Richard Ede

University of Jos

The University of Arizona

I, Ede Richard Richie, was born in Zaria, Kaduna state but I’ve spent a significant amount of my life in Jos, Plateau state. My mum is a teacher in a primary while my dad has been unemployed for almost 20 years (after losing his job in a controversial way). Soon after I had graduated from SSS3, I wrote the UTME exam and applied for admission into the university. Unfortunately, I was not given admission. In order to avoid sitting at home idle, and in an attempt to assist my mum with the bills at home, I decided to look for a job in a primary school (mostly because I always hear people saying it’s easy to get a teaching job). After working for about nine-months, I finally secured admission into the University of Jos to study Industrial Chemistry. My family reacted to this news with mixed feelings because even though they were excited I had finally gotten admission; they knew there was literally no money to sponsor me through school. Being optimistic and with the encouragement of my mum, I accepted the admission. In order to raise funds for my tuition and other school necessities, I took up some home lessons in addition to my part-time job. My undergraduate years were probably the most challenging years in my life as I was faced with several financial and family problems, not to mention the intermittent attacks from Boko haram that plagued Jos. Despite the setbacks, I was the best graduating student in my department with 4 publications in International peer review journals.

After graduating from the University and prior to NYSC, I was introduced to the process of securing admission for graduate studies in the United State. Given that not all my documents were ready at that time, I decided to wait until I was done with service. Immediately after service, I got accepted into the program and started intense prep for the exams. I ended up with a score of 317 (160Q, 157V) while my TOEFL was 111 (27 in reading, 28 in all others). I started applying to schools that did research I was interested in. At the end of it all, I had 8 fully funded offers (Ph.D.), 1 partially funded offer (M.Sc.), 5 rejects, and 1 school that never responded (I assume they rejected as well). After much thought, I have decided to attend the University of Arizona for a Chemistry Ph.D. This decision was greatly informed by the strength of their Chemistry program and the ongoing research in the school, which closely aligns with my interest.

Oladipupo Ridwan Bello had his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Animal Science from the University of Ibadan, where he graduated with First class honors and a distinction, respectively. He has several awards to his name, including an award as the Best Practical Year Student of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Ibadan, in 2014, and an award as the nationwide Best Candidate in the 2016 Graduate Animal Scientist Examination. During his time at the University of Ibadan, he served as the Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Association of Agricultural Science Students (NAAS), Finance Minister of Tedder Hall, and Honorable Member of the Student Union House of Representatives. In 2019, he was admitted into the EducationUSA Lagos Opportunity Funds Program. With the support and guidance of the EducationUSA advisors, he got admission into three graduate programs in the U.S. He got a tuition fellowship from the University of California, Davis, and a teaching and research assistantship from the University of Maryland, College Park, and North Carolina State University. He is currently enrolled at the University of Maryland, College Park, for his Ph.D. in Animal Genetics.

Samuel Babatunde Obadawo

Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko

University of Toledo, PhD Industrial Chemistry

Despite having experienced a series of delays before gaining admission into a Nigerian University, I graduated with a First Class (Hons) degree from the Department of Chemical Sciences, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, Ondo State. After graduation, I served at the University of Ilorin where I developed my research methodology (Computational Chemistry) by reading a lot of journals, participated in experimental activities, and reviewed a good number of manuscripts. My captivation towards Computational Chemistry was primarily due to my passion for using modeling in solving real-world problems. I was offered admission with full funding at a University in the State of Ohio, among other schools on my list.

Sidney Nwakanma

University of Abuja

Washington University in St Louis, PhD Statistics

Growing up, my father worked in the civil service while my mother taught in a school. For some time when I was younger, things were good as my siblings and I attended good private schools, that was until our situation took an unexpected turn. I secured admission into a private secondary (boarding) school on partial scholarship and naively, I expected life to glide smoothly and to continue with its positive trajectory. This ‘presumption’ came crashing down some months before I was to write the junior WAEC examination, and that was when the situation of my family and I completely devolved.

Getting into a university was tough, my parents were always worried about how they’ll afford it but they wanted the best for all their children. Though this was tasking, at the end of my four-year program I graduated with a First Class degree as the best student in my faculty and as the best student overall in the university.

With the aid of the EducationUSA advisors, I was able to navigate the sometimes herculean process of applying to graduate school in the United States. They encouraged me to write the various standardized tests such as the GRE and TOEFL and they linked us up with OFP scholars who had gone through the process and who were able to proffer solutions to our questions. At the end of the process, I got a fully funded offer of admission into the PhD Statistics program at Washington University in St. Louis worth $85,627 per year.

