Public health specialist and founder of The Olive Network for Empowerment, Ayokunle Adedipe, has continued to draw attention for her work at the intersection of youth wellbeing, education access and community-focused research. Her recent academic presentation at the Georgia State School of Public Health and the formal establishment of her nonprofit have placed her among emerging voices shaping community development across borders.

Adedipe recently presented a research poster titled “Substance Use Perceptions Among Refugee, Immigrant and Migrant Youth,” supported by the Partners in Prevention Program. The study explored how cultural expectations, emotional pressure and peer influence shape substance use decisions among young adults in RIM communities. Through qualitative focus discussions, the project highlighted experiences often absent from mainstream prevention efforts.

Speaking with the Guardian, she said the research was driven by the need for nuance in public health conversations. “Young people in migrant communities face realities that are not always visible,” she said. “They are balancing identity, responsibility and pressure, yet their voices rarely inform the programmes created to support them. My goal was to make sure they are heard and understood.”

The presentation came soon after the registration of The Olive Network for Empowerment (T.O.N.E.) in April. The nonprofit expands the learning-focused work she introduced through The Olive Branch, a platform she created in 2015. The Olive Branch first gained traction as a blog before evolving into digital conversations on mental health, decision making and the struggles of early adulthood.
Those conversations resurfaced strongly in late 2023, attracting young Nigerians seeking clarity and relatable support. According to Adedipe, the engagement helped shape the foundation of T.O.N.E. “The Olive Branch showed us how much young adults depend on honest, practical guidance,” she explained. “But it also revealed how many children lack the basic tools that allow them to learn. T.O.N.E connects both sides of that work.”

T.O.N.E is currently developing a learning-support initiative for public school students in Akure, including plans to provide reading materials, learning tools and scholarships. While full details are yet to be announced, Adedipe described the early groundwork as careful and research-informed. “A child who cannot read confidently is already limited,” she said. “Our work is to remove that limitation by making learning tools available and accessible.”

Her academic background continues to shape the organisation’s direction. She began her Master of Public Health degree at Georgia State University in August 2023, specialising in behavioural sciences and community health, and completed the WomenLead programme in November 2024. She said both experiences helped deepen her understanding of community needs and the barriers that affect learning and wellbeing.

“Public health trains you to see beyond the surface,” she said. “You start asking what shapes behaviour, what limits opportunity and what supports growth. When you apply that thinking to education, you realise learning is influenced by more than classrooms. It is shaped by environment, confidence and access.”

For T.O.N.E, the long-term focus is clear: helping underserved children read, learn and thrive by providing tools that support early literacy and lifelong learning. Adedipe described the organisation’s approach as grounded and intentional. “Children need the right tools to discover their ability,” she noted. “Young adults need the right information to make better decisions. For us, everything begins with access.”

As preparations continue for T.O.N.E’s pilot initiatives in Nigeria, Adedipe has attributed the work ahead to one guiding principle. Educating the underserved. In her words, “A community grows when people have access to knowledge. Whether it is a child holding a book or a young adult trying to understand their journey, access is what changes everything.”