Breaking Barriers: How Shalom Obgaodzi Kigbu Got Recognized On A Global Stage
By Eric M Kuju
When Shalom Obgaodzi Kigbu walked across the stage at the University of Illinois at Springfield in the US this year to receive his Master’s degree with honors, it was more than just another academic milestone. For him, it was the crowning of years of discipline, faith, and resilience. For his family, it was the fulfillment of countless sacrifices. For his community back in Nasarawa State, it was proof that young Nigerians can hold their own on the global stage.
Yet the achievement did not end with his graduation. Soon after, Shalom was inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), the largest and most prestigious leadership honor society in the United States. Not too long ago, the young man completed his first degree at Bingham University in Karu, now here he was at a global stage, being recognized among the best of the best in the United States of America, and by implication, the world!
What Makes NSLS Special?
To appreciate Shalom Ogbaodzi’s feat, one must understand what NSLS represents. Founded over two decades ago, the NSLS has grown into a leadership network spanning more than 800 colleges and universities across the US, with a membership strength of over 2 million students. Its mission is clear: to “build leaders who make a better world.”
But membership is not automatic. Students are nominated based on academic performance and leadership potential, but only a small fraction of nominees make it through the demanding induction process. Studies suggest that while about 35 percent of students may initially qualify based on grades, fewer than 8 percent complete the program each year. That puts Shalom among a highly select group.
To be inducted, a student must go through leadership training days, attend speaker broadcasts featuring global figures like Barack Obama, Bill Gates, and Gabrielle Union, participate in success networking teams, and complete a personal action plan. In other words, NSLS doesn’t just recognize excellence. It cultivates it.
Shalom Obgaodzi had this to say about his induction into the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) when he spoke in an exclusive interview with Eggonnews: “So, the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) is an organization that provides basically life-changing leadership programs for students that are academically excellent. Basically the equivalent of First Class in Nigeria is what you have to have here to be inducted into it.
“And being inducted generally provides you with a lot of exclusive benefits; scholarships, job offers, and recommendation letters from top universities here in the US. So, let’s say maybe I wanted to apply for my doctoral program, my PhD, let’s say in Harvard University now. Because I am part of that society, I would be first choice. They would first look at me as one of the candidates to receive admission there. And you know, Harvard is one of the biggest universities in the world.
“So, this NSLS basically is the biggest society of leadership and success here in the US. It is the biggest and the largest and the most prominent.
“There are a lot of notable people who have gone through it. I can’t really say, but I understand that even getting the admission is quite hard.
“My plans basically right now is to apply for a doctoral program, PhD, and I’m looking at applying for Harvard, MIT, and Stanford. Those are the biggest, top universities here in the US. And I’m going to make use of the benefits that I have from it to be able to do that.”
The Journey from Lafia to Springfield
Shalom Obgaodzi, an Eggon from Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, has never hidden his cultural identity. “If I’m here and they ask where I’m from, I say Nasarawa State, Lafia. And my tribe? Eggon. Many have never heard of it, but I always encourage them to look it up. We are a vibrant, productive people with so much talent,” he said.
His academic foundation was laid in Nigeria. At Bingham University, he studied Computer Science and graduated with First Class Honours in 2021. While there, he wasn’t just a bookworm. He was actively involved in leadership, serving as Secretary-General of the Computer Science Chapter, where he sharpened the organizational and communication skills that would later define his journey.
His focus on Cyber Security and Information Security was no accident. Even before leaving Nigeria, he had seen how fraud and weak systems were crippling institutions. That passion carried him to the US, where he sought to deepen his knowledge in a country that leads the world in technological innovation.
Academic Rigor and Cultural Shifts
Studying in the U.S. was a different ball game entirely. “Here you have people from diverse backgrounds – India, Malaysia, different places. It is a breeding ground for talent. It was competitive. Assignments and projects came back-to-back. You couldn’t afford to slack,” he recalled.
He quickly learned that excellence required more than just intelligence. It required punctuality, discipline, and adaptability. He recounted an experience where, due to a wrong click online, his bank account was compromised. What might have been a costly mistake became a turning point that sharpened his resolve to master cyber security.
“In relation to progress and productivity, you know, coming to the US was not – if I’m to be honest – it was something that I wanted to do, but I wasn’t sure what it entailed. I believed that coming here would be the same as the institutional bodies we have here in Nigeria.