Tobenna Anyaezu

University of Benin

University of Oklahoma, MSc Petroleum Engineering

Tobenna Anyaezu is a 2020 Opportunity Funds Scholar who got over $30,000 per year in funding to pursue his master’s in Petroleum Engineering at the University of Oklahoma. He was the best graduating student in the Department of Petroleum Engineering Class of 2017 at the University of Benin. He is an active member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and has represented the University of Benin at Paper contests and Petrobowl quiz competitions organized by SPE. He is passionate about research and volunteering. He also tutored penultimate students in Formation evaluation and petrophysics during his time at Uniben. His research focus is on drilling geomechanics and Petrophysics data-driven Analysis. He plans to develop innovative ways to produce earth resources in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.

Okinedo, Uzezi Elizabeth is a first-class graduate of Cell Biology and Genetics from University of Lagos, Nigeria. She currently works as an Assistant Lecturer in her alma mater and was able to complete a Master’s degree in Cell and Molecular Biology through the Vice Chancellor’s graduate assistantship award. Uzezi has held several leadership positions and has also been actively involved in various voluntary activities and organizations. Whilst in school, she served as the Vice President department’s student association and was also a campus fellowship leader. During her NYSC, she championed a project called ‘Science Enhance Project’ that focused on improving the quality of science education in rural communities and encouraging science participation in undergraduate and high school students. She was also the general secretary of the Environmental sanitation community development group. Currently, she’s an ambassador for Women Tech Network, a YALI fellow and a member of professional organizations like Genetics Society of Nigeria (GSN) and the Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE). She’s an astute scholar with over 8 publications in both local and international journals and has also presented in several conferences. Uzezi was a recipient of the UNILAG academic excellence endowment award for 3 consecutive sessions, the Science Student Fellowship Award for academic excellence and the Dr. D.K. Olukoya Academic Award of Excellence. In 2020, she was selected as an EducationUSA Opportunity Fund scholar through which she has been able to secure a full scholarship of over $54,000 to pursue a PhD in Molecular, Cellular and Organismal Biology in University of Massachusetts Boston. She will be specializing in Plant Molecular Genetics and Systems Biology where she will be working on improving the quality of some important food crops in Africa. For Uzezi, the time spent with EducationUSA Lagos was a life changing experience. In her words: “Apart from the financial aid I received from the Opportunity Fund Program, the program helped to redirect my focus to what’s important as I had access to relevant information on how to search for graduate programs and access funding. I also met and networked with really exceptional personalities”.

Victor Obi Chizoba graduated from the Federal University of Technology, Akure with First-class honors in Applied Geology. He finished as the second best in his department as well as the best graduating student in Petroleum Geology. He also received several professional and academic awards and held leadership positions. Victor was selected as an OFP Scholar and by working with EducationUSA Lagos advisers, he secured a fully-funded scholarship (Teaching and Research Assistantship) to study Geosciences at Kent State University, Kent, Ohio. His research is based on the physics of contamination transport in porous media as well digital rock physics. He currently has one publication and two articles in his field. In his words: “EducationUSA is proof that blurry visions can be very clear and achievable if you PUSH (Persist Until Something Happens). My advisers exposed and opened me to a lot of resources and information(s) within and outside the center. No doubt, the richness of the guidance you get from the advisors here is enough to make this process a successful one. The experience I have gotten from being an OFP scholar would sure stir me up to achieve greater heights and of course, improve the standard of living globally through research and development”.

Abraham Ojima

Government Secondary School Karu

Franklin and Marshall College

Abraham Ojima is a  2019 Opportunity Funds Scholar. Through EducationUSA, Abraham secured a full scholarship worth $76,000 (30 Million Naira) per year to study Computer Science at Franklin & Marshall College. Abraham attended Government Secondary School Karu, Abuja, where he participated in the Red Cross Society, The JETS club, The Science Olympiad Club, The Mathematics Club, and the GSS Karu Football Team.

Before attending F and M, Abraham taught himself how to program and became fluent in web development languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and SQL), Python, and Arduino.

Abraham is the first in his family to attend university. The journey took him 3 years. Despite the many setbacks and obstacles, he never gave up.

Bilikisu Omoyeni Ayeni graduated as the Head Girl of May Day College, Lagos with 7As and 2 Bs in WAEC, and at top of her academic stream in Oxbridge Tutorial College, where she was a member of the Student Representative Council. She is a co-founder of CLOAK Initiative (Clothe-A-Kid Initiative) which is an organization that aims to offer physical needs and moral support to younger children in her community. As an Opportunity Funds Scholar, Omoyeni was exposed to first-hand information and guidance of EducationUSA Lagos, as well as good values that surround the environment. With the support of these resources, she is now a recipient of the MasterCard Foundation Scholarship at Wellesley College with funding worth $77,000 and additional stipends and support. Omoyeni’s interactions with people with highly stigmatized psychiatric illnesses, coupled with research opportunities she has had as a student of Wellesley College, fuels her passion to contribute to a reform of the mental health sector in Africa.

