HOW I OVERCAME: My Survival Instincts On Campus

When Ekehe gained admission to a university in one of the northern states, his first thought was to give up for two reasons: the long distance from his home state in the south and the associated costs.

However, with encuragement from a friend and the fear of losing the admission offer, he dared to venture into the unknown.

When he eventually graduated after four years studying Sociology, it was a victory not just for him but for his entire family.

Recalling his travails on campus, Ekehe concluded it was his resolve to either sink or sail that made him end well.

He was raised in the usual rural setting, where a communal lifestyle is deeply seated. While he sat the JAMB exam with the children of some fairly well-to-do parents, he knew from the beginning that higher education would cost his parents more than they could afford.

His father struggled to pay his secondary school fees in instalments. He carried this trend over to the university in the first two years, until Ekehe decided to do something dramatic and drastic: Joined a carwash centre in the evening when he had no lectures.

He said, “Life on campus was far from glamorous for me. While other students settled into hostels with mattresses and provisions, I arrived with a small travelling bag containing a few shirts, two pairs of trousers and a pair of weather-beaten sandals.

“I knew from my first day that survival would depend on discipline, hard work and sacrifices,” he recalled.

He skipped meals to save money and participated only in religious activities. Yet hardship sharpened his focus and he consistently ranked among the best students in his department. In his third year, he received help from a foundation and the Christian students’ fellowship, who took over his upkeep.

Some God-fearing lecturers who noticed his humility, resilience and commitment also assisted. A particular lecturer offered him academic materials.

“This is how I graduated with Second Class Upper Division in Sociology,” he said.

Today, Ekehe is a senior lecturer in the same department and on the same campus where he learned the hard lessons of life.

He speaks openly about those difficult years—not with bitterness, but gratitude. “Hardship trained me. It forced me to value time, money and opportunity,” he said.