“It’s totally different because here you have a lot of people coming from different diverse backgrounds; India, Malaysia, different places. So it is a breeding ground for talent. So I would say it is really competitive.
“And it’s quite a friendly atmosphere, but you start to see a lot of cultural and environmental differences. Like with schooling there, I knew that I had to be more punctual, more serious with my studies. I had to be more serious in the sense that, let’s say, assignments, projects were back to back. For every class that we did, there were assignments, there was practical, there were projects, and you have to defend everything at the ending of the semester. And, you know, you can’t come here, spend so much money, and then you’re now slack. You’re going to lose out from it a lot.
“So, I was able to build my communication skills. That is very important because, as you go through life, you’re going to have to interact with a lot of people.
“I also had to build my competency level. Because before coming to the US, I was working as an intern at APIN Public Health Initiatives. It’s an NGO that caters to HIV. And I noticed that the experience you get from being in school is totally different from what you get when you work outside. It was like I was thrown into a battleground without enough tools. So, I had to make up for the lack of experience by putting in extra work.
“And it was the same here because, everything was different down to the cultural background, even to applying for jobs. Because you come from a country that is not theirs, they are skeptical to hire you because of your work experience. They prefer people who have already worked here. Basically, everything you do, you have to give your best. If not, you’re going to be overlooked. You can’t be mediocre.
“So, I spent a lot of time in the library studying, trying to reach that level of excellence that will actually help me to be able to graduate with the desired results that I want. And coming from a family that has already set a pace where excellence is nothing but the goal. You know, you can’t come here and shame where you’ve come from.”
Beyond academics, Shalom also learned the subtle but important art of representation. “As a black man, first of all, and as a Nigerian with an accent, how you portray yourself is important. I made it a point to dress well for presentations, to speak confidently, and to challenge stereotypes. By the time I was done presenting, people would ask: ‘Where are you from?’ And when I said Nigeria, Eggon, they would see us in a new light.”
The Power and Privilege of NSLS
For Shalom Obgaodzi, being inducted into NSLS is not just an honor but a springboard to even greater heights. Members gain access to over $400,000 in scholarships annually, leadership certifications, exclusive job boards, interview preparation tools, and recommendation letters that carry significant weight in the world’s top universities.
“Let’s say I wanted to apply for my PhD in Harvard or MIT,” he explained. “Because I am part of NSLS, I would already stand out as a first-choice candidate. That’s the kind of edge it gives you.”
His ambition is clear: to secure a doctoral spot at Harvard, MIT, or Stanford – three of the most competitive academic institutions in the world. With his NSLS membership and consistent track record of excellence, that dream looks attainable.
Looking Back Home
Despite his success abroad, Obgaodzi’s eyes remain firmly on Nigeria. “At the end of the day, the place you were born, the place you grew up in, is always going to be home,” he said. “This is a means to an end. I have come here to learn and to go back to Nigeria and to better myself and the people around me.”
He sees enormous potential in Nigeria’s digital space, particularly in cyber security. “Being here has been life changing, because I’ve been able to have more confidence in what it is that I want to do. And I have seen how they put their productivity and their innovativeness into different things. Even down to the educational sector.
“So, with education there now like this, for everything you do, you can’t go behind the back. You have to always go through a rigorous process. You have to actually show that you’re the one that has done the work. Down to project work, down to presentations. Every single thing you do is graded. Because of that, people are more driven to actually want to do some things for themselves. Because if you’re always taking the easy route, you will not really be able to progress so well. And that has really helped me here.
“And I believe that with a little bit of those innovations, even in artificial intelligence, in Internet of Things, and cyber security generally, those knowledge that I have got in here are things that I can definitely adopt when I come back to my country. Because at the end of the day, the place you were born, the place that you grew up in is always going to be home. This is a means to an end. I have come here to learn and to go back to Nigeria and to better myself and the people around me.
“In that regard, I’ve been able to see that there are a lot of things that could be better suited for the security space here in Nigeria. And my goal is to reach a certain level where my academic credentials can attest to my ability or my skills to be able to take care of those things.
