Inclusive education · Policy to practice

I help close the gap between inclusion policy and the classroom.

Countries sign inclusive education commitments, yet children with disabilities still get left out of learning. I work on that gap from three sides that usually sit with different people.

Oluwafunto Abimbola in a black pleated dress, smiling with her hands under her chin
joy, mostly
Oluwafunto Abimbola in a red suit with the jacket over her shoulders
red suits me
Oluwafunto Abimbola in a black pinstripe suit, seated
Hi, I'm Funto
01Policy researchDoctoral research on how the UN disability convention reaches schools in Nigeria. Three published journal articles, one more accepted.
02ProgrammesDirector of Programmes at an education NGO in Osun State, leading a team of 11.
03Classroom practiceNearly four years teaching multilingual early years classes in Moscow.
How I can help → Email me

For NGOs, development agencies, ministries, universities and schools.

The problem

Nigeria has written the UN disability convention into law. But the law carries no education-specific enforcement, so in many schools inclusion stays on paper and children with disabilities are left at the classroom door.

That gap is where I work.

From my research on CRPD Article 24 in Nigeria · Journal of Social Policy Studies, 2027

How I can help

What I bring to your work

In most teams, research, programme delivery and classroom practice sit with different people. I bring all three, so findings turn into programmes and programmes hold up in real classrooms.

01 · Policy research

Find out why inclusion is stalling

Implementation research that shows where policy breaks down between the law and the classroom.

Proof
  • Designed and ran a qualitative study across 5 schools in Osun State: 48 adults and 15 learners, with ethics approval and access negotiated with school and community gatekeepers
  • Interviews run, transcribed and analysed in Yoruba and English, with no translator in between
  • Policy analysis of Nigerian federal and Osun State disability law
  • Research Assistant at HSE University (April to December 2025): scoping reviews on special educational needs
  • Two named frameworks: Culturally Negotiated Inclusion and Advocacy Literacy
02 · Programmes

Run programmes that reach children

Programme operations for education NGOs: people, budgets, selection, policy and reporting.

Proof
  • Director of Programmes, Living Hope Care Society: scholarship and educational support for learners in Osun State, with a team of 11 and budget authority
  • Designed and deployed the digital scholarship portal for the 2026 cycle, with vulnerability scoring and a review workflow
  • Wrote programme policy: selection criteria, household eligibility rules and staff reporting standards
  • Contributed to a USD 20,000 USAID health education grant
  • Once a beneficiary of the same scholarship programme (2005 to 2018), now leading it
03 · Classroom practice

Teach and train for inclusion

Guest lectures, seminars and workshops grounded in real classrooms.

Proof
  • Teaching Assistant at HSE University for Theory and Practice of Policy Analysis and Foundations of Public Policy: seminar facilitation and student assessment at master's level
  • Mentored three master's students through research design and thesis development
  • Nearly four years teaching early years classes in Moscow, ages 18 months to 7
  • Built behaviour and routine systems for multilingual groups. TEFL certified.
Methods and tools
Qualitative policy analysis Comparative and cross-national policy analysis Documentary and policy document analysis Semi-structured interviews Thematic analysis Framework and content analysis Case study design Systematic and scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) Research ethics and access in low-resource settings Fieldwork in Yoruba and English, no translator NVivo
Oluwafunto Abimbola in a burgundy suit with her arms crossed
Since January 2026Director of Programmes, LIHOC
About

Why this work is personal

I have seen education support from both sides. Living Hope Care Society paid for my schooling from 2005 to 2018. Since January 2026 I have directed its programmes.

My doctoral research at HSE University asked why inclusion commitments stall between the law and the classroom in Osun State, Nigeria. It produced two named contributions: Culturally Negotiated Inclusion, a model of how inclusion is actually enacted inside schools, and Advocacy Literacy, the capacities mothers of children with learning difficulties build as they push for their children's education.

I am Yoruba and have lived in Moscow since 2021. I have also worked in international admissions for HumanSquad (Toronto, remote), at the UN Information Centre in Lagos, and on displacement research at the University of Ibadan.

Doctorate
Education Policy, HSE UniversityProgramme completed October 2026 · Final defense ahead
Dissertation
Socio-Cultural and Institutional Conditions of Implementing Inclusive Education in Osun State, NigeriaSupervisor: Prof. Sergey Kosaretsky
Research post
A.A. Pinsky Centre of General and Extracurricular EducationInstitute of Education, HSE University
Research Assistant
HSE University, April to December 2025Supervisor: Dr. Ivan Ivanov · Special educational needs research
Also holds
MSc Political Analysis and Public Policy, HSE (2023)BA History and International Studies, Bowen University (2018)
Languages
Yoruba (native) · English (full professional and academic) · Russian (A2)Nigerian fieldwork interviews done in participants' first language, without a translator
Memberships
International Political Science Association · Southern Political Science Association · Young African Leaders Initiative
Service
Columnist, HSE University (2021 to 2023) · Co-organiser, NYSC Sustainable Development Goals quality education outreach, Nigeria (2018 to 2019)Volunteer, HSE Buddy Programme for international students (2023 to 2024) and XXIV Yasin April International Academic Conference (2023)
References
Doctoral supervisor, master's supervisor and research internship supervisorAvailable on request
Moments

Off the page

Researcher, teacher, NGO director. Same person, different days.

