Navigating Career Uncertainty: Samuel Fajana's Journey in Ocean Advocacy

Written by Vanessa Vu (Diverseas Volunteer & Creative Writer) | Interviewed by Brigitta Gunawan (Founder of Diverseas)

Have you ever imagined what a career in ocean conservation looks like? Perhaps you are eager to take a step towards it, but are hindered by the expectations and social norms in your community. Perhaps being a conservationist means being labelled as not having a steady income, not having any future job prospects, not making a successful career. Perhaps. 

But perhaps you are not alone in this situation. Perhaps others have also faced scrutiny and unspoken doubt whilst striving to preserve the natural landscapes around them.

Diverseas has had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Samuel Fajana, a conservation activist based in Nigeria who has also faced these uncertainties. Like other parts of the world, Nigerian school leavers are encouraged to go into medicine, engineering and law for the associated job prospects. Samuel himself sought to pursue studies in medicine, but his studies in forestry and subsequent career in climate change brought him purpose and fulfilment, and he has not looked back since.

When asked for advice on breaking into the conservation space, he emphasised the importance of getting involved in the local community. “Start locally. Look within. Look for problems around you.” Samuel began by volunteering for organisations and NGOs on campus before taking on global roles. Further, he emphasised the value of building a network of professionals and mentors in the field of work you are interested in, whether that be through volunteering or seeking connections with like-minded individuals online.  

Volunteering undoubtedly builds experience, but there are other ways to develop qualities and skills that will aid a career in conservation. According to Samuel, effective project management and community engagement are key skills to excel as a leader in conservation. Bringing young people together to share ideas and achieve a “shared vision” is necessary to implement change, and engaging with a community to adopt sustainable lifestyles is easier said than done, especially when community members and stakeholders believe that the project will inconvenience them in the short-term. As such, Samuel recommends those looking to venture into conservation to take on opportunities that help sharpen these skills, whether that be through extracurricular activities, volunteering, or online courses.  

Having volunteered on campus and taken on an externship project delivered by the National Geographic Society and The Nature Conservancy, Samuel is now making waves as a global ambassador for Youth4Nature, a youth-led organisation that aims to empower the next generation of conservation changemakers. It is an extremely rewarding career that gives him “the opportunity to create change in [his] local community,” a sentiment that holds even more value as an individual who grew up in a thriving forest ecosystem that is now in decline. But he is not stopping there. As an undergraduate, people viewed him as “ [the one] without the future,” because of the belief that there were no job opportunities in conservation. Now, he wants to encourage the youth of today and build a network of 10,000 young people in Africa who are eager to make a positive and long-lasting impact through marine conservation projects. His aim is to have a platform where he can train and mentor future leaders in marine conservation.

If you or someone you know has been battling their own “perhaps” with a career in conservation, Samuel’s story is an encouraging eye-opener into the world of marine conservation in a highly globalised society. Starting with opportunities around him eventually led to a global role, and he hopes to share this experience and mindset with the conservation leaders of tomorrow. In his own words, “Just follow your dreams, there are opportunities available.”