Going back to school is hard enough on its own. Michael Ibie did it while building a career in credit, running a growing business, raising three children and staying active in his church. In June 2026, at Miva's first convocation, he was named the best graduating undergraduate student. He has already enrolled for a master's degree.
A second try, this time with a purpose
Michael is the COO and co-founder of Lumen Financials, a fintech company that lends mainly to small and medium-sized businesses. He has worked in credit for between 13 and 14 years.
This was not his first time at university. He once studied Computer Science, but things did not go well, and he says he did not approach it the right way. Because of that, he sees his Miva programme as the first degree he truly earned.
His choice of Public Policy and Administration came from two places. He said he felt led by God to do it. He was also shaped by the protests of 2020 and 2021 and the 2023 elections, which left him feeling it was time to stop complaining online and learn how these systems actually work. His thinking was simple: if he wanted to help fix things, he needed to understand how to get into the rooms where decisions are made.
He also believes there is an advantage in studying later in life. Young people fresh out of secondary school often pick a course just to be done with school, while an adult can choose with real direction.
When the whole family enrolled
Michael was not the only one in his household studying at Miva. His eldest son had been a student in Ukraine until the war began and his school situation became unstable. Worried, Michael asked him to come home. Most Nigerian schools told the young man he would probably have to start over, so he enrolled at Miva instead and switched to Software Engineering, a path Michael had not originally pictured for him.
Michael's wife watched the process and decided to join, and is now studying Mass Communication. Two of her younger sisters followed, one living in Abuja and the other living with the family. Between them, a whole household became Miva students.
What stood out about the experience
Michael pointed to three things:
A modern curriculum. He felt he was learning things that matter in today's world, not material the world had moved past. This was the opposite of what he remembered from his first attempt at university.
Flexibility. Between his job, his business, a young family and church commitments, he needed a programme that could fit around his life.
Helpful people. He said lecturers, heads of department and student success advisors all showed a real culture of support. When he ran into difficulties, nobody brushed him aside.
He added that he simply enjoyed the classes. For him, studying was not only about passing exams, because he found the new concepts interesting in themselves.
It is never too late
Before enrolling, Michael had real doubts. He was almost 40 and wondered whether this was the right time to start. He even asked an AI chatbot about getting a degree at his age.
Seeing so many fellow students in similar or tougher situations at the convocation helped settle that question for him. His biggest lesson is that it is never too late to begin something new. He never set out to be the best graduating student and says it was not part of his plan.
The story has already had a wider effect. An older cousin, who is close to 50, saw him on social media and told him it gave her the push she needed to think seriously about going back to school.
Why he chose an MPA
Michael described the master's as the natural next step after a strong first degree. He is enjoying it so far and says the postgraduate content is even better.
His long-term aim has not changed: to make a real difference. If a friend or acquaintance ever takes public office and needs advice on policy and administration, or on finance and credit, he wants to be properly prepared and not fumbling his way through. He also thinks the public sector needs more technocrats who understand how public administration works, and he sees the MPA as a way to move toward that kind of influence.
What helped him finish at the top
Michael credits several things for his result:
His faith. He believes that when God asks you to do something, you do it as though your life depends on it. He says this was what he lacked the first time, and it now shapes everything from his studies to his role as a husband and father.
His family. During his first set of exams, his wife took over many of his usual responsibilities so he could concentrate.
The way the school is structured. He knows that a different institution could have meant strikes, bureaucracy and rigid timetables, which can frustrate even the most determined student.
He also said that Miva's founder, Sim Shagaya, was one of the deciding factors in his choice. Working in tech, Michael knew Shagaya's earlier work, and he believes that when you invest in anything, you should look at the people building it. He ended with a hope that the school keeps its standards as it grows, since maintenance problems are a common trouble in Nigeria once institutions get too big.
Not the end of the road
For Michael, graduation was not a finish line. He is already back in class, looking at what comes next. His story is a reminder that people often return to school not because they have everything figured out, but because they know there is more they want to learn, do and become.
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