“So, I’m looking at tech in Nigeria as a whole and ways in which we can, so to speak, develop further. Even down to the littlest of things, even just coming into class. You have to check in. You’re not writing attendance. You’re using your fingerprint and thumbprint into it. You know, using Wi-Fi, using Internet connections, everything is secured to a certain level.
“And because it’s a very big country, there are a lot of fraudulent activities. Even in my first week coming here, I had an issue in my bank account where somebody tried to hack it. You know, it was a whole process of me panicking, running to the bank, trying to find out what was the issue. And it was all because I made the mistake of clicking the wrong link.
“And these were certain things that I had ideas about, but I didn’t really know how to defend against them. But coming here, learning those things, now I am much better suited to dealing with certain issues like that.
“That is one challenge that people in Nigeria are facing very well. The amount of fraud is so much. And even sometimes it paints a bad picture for us as Nigerians over here too. Because sometimes when you mention you’re from Nigeria, that there are those people that do these things. And then in a flock of good people, there are always some bad eggs. And that is why it is much more important for you to actually showcase that what you bring to the table is valuable.”
Words for the Next Generation
Shalom’s journey is not just about personal triumph. It is also about responsibility and inspiration. His advice to young Nigerians has a touch of both the spiritual and practical.
“I feel the most important thing to note, first of all, is you have to have a strong faith. Because at the end of the day, no matter what you do, if you don’t always come back to God, then it’s not going to go well.
“And I have junior siblings as well, too. So, the same advice that I always give to them is what I would say. You have to know where you come from and know that wherever it is you go to, you carry that image along with you. Because, you know, there’s this stereotype where they will say, this person talks a certain way, so this is how his people are. So, you carry your people on your back and you go wherever it is you go to. And I feel like, personally, you as an individual want to be looked upon by people as somebody who is respectable.
“And coming to America over here or even the UK or wherever it is they might choose to, even if it’s in Nigeria, wherever it is you go to, know that whatever it is you’ve experienced is not what you’re about to experience. And there’s this thing where they tell people that I can tell you about something, but you experiencing it firsthand is totally different. I would say that whatever chance they have to gain knowledge is not wasted. They should always be ready to accept whatever information it is they can get.
“And you always have to stay true to yourself. You know, wherever it is you go to, the values that have been instilled in you growing up is what you should carry with you. Because if you are lost, there is no way you can find your way.
“And no matter where it is you go to, no matter the future aspirations you have, you should always touch base with the people at home because they are the people that made you. I cannot be successful outside and then the people that are around me are going through so much at my back. I am not a successful person. I am just posing a line. So, I have to give back as much as people give in to me too.”
He emphasizes the power of association:
“Try to find people that share the same values as you. If you’re lucky enough to have people from the same place you’re coming from, that is even way better. But if not, you try to find people that think the same way that can also motivate you and spur you to be the best you can. Because, if you have friends that are lazy, by default you’re going to be lazy too. But when you have people around you that are successful, that are trying to do the best they can, even when you want to be lazy, you think about it, you will not feel comfortable. You also want to be able to show that level of seriousness as them too. And that’s what I try to do here. I surrounded myself with people who were looking for excellence. And I can proudly say that out of all of them, I am still one of the people too who was able to come out very strong. So, the circle that I had around me also motivated me.”
And finally, he offers a piece of advice that every young Nigerian should frame:
“They have to know that wherever it is they are going to, they are carrying their family’s name and their country’s name. And they also need to understand that they cannot do anything without Christ. And the most important one is that they always have to be true to themselves. And that hard work always pays. No matter how minuscule it is. If somebody wakes up in the morning and goes out to sell some goods, even if they don’t make up to 30,000 Naira that day, they will still come home with something to eat because they push themselves.
“The greatest injustice that you can do to yourself is staying and complaining about issues rather than finding ways to solve them. Because slow motion is better than no motion.”
A Beacon of Possibility
From Lafia to Springfield, from Bingham University to the National Society of Leadership and Success, Shalom Obgaodzi Kigbu’s journey only goes to show what is possible when talent meets discipline, faith, and vision.
As he looks forward to doctoral studies and a career at the cutting edge of cyber security, he carries with him not just his own dreams but the aspirations of countless young Nigerians who see in him a reflection of what they, too, can achieve.
In Shalom’s story, Nasarawa finds a rising star. Nigeria finds a committed son. And the world finds a leader in the making.
