I celebrate Nigerians both at home and in the diaspora. The milk of kindness in the veins of Nigerians is amazingly incredible. Nigerians are awesome, doing remarkable and staggering, unbelievable acts of generosity, UNANNOUNCED.

I had the privilege of being a part of a panel screening students into a private university. One of the questions put across to them was…… ‘Who will be responsible for paying your fees?’ The responses left me dumbfounded.

1.
Who is sponsoring you? ….. The mama living in front of our house. What is her name? I don’t know, we just call her mama. She sees me every time and one day she asked me why I was not in school. I told her my admission to a federal University was not coming through. She asked if I would like to go to a private one but I told her my parents cannot afford it. She said, tell your father to see me. The rest is a testimony.

2.
Who is sponsoring you? ….. Our Landlord

3.
Who is sponsoring you? …. I was employed as the gateman of a Church. One day, the pastor’s wife asked why I was not going to school. I told her my parents were no more. She asked if I would like to go to school and I said Yes. She is the one sponsoring me

4.
Who is sponsoring you? ….. My aunty’s boss. My mother sent me to her sister to collect some money and while there, her boss came into her office and I was introduced to her. She asked me which school I attend. I told her my admission has been suspended for my brother to finish his own education. A week later, my aunt sent for me that her boss would take up my education. That is why I am here.

5.
Who is sponsoring you? ….. The children of my madam who are abroad. When my parents said they could not sponsor my education, I decided to take a housemaid job to gather money to learn fashion designing. Last Christmas, when Madam’s children came home, they asked me what I wanted and I told them I need a sewing machine but one of them asked, don’t you want to go to school? I answered that I would love to but my parents can’t afford it. They bought me a machine that December and told me to go and do my Jamb. I did it and I scored 213. They are the ones sponsoring me.

6.
Who is sponsoring you? …. The woman I am learning bead making from. I did my training with her and she asked if I wanted to go to school. I told her my parents can’t afford to pay and she said, she will pay through the four years.

I can go on and on. Out of the 103 students interviewed, over fifty of them were being sponsored by ‘strangers’. As if that was not enough testimony, the bursar said about twenty out of these ‘favoured’ children’s fees have been paid upfront for the four years of their course.

Nigerians are a rare specie of human beings. The shout of a king is in the average Nigerian. Nigerians are uniquely unique. I celebrate Nigerians both at home and in the diaspora. U na weldone. The hand of God will uphold us all. We will not be stranded. Our nation shall be great again.

Isaiah 51:3 (paraphrase)
The lord will comfort Nigeria again
and have pity on her ruins.
Her desert will blossom like Eden,
her barren wilderness like the garden of the lord.
Joy and gladness will be found there in every home
Songs of thanksgiving will fill the North, South, East and West.

God Bless Nigerians.

Dolapo Adelakun
Damsel School of Ministry