When God brings you into a room, He is signalling to you that you're worth it.

[Michael Taiwo @AskMichaelTaiwo]

My Opening Speech for the MT Scholar Meet 2.0
Venue: Norris Conference Center, Houston, TX
Date: Friday, July 25, 2025

I want to speak on three themes today.
I want to speak about me; about us and about legacy.

1. Who is Michael Taiwo?

I get asked that question sometimes. Who are you, really?

Well, I am a man who believes deeply in three things:

First, God, the Creator of both the seen and unseen world.
All-knowing. All-powerful. Everywhere. He walks everywhere incognito. I have many flaws - I’m no saint - but I try to please God because I love Him. That’s my foundation.

Second, I believe in people.
I believe in you. In the untapped power inside every man, woman, and child. I get joy from seeing people come alive: singing their song, building their dream, perfecting their craft. The image of God in each of us is a universe waiting to be explored.

Third, I love this country: the United States of America.
It’s not perfect, but in my view, it is the best civilization humanity has built so far. A land where freedom breathes opportunity. Where effort is rewarded. Where your background doesn’t define your ceiling. I’ve lived it. I’ve seen it.

So when you combine those three - faith in God, belief in man, and love for America - you begin to understand me. And why I started this thing we call the MT Scholarships.

2. Cheating Death

In May 2016, a routine medical checkup found a solid mass on my right kidney. Further imaging showed it was buried deep inside, potentially occupying a third of the organ.

I did the one thing you shouldn’t do: I Googled it. And the internet basically told me, “Yep, you’re dying.”

I had already lost both my parents as a teenager.
I’m familiar with death.
I’ve never had illusions of immortality.
But staring it in the face still shook me.

Those sleepless nights in 2016 made one thing very clear: Life is short. But impact can be long.

And I began to ask: How do I cheat death?

How can I speak in a way that echoes beyond my years?

How can I build something that will outlast me?

That was when I made a lifelong commitment to change as many lives as possible, not just through words, but through action.

I survived that health scare.

But the resolve I forged in that fire still drives me every day.

3. The Power of 1%

In September 2019, I asked myself a simple question:
“Can I commit 1% of my income to help the next generation?” Yes, I could. And I did.

I used that small portion to pay for exam fees - GREs, TOEFLs - for brilliant students in Nigeria who couldn’t afford them. That was the seed that grew into this organization, Michael Taiwo Scholarships Inc.

That year, I thought we’d help maybe 3 students.
But over 1,000 applied!

So a few friends chipped in as well, and we ended up awarding 7 scholarships.

Today, more than 50,000 applicants later…from over 60 countries…we have awarded over 230 scholarships…and our winners have come from Nigeria, Ghana, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, India, and more…

And the impact goes beyond numbers. Some of those first scholars are now mentors. Some are donors.

The 1% has become 100%.

It is amazing what 1% can do.

There is still much work to be done.

Our winners represent just 0.5% of the number of applicants. This means we select only one out of every 200 people who apply for our scholarship.

We would like to increase that number. Currently, it is 7 times harder to get the MT Scholarships than it is to get into Harvard.

Our target is 1% which still makes it an incredibly difficult scholarship to get but spreads the opportunity further.

We also hope to cover more and more of the cost of applying to graduate schools so that we can further our mission of helping the helpless.

I want to encourage you to join our 1% challenge.

If you’re moved, come join us. Mentor. Donate. Connect us.

One small act can shift the trajectory of a life.

That little portion could cover an exam for a future professor, engineer, author, or policy-maker.

You don’t need to be wealthy to be generous. You just need to be willing.

To our donors: thank you for saying yes to a vision that had no track record at the start.

To our mentors: thank you for pouring your wisdom into those coming behind.

To our Board: thank you for your governance and your grace.

To my wife - Aya’ba - you are the heartbeat of everything I do.

And to my children: may you always know that your father lived to make the world kinder than he found it.

And to our scholars: your success is the answer to my prayer.

You don’t have to change the whole world.

But if you change one life deeply enough, the world will never be the same again.

Let’s go and change lives.

Thank you.

[The Force! @Orifunke]

I came across this picture which was taken 15 years ago in my final year in secondary school. It sparked a lot of memories - both reflection and gratitude - of the past 15 years.

