LAUTECH Medical Student, Richard Olayinka, Receives Global Honour with The Diana Award
LAUTECH Medical Student, Richard Olayinka, Receives Global Honour with The Diana Award
19-year-old Olayinka Richard, a medical student at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, has received The Diana Award 2026, the highest accolade a young person can receive for social action or humanitarian work. He was recognised for his work advancing educational opportunities, youth development and community leadership.
Richard joins 200 young people from across the world receiving this year’s award. Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, The Diana Award recognises young people making a difference in their communities and beyond.
Alongside his medical studies, Richard is the founder of Beyond Books Africa, a youth-led initiative working to improve access to quality education, career guidance and leadership opportunities for young people in underserved communities. Since 2023, the organisation has reached over 7,000 young people through its programmes, with much of its work focused on public schools and young people in Ogbomoso.
Through Apex Free UTME Tutorials, the initiative has supported over 6,000 students across Nigeria with free UTME preparation. Its Clarity Project has provided career guidance and exposure to over 3,000 students across 15 public secondary schools in Ogbomoso. The Pathway Initiative, organised in collaboration with the Federation of Ogbomoso Students’ Union (FOGSU), provides free physical UTME tutorials in two public secondary schools and has sponsored examination registration for several students.
Beyond examination preparation, Richard has worked to create platforms where young people can develop leadership skills, explore career possibilities and take part in community development. In 2025, he convened the Ogbomoso Secondary Schools Conference with Young and Excellent Club, bringing together 400 students from 20 secondary schools under the theme “Raising Leaders, Transforming Communities.” He organised Girls Summit Ogbomoso with WiseUp Foundation and Lead Her Forward Initiative, which brought together 150 girls from secondary schools and universities under the theme “Invest in Girls, Lead the Future.”
Richard’s work extends into other youth and student development platforms. He serves as National Programs Coordinator of the Emerging Leaders Forum of the Nigerian Medical Students’ Association (NiMSA), which serves preclinical medical students across Nigeria. He was elected Cohort Governor of The Bridge Program and is a member of the 2026 Millennium Fellowship class.
Running these programmes alongside a demanding medical course is not easy, and Richard says the work keeps going because students who benefited from it come back to teach and mentor others. Explaining how he strikes the balance, he said:
“People ask how I manage medicine and this work, and the honest answer is that I do not do it alone. Students who were once tutored through Beyond Books Africa come back as tutors and mentors for the next set of students, and they carry real responsibility. That is how the work keeps running when I am in lectures or preparing for exams. It is still hectic, but it works because the people we helped become the people helping.”
Speaking on what the recognition means to him, Richard said:
“Receiving The Diana Award is a great honour, but it also brings my attention back to the communities and young people who have shaped this journey. I come from Ogbomoso, and I have always believed that where a young person comes from should not determine how far they can go or the opportunities available to them. I hope this recognition reminds more young people that meaningful change can begin right where they are.”
Dr Tessy Ojo CBE, Chief Executive of The Diana Award, said of this year’s recipients:
“The young people receiving the Diana Award demonstrate what is possible when passion, compassion and determination are turned into action. This recognition comes at a particularly significant moment as we look towards the 30th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 2027. Three decades on, her belief in the power of young people to make a difference continues to resonate across generations and borders.”
Richard continues his medical studies at LAUTECH while leading Beyond Books Africa’s work with schools and students in Ogbomoso and beyond.