* It’s a commendable gesture, says VC

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja 

Amid Nigeria’s deepening economic hardship and escalating inflation, over 1,000 indigent students of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) have been rescued from the brink of academic expulsion, thanks to the expanded intervention of philanthropist and real estate entrepreneur, Dr. Richard Nyong.

The lifesaving initiative, led by the Richard Nyong Foundation in collaboration with Lekki Gardens Estate, has scaled up its flagship scholarship programme to cover the full academic and welfare costs of 1,000 students, five times the number originally supported at the scheme’s inception in 2021.

Originally launched with a N320 million investment to benefit 200 students, the scholarship programme now provides comprehensive support, including tuition fees, accommodation, feeding and transportation. 

The expansion comes at a critical time when many Nigerian students face academic disruption due to the skyrocketing cost of education and living.

The Vice Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof. Owunari Abraham Georgewill, in a video posted on the Lekki Foundation website  lauded the intervention as transformative.

He said: “Without this scholarship, more than 400 students would have dropped out. 

“On behalf of the university and the parents, we’re deeply grateful to Dr. Nyong and Lekki Gardens Foundation.”

But Nyong’s impact extends beyond student welfare. An additional N40 million has been committed to rehabilitating critical academic infrastructure across the institution, including the renovation of hostels, laboratories, lecture halls and digital learning facilities.

“Dr. Nyong is not only helping individuals—he’s strengthening the entire system,” noted a university lecturer who spoke on condition of anonymity. “This is a rare kind of intervention.”

The comprehensive nature of the support has earned widespread praise across social media and academic circles alike, with many describing it as a model for sustainable educational philanthropy. 

By addressing both immediate financial needs and the broader institutional environment, the programme is seen as fostering long-term resilience within Nigeria’s higher education system.

“This is more than charity—it’s a deliberate act of nation-building,” said another student in a viral video.

He said: “Dr. Nyong is showing that real impact comes from addressing root causes, not just symptoms.”

At a time when thousands of students across Nigeria are forced to pause or abandon their academic pursuits, the intervention by the Richard Nyong Foundation is providing not just relief—but renewed hope.

For many students, it’s the difference between giving up and graduating.

Uche Nwobodo, one of the beneficiaries, said: “Many students at UNIPORT routinely face hunger, unstable housing and the threat of dropping out.

“This scholarship is not just financial support. It is a lifeline,” he said.

Nyong has announced the expansion of the Foundation’s scholarship initiative from an initial 200 to a total of 1,000 student beneficiaries over the next few years. 

At UNIPORT, university lectures have described Nyong’s support as “removing tears from the eyes of indigent students” — a poetic phrase that reflects grim realities: students who sell their phones to buy food, skip meals to attend lectures, or defer semesters just to survive.

“The scholarship isn’t just covering school fees. It’s removing the pressure that forces many to abandon their education,” one official said.

The expanded initiative comes at a time when many students across Nigeria’s public universities struggle with not just tuition, but also the rising cost of textbooks, accommodation and basic necessities. 

Recent spikes in inflation have exacerbated the challenges, leaving many students without viable means to continue their education.

Nyong’s intervention aims to change that narrative.

The long-term impact of this initiative may not be measured in naira, but in the success stories of the graduates it empowers: future engineers, doctors, teachers and leaders who may, in time, extend the same hand of support to others.

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