June 2020 - Terhemen AGABO

Interview of the Fellow of the month

   June 2020 - Terhemen Agabo (Master student at the Department of Economics, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria)

"Coming from an economics background where quantitative methodology is the norm I had to learn how to use a qualitative methodology and I found it challenging in the beginning (...) However, I have come to admire the strength of qualitative methodology."

Being part of the IFRA fellowship…

Describe yourself briefly

My name is Terhemen Agabo, a master student at the Department of Economics, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.

Since when are you a fellow of IFRA-Nigeria?

I became an IFRA fellow in 2019. Another IFRA fellow who happened to be my friend told me about the fellowship.

How have you benefited from IFRA-Nigeria?

I have learned quite a lot from my participation in the IFRA fellowship, especially through the monthly seminar/training. For instance, I attended the Mendeley Reference Management training in July 2019 where I learned how to source for and organise reference materials for easy access during research. I also learned how to present findings from a qualitative study at a research seminar on the topic of Electric hybridization in Ibadan in September 2019. I have also formed beneficial relationships with some of the fellows at IFRA as a result of the fellowship.

Have you contributed to IFRA in any way?

I am part of an IFRA collaborative project titled “Supporting Entrepreneurship in Africa Research Programme” beginning in March 2019, the mission of the project is to find out the impact of entrepreneurship in four African countries namely Nigeria, Kenya, Cote d'Ivoire, and Cameroon. As a junior researcher on the project, I conducted research interviews in Kenya and Nigeria, and I am currently preparing a report on the study.

A bit more about yourself….

What are your main research interests?

My areas of research include socio-economic development and entrepreneurship. I love to investigate the social and economic impacts of various factors in society.

What research project are you currently working on?

I am currently involved in the "supporting entrepreneurship in Africa project". We have concluded the fieldwork stage and are now preparing the report. The project has been interesting as well as challenging. Coming from an economics background where quantitative methodology is the norm I had to learn how to use a qualitative methodology and I found it challenging in the beginning. However, I was guided by my research supervisors at IFRA and I was able to apply it usefully and I have come to admire the strength of qualitative methodology.

What is the main advice you will give to a junior researcher?

I will advise the junior researchers to be open-minded, research is wide and interdisciplinary research is becoming popular hence, it is important to study research works across various fields in the social sciences and humanities. It will also widen once scope of opportunities.

Where do you see yourself in the future? What’s your plans for next?

I am currently considering a break from academics after my M.Sc., after which I will pursue a Ph.D. in economics. I am also open to opportunities to take a master's in another field to widen my scope and research capabilities. I see myself in the field of international development researching international organisations like the United Nations Development Programme and the World Bank.