I wondered: if I had to sit with my 15-year-old self, what 15 things would I tell her? A thread 👇🏾

[Sam Adeyemi @sam_adeyemi]

A true leader is not superior they serve.
Leadership is about service and sacrifice, not control. As you lead today, ask yourself: Are you leading or ruling?
Watch, comment, and share this video.

#Leadership #Service #SamAdeyemi #Mindset #Culture #NationalChange

[DCLM Tech Community @dclmtech]

Goals help you start. Systems help you stay.

Yes, set the goals. But build systems that align with grace, growth, and consistency.
Because in the kingdom, it’s not just about the sprint, it’s about the faithful journey.
Keep showing up. Keep trusting. Keep building.
Good day❤️

[Grace Ishatah @GIshatah]

@iamtemibabs I love this

Congratulations to you, Temi and your team

[Tunde Onakoya @Tunde_OD]

The One Who Wears Big Caps for Little Children.

These are my final thoughts before I hand over my phone to management. The team says I need to sleep.
But before the world goes quiet around me, allow me say a few things…

It’s my second time doing this insane thing of trying to break a world record.
You’d think it would be easier now,after all I’ve done it before. But that’s the thing about impossible things:
The first time, you survive them because you don’t yet understand the cost.
Now that I’m fully aware of the exertion it takes both physically and mentally, I’m equal parts excited and terrified. I embrace both.

Today I’ll tell you why I always wear a cap…

The night before I left Nigeria for this journey, something happened.

It was 9pm on a Tuesday night.
I was at the mall picking up some last-minute items.
Two boys, scruffy and barefoot approached me at the car park.
They were hungry and hadn’t eaten all day.
I asked their names.
“Yusuff,” said one. “Ayomide,” said the other. Both young teenagers.
As I turned to check for cash in the car, the light hit my face and Yusuff immediately recognized me and blurted out “Chess players observe,”
I was stunned.
That was our mantra at Chess in Slums, it was what we taught the kids. I asked how he knew this, he explained that he had seen me months prior at their ghetto.
This made sense as we had spent the entire month of December teaching chess and maths to street children in that ghetto. Yusuff wasn’t part of the training but on the day of the final tournament, he watched from a distance as the other kids chanted “chess players observe”. It stayed with him ever since.

He told me his story.
His mother died during childbirth. His father disappeared.
He lived with his ailing grandmother for sometime but had to leave for the streets to fend for himself. It’s been five years of trying to survive in his own
Five years of growing up too fast…He is 15 years old now.

Then, something surreal happened.

A white Range Rover pulled up beside us.
A woman rolled down the window, “Chess master!” she called out.
She stepped out with her son Jayden.
Impeccably dressed. British accent.
She wanted a photo. Jayden loves chess.
She’s a fan.

So there they stood, Jayden and Yusuff.
Both teenagers.
One in branded sneakers. The other barefoot.
One polished by privilege. The other hardened by survival.

As I asked them to introduce themselves,
Yusuff’s confidence crumbled.
He looked down. His voice faltered.

I took a selfie with Jayden and his Mum, and as they drove off I had my epiphany….

And in that moment, I saw it:
The cruel reality of the world we live in
where a boy like Jayden and a boy like Yusuff would never meet
except by accident or because I happened to stand between them.

But what separated them wasn’t merit or character, It was birth. The arbitrary lottery that decides who gets to dream,
and who must survive.

Jayden will likely go on to attend the best schools, see the world, and live fully. While
Yusuff probably ends up doing the bidding of whoever can promise him his next meal.
An Area boy.

I have met thousands of bright eyed children like Yusuffs in this life, whose pain is invisible, and by no fault of theirs live in a world where their suffering doesn’t matter.
Sometimes, we save them.
Sometimes, we fail.
But I will never stop carrying this burden in my heart.

This is why I wear big caps for little children and wear one my self.
So the world may see them in all their colors, not for the suffering they bear,
but for what I know they can truly become.

I hope have shared this burden with you as honestly as I could.
If you ever believed in me, believe in them.
Cheer for them. Donate. Share. Amplify.
We are trying to build the largest free school in Africa.
A sanctuary for every child like Yusuff
where their dreams won’t die quietly.

I do this so their dreams may find validation in my sacrifice.

I have to go now, big day ahead. Gotta make it count.