Nigerian man who hawked mangoes in Lagos, bags six PhD scholarship offers abroad

It was hope restored for a Nigerian first class graduate  from the University of Lagos as he recently got six doctorate scholarship offers from universities in Australia and California.

Onyeka Chukwudozie, announced the news via his LinkedIn account on Sunday night.

He said he had previously hawked mangoes and drinks in markets in the past.

According to him, the scholarship offers came after he had been rejected by universities over the years.

He narrated, “Finally, the dream has been actualised. I am starting my PhD in Biological Sciences (virology) programme here at one of the most prestigious schools in the world UC San Diego (University of California, San Diego). I was once a boy who hawked mangoes and local drinks in markets and roadside to assist my family in putting food on the table.

“That same boy today gained a total of six PhD scholarships, which include University of California San Diego, Rice University, Two offers from Purdue University, University of Kansas and University of Melbourne, Australia. These came after countless and painful rejections over the years.”

Chukwudozie added that the rejections he got from middle-tier universities motivated him to pursue scholarship opportunities offered by top universities.

He said, “Honestly, it’s a three-year journey that entails tears, rejections, hope, patience and joy. After graduating in 2016 with a first-class from the prestigious University of Lagos, it was my dream to pursue graduate studies.

“I had countless rejections, despite the number of publications and research experience. Most of these rejections were mostly from low to middle-tier schools, but I kept the perseverance. In fact, I heightened my quest and applied to top schools, and got in.” he said.