Focus Africa is designed to help African students in their exploration of careers opportunities in Africa and the UK.

The event was organised by the students at Lancaster University Management School in collaboration with Careers, Alumni and Employer Relations and the International Office, with the aim of building a network for students to grow professionally and internationally.

Focus Africa was a huge success and was well received by the 50+ students who participated. The event was supported by SEO London, Lancaster African Caribbean Society (ACS), and the Lancaster University Nigerian Office.

Setting the scene

Dr Ife Akintunde, CEO of the IOA Consults and alumnus of Lancaster University, opened the event. He talked about the challenges and opportunities associated with entrepreneurship. Dr Akanimo Odon, Principal Consultant at Enviro-Fly Group, then introduced the topic of emerging opportunities in Africa. Dr Akan set the context for Africa as an emerging frontier, with challenges and opportunities for student mobility across the region and shared insights into the technology sector in Africa.

Focus Africa Speaker Nicky Dean, an immigration solicitor from Manchester, was invited to give students an update on the visa and immigration rules related to working in the UK, with one-to-one appointments available during the afternoon for further individual queries.

LUMS alumni share their experiences

The contributions made by a number of LUMS African alumni proved to be a highlight of the day. Following a networking lunch, they shared their stories, including the challenges faced and strategies they adopted to succeed in the competitive jobs market.

We would like to thank the following people: John Alabi (BSc Economics, 2012), DRL Limited; Tolu Balogun (MSc ITMOC, 2012), Central Bank of Nigeria; (Academic Director, ITMOC); Vincent Utchay (LLB Law, UCLAN) and Rory Daly (Placement, Internship & Projects Officer)

Careers and employability support

These sessions were facilitated by Careers staff as well as SEO London who introduced students to the range of careers and employability support available to international students at Lancaster, to give them an edge in the competitive global labour market. These include leveraging international alumni community networks, links to direct company recruitment sites and contacts overseas. Students were invited to prepare action plans for their personal global career development.

Pictures of this event can be viewed on our website.