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| Navokhi Alfred Apaji |
In a part of the world like Taraba where getting scholarship opportunities is not easy, a few individuals who have once been selected for this juicy offer of scholarships like Dr. Yunana Danladi, Victor Emmanuel Bandawa, and Pharm. David Aluga will forever remain an inspiration for those who wish to ascertain the same fate. Fortunately, one such person who is recently lucky is Navokhi Alfred Apaji who recently got a Master's scholarship to study Environmental Engineering at Newcastle University. I am opportune to have a conversation with him where he told me the story of his journey and how he was able to get selected for the scholarship.
Navokhi Alfred Apaji hailed from the Wukari Loc Government Area of Taraba. He is a graduate of Industrial Chemistry from MAUTech, Yola, Adamawa State where he bagged a first-class degree, a feat he always cherishes as it has opened a lot of doors for him. According to him during his spare time, he loves watching football and making friends. But the journey of Navokhi didn't start here, it started later after he graduated from the University. According to him;
"I started my scholarship search late. I graduated in 2019, did my national service at IBB University, Lapai, Niger State immediately and finished in 2020. I thought I was going to get a job in my alma mater having graduated top of my class so I didn't bother searching for scholarships when I was serving. COVID-19 also contributed a lot as there was no recruitment for jobs. I stayed home for some periods and then decided to start hunting for global opportunities. I must also share that during this time, I also started teaching in a private school to keep my soul and body together. I will teach during the day and submit applications at night. Most times, there was not enough money to subscribe for full data, so I had to do night plan bundles on MTN. At some point, I had no PC, so, I made use of my phone and whenever I needed a PC, my girlfriend always came through for me. She sometimes subscribes to data for me to do my applications. Apart from the above, one other difficulty was finding the right guidance. I had to get inspiration from scholars online. Most days, I spend time viewing pictures of these scholars and learning from their stories. In all honesty, I was inspired by Tarabans who have distinguished themselves particularly, Dr Yunana Danladi, Victor Emmanuel Bandawa, and Pharm David Aluga who have all won the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship before me".
One of the things that are always left out in the story of success is the sweat, without sweat there is no success, and without success, there won't be sweat either. To get the details of how he struggled to get where he is right now I asked him.
"The struggles are numerous, but if we concentrate on only our challenges, we get nothing done. This was why I was never one to be deterred. I saved up from my teaching job and got my passport, transcript, and reference letters. I got this because it was important for the journey" he said.
What advice do you have for someone who wants to apply for a scholarship I asked him.
"My advice for someone who is applying for the scholarship is to do the work, first, and get the best grade from your bachelor's, it makes one very competitive. Secondly Volunteer; this can't be said enough, thankfully, the NYSC CDS is volunteerism, and I encourage Tarabans to explore it well. People can also find organizations within their school or community to volunteer with. Onyeka Nwigwe runs AfRICOSUD in Jalingo, he was recently selected for the MWF in the US, and I volunteered with him. Get relevant documents during NYSC, the allowance should be saved for getting passports, transcripts, GRE, IELTS, etc. Also, be friendly with at least 2-3 lecturers who will write outstanding references for you. Try to publish your thesis too, it adds. Also, Watch videos from YouTube from past scholars, and learn how to write, writing well is gold. Pray hard and apply for numerous opportunities, I got in on the second attempt! Because I applied to numerous scholarships, I got selected for 2, the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship at Newcastle University to study MSc Environmental Engineering and, the Think Big Scholarship at the University of Bristol to study MSc Water Management, and I was also nominated for the Vice-Chancellor Scholarship at the University of Glasgow" he told me.
What advice do you have for the current government when it comes to partnerships with other countries in education?
"I think the current govt has been making exploits in education. I want to further implore the govt to train and retrain teachers and improve the general welfare, especially for basic education. In the case of collaboration with other countries, I think we should copy, adopt, and localize the Kano model developed by Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso where top graduates are being given scholarships to study outside the shores of our country. These scholarships will improve service delivery within the state because you will have well-equipped, knowledgeable graduates working for the state" he said.
Navokhi's story is a reminder that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. He is a shining example of Taraba's potential and of what can be achieved with hard work and determination. I wish him all the best in his future studies and endeavors.
In addition to the above, I would like to add that Navokhi's story is also a reminder of the importance of education and the need for more opportunities for young people in Taraba and across Nigeria. I hope that the government will take note of Navokhi's advice and invest more in education and training irrespective of background.
Before you go, I am Jeremy, I write inspiring stories of people, places, and events here on Jeremy Spell Blog and I would love to write about yours too. Kindly send an email to jeremyspellblog@gmail.com and I will respond swiftly.
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