ILORIN, NIGERIA — Oluwayomi Akinfenwa once dreamed of studying medicine. Today, she holds a PhD in Statistics. She earned the degree from Maynooth University in Ireland.
Akinfenwa received her PhD on September 7, 2026. Her academic journey began after her original plan to study medicine did not work out. She waited a long time for university admission. Eventually, she enrolled to study Statistics at the University of Ilorin.
From UNILORIN to AIMS Ghana
What initially appeared to be a change of direction became the start of a successful academic career. Akinfenwa graduated from UNILORIN with a First Class degree in Statistics. This earned her an opportunity to study at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences in Ghana.
At AIMS Ghana, she completed a Master’s degree in Mathematical Sciences with Distinction. In 2021, she secured a fully funded PhD opportunity. The funding came through Research Ireland’s Centre for Research Training in Foundations of Data Science. She then began her doctoral studies at Maynooth University.
Challenges During Her PhD
Her PhD journey came with several challenges. These included failed computer codes and confusing research results. She also faced manuscript revisions and periods of uncertainty. Despite these difficulties, she persevered until she completed her programme.
Research Focus
Akinfenwa’s research focused on country-level panel data and Bayesian hierarchical models. Her work explored ways to make complex statistical findings easier to understand. She examined how visualisation can help researchers identify patterns and trends in development data.
As part of her research, she developed wdiexplorer. This is an R package designed to help researchers explore and visualise World Development Indicators. The package includes diagnostic tools and interactive visualisations. It is now publicly available through CRAN.
She also proposed visualisation principles for presenting estimates from Bayesian hierarchical models. The principles aim to help researchers communicate uncertainty and modelling decisions more clearly.
Future Plans
Following her graduation, Akinfenwa expressed interest in continuing research. She wants to combine statistical modelling and data visualisation. The goal is to improve understanding of development data. She also indicated her willingness to collaborate with other researchers in related areas.
Reactions
Her achievement attracted congratulatory messages from colleagues and her professional network. They celebrated her journey from studying Statistics at UNILORIN to earning a PhD in Ireland.
A Story of Resilience
Akinfenwa’s story highlights how an unexpected change in academic direction can lead to success. Her journey shows that setbacks can become opportunities. With determination and hard work, she turned a disappointment into a remarkable achievement.