Oluwafunto Abimbola in a black pleated dress, leaning on a stool
studio day
Oluwafunto Abimbola sitting in a white tulle skirt
soft side
Oluwafunto Abimbola in sunglasses on a city street
city days
Oluwafunto Abimbola in glasses, indoors
desk days
Moscow basedsince 2021
Yes, I teach toddlers too.
Proof

Published and presented

Peer-reviewed journal articles
2026
Factors promoting and hindering inclusive education for learners with disabilities in low- and lower-middle-income countries: A comparative review
Psychological Science and Education, 31(2), 244-255 · Single author · Scopus Q3
doi.org/10.17759/pse.2026310216
2025
Systemic barriers and multi-level collaboration in inclusive education: Stakeholder perspectives from Nigeria
World of Psychology (Mir psikhologii), 3(122), 200-211 · First author, with A. J. Balogun
doi.org/10.51944/20738528_2025_3_200
2023
Data gathering and utilization: Humanitarian targeting and ethical issues in northeastern Nigeria
International Journal of Humanitarian Action, 8, Article 6 · Co-author, with O. Fayehun and colleagues
doi.org/10.1186/s41018-023-00137-2
Accepted and under review
2027
Policy borrowing without education-specific enforcement: Translating the CRPD into Nigerian federal law and policy on inclusive education
Journal of Social Policy Studies · Single author · Scopus Q3
Accepted
2026
Between stigma and support: The psychological experiences of parents of children with learning disabilities in Osun State, Nigeria
Vestnik Tomskogo Gosudarstvennogo Universiteta · Single author
Under review
In preparation and other writing
  • Culturally Negotiated Inclusion: A theoretical framework for understanding implementation in Global South education systemsIn preparation
  • Disintegration of inclusive education: How autocratic policies threaten support for children with learning disabilitiesIn preparation
  • Data and displacement: Assessing the practical and ethical implications of data-driven humanitarianism for internally displaced persons in camp-like settingsCo-author, with V. Squire, O. Fayehun and colleagues · 2022
  • Data and displacement: Collaborative research at a time of uncertaintyUniversity of Warwick blog · 2021
Conference talks
2026
Educational processes and learning outcomes for children with special educational needs: A global scoping review
London International Conference on Inclusive Education (LICIE) · University College London · July 2026
In proceedings
2026
Policy borrowing, policy translation, and inclusive education reform: Global-to-state dynamics in Osun State, Nigeria
TERA and WERA Annual Conference · Kaohsiung, Taiwan · October 2026
Paper accepted
2026
The Contribution of Universities to the Development of an Inclusive Culture in Society
III International Conference · Moscow · May 2026
2025
Autocratic governance and inclusive education barriers: Africa
28th IPSA World Congress of Political Science · Seoul · July 2025
2025
From grassroots to policy framework: A critical analysis of chess-based pedagogical innovation in Nigerian urban informal settlements
XXI International Conference "Trends in the Development of Education" · Moscow · February 2025
2024
Facilitators and barriers to inclusive education for learners with learning disabilities in low- and lower-middle-income nations: A case study of Nigeria
Southern Political Science Association, Virtual Summer Meeting · June 2024
Grants and awards
2023
Russian Government Academic Scholarship
Full doctoral funding, 2023-2026
2021
Pa. Awomolo Excellence Award
Fully funded master's scholarship, 2021-2023
2019
Excellence Award
National Training Academy, Cairo, Egypt
2018
Student Ambassador of the Year
Bowen University
2005
LIHOC Academic Scholarship
Living Hope Care Society, 2005-2018
Contact

Let's talk.

Open to research, policy, NGO and programme roles, and to guest lectures and seminars. Based in Moscow, looking at Canada, the UK and other English-speaking countries.

@oluwafuntoabimbola@gmail.com
Best way to reach me→ HSEoabimbola@hse.ru
Academic email→ iDORCID 0000-0001-6459-255X
Publication record→ inLinkedIn
Oluwafunto Abimbola→ IG@phdwithfunto
Research, academia and life as an international student→
Oluwafunto Abimbola in a red blazer, smiling
In one line
Policy research, programme delivery and classroom practice in one person. If you need inclusion to reach real classrooms, write to me.
Research rolesEducation policyNGO and developmentProgramme operationsGuest lectures