Bright Eru

Baptist High School Jos

Tufts University

Bright Eru is a 2019 Opportunity Funds scholar. Through EducationUSA, Bright received a scholarship of over $82,000(32 Million Naira)/year to pursue a Bachelors in Computer Science at Tufts University. Bright describes himself as a passionate programmer, music producer, and rookie stock trader.

He graduated with 8As and 1B from St.Paul's Academy Jos in 2017. While at St Paul's, Bright won awards in the Cowbell Mathematics Competition, NNPC Quiz Competition, National Mathematics Olympiad, and won 1st place in the League of Science and Mathematics competition. Bright was also active in the JETS and Mathematics club. He was also the captain of the volleyball team and is a talented musician.

Chukwuma Charles Okafor is a First-Class Graduate of Civil Engineering from Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike where he was the best graduating student in the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology. With four research papers and a conference paper to his name, Chukwuma is a published author in several journals, a Woltosz Fellow, and an MTN Science and Technology Scholarship Scheme scholar. In 2019, Chukwuma became an Opportunity Funds Scholar and received four funded offers worth over $90,000. He accepted a fully funded fellowship to Auburn University worth over $30,000 per year for his PhD in Civil Engineering with an emphasis on Geotechnical Engineering. Chukwuma says "none of these would have been possible without the proper guidance and assistance offered by the EducationUSA Opportunity Funds Program."

Chinenye Ifebirinachi graduated from the University of Benin, Nigeria with first-class honors in Mathematics. She held several leadership positions in the Rotaract Club of UNIBEN and in the Road Safety Club during her NYSC. Chinenye was selected as an OFP scholar and by working with EducationUSA Lagos, she secured a full scholarship from a public health research center (Center for Outreach in Alzheimer’s, Aging and Community Health – COAACH) in North Carolina A & T State University in 2019. She is working on a Ph.D. in Data Science and Analytics. This scholarship came with full summer employment for the duration of her program and in her first six months, she is on her way to publishing her first two articles with the center. Her projects are centered on the application of data science and machine learning techniques to understand the transmission dynamics of some aging and community diseases (Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and even the novel COVID 19). Her work also focuses on studying the disparity of some of these health conditions on the minority groups in the U.S. In her words: “EducationUSA is one of the best things that happened to me…as an EducationUSA scholar, you do not have to go at it alone. You will be granted access to the best human resources (EducationUSA Advisors), the right information, and materials to get you through all the stages of application. My time in this community taught me a lot of self-development, growth, determination, and hard work.

Chukwubuikem Chikweze

Federal Government Academy, Suleja

University of Rochester

Chukwubuikem Chikweze is a 2019 Opportunity Funds scholar. Through the Opportunity Funds program, he was able to secure a scholarship of over $77,000 (30 Million Naira)/year to pursue his bachelor in Computer Science at the University of Rochester.

Chikweze took two years to realize his dream after he graduated from Federal Government Academy in Suleja in 2017. He applied for the program the subsequent year and was accepted. Before joining the program, Chikweze was working as a computer science tutor at a Cyber Cafe in his hometown in Anambra.

Daniel Kalu graduated from Birrel Avenue Senior High School, Lagos as the valedictorian and senior prefect. He is a 2019 EducationUSA Lagos Opportunity Funds Scholar currently studying computational science at Minerva Schools at KGI. Daniel is passionate about technological innovation. He was accepted into NASA L'SPACE Academy for summer 2021, co-founded Product School at Minerva (A student initiative helping students to develop and refine their business ideas) and is the co-founder and technical lead at One Energy Hub (a group of students raising money to build systems to provide access to tech education and innovation opportunity to marginalized communities). Their first project is building a floating hackerspace on the Makoko waterfront (Nigeria’s floating slum).

Emmanuel Nwanno

University of Benin

Florida International University, PhD Physics

Emmanuel Nwanno is a  2019 Opportunity Funds Scholar. Through EducationUSA, Emmanuel is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Physics at Florida International University on a fully funded assistantship worth $49,000 (20 Million Naira) per annum. Emmanuel is a First Class graduate of the University of Benin. He is a published author and was the Best Graduating Student in the department.

Emmanuel is the first in his family to graduate from university. He is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the United States, thanks to the Opportunity Funds program.