Help your country with a master’s degree in public administration

One in five out-of-school children in the world lives in Nigeria.

Since 2020, 67.9% of young Nigerians have completed secondary education, but only 16.8% have pursued post-secondary education.

Stanley Peter AnukwuochaMasters in Public Administration graduate and founder of Education African Scholars Global Connect, corrected these figures.

“I couldn’t afford school fees, but that didn’t deter me from going to school.

Anukwuocha grew up in a family of seven. He lost his mother when he was young, and at one point, his father was a retired civil servant who received a monthly pension of less than $10 from the state government.

But despite all this, Anukwuocha was determined to receive an education. He did not let the financial difficulties his family faced stop him from going to school, so he supported himself through menial jobs.

“At the time, I was living in Enugu State, Nigeria. I worked on construction sites, at timber markets and transported people on motorbikes, also known as ‘okada’,” he says.

Through her hard work, Anukwuocha obtained her Ordinary National Diploma in Public Administration from the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), a polytechnic.

And while most would have been happy with that, Anukwuocha wanted to take his studies to another level.

“After my diploma, I wanted to go to university because IMT was a polytechnic school,” he says.

“It’s not a university; it’s a college. Going to college meant higher costs and that was something I couldn’t afford. I also lost my side income when the Nigerian government adopted a policy banning motorcycles in major towns in Enugu, which ended my “okada” business.

Amidst the uncertainty, an opportunity to pursue education presented itself to him: he ended up living with a Catholic priest and philanthropist, Reverend Father. Francis Nwaiwi, in Abia State, Nigeria. The priest not only provided him with housing, but eventually helped him financially by paying his tuition.

“When I lived with the priest, I initially received a monthly allowance, which I saved to pay my school fees,” says Anukwuocha. “When the time came, I applied and enrolled at university using my savings. But the priest saw my determination and decided to cover my tuition fees to help me stay in school.

With that, Anukwuocha signed up to the Michael Okpara Umudike University of Agriculture and was accepted into their Industrial relations and personnel management curriculum.

This subject may have some differences from his degree, but both programs shared a focus on human resource management, creating a natural progression in his studies.

In June 2017, Anukwuocha graduated with a first class degree, winning the title of best graduating student. His academic excellence led him to a position as a graduate teaching and research assistant in the same department from which he just graduated.

But Anukwuocha’s thirst for knowledge pushed him to aim higher: study abroad.

“I couldn’t afford the tuition fees, but that didn’t deter me from studying abroad. My passion to obtain the highest degree possible drives me to find other ways to enroll in a foreign university,” he says.

“Despite all the obstacles, I used all the resources at my disposal and seized every opportunity that presented itself. »

He explored universities in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Europe, but ultimately focused on American institutions, where fully funded scholarships were more readily available.

In 2022, Anukwuocha’s perseverance paid off when he earned a full scholarship to Northern Illinois University (NIU) to pursue a master’s degree in public administration. He graduated from the program in May 2024.

While at NIU, Anukwuocha was part of the International City/County Management Association and the NIU Student Chapter. He also served as an international student ambassador and senator representing graduate students.

Because of his dedication, he received a prestigious national award from the National Forum of Black Public Administrators (NFBPA).

“It recognizes outstanding African American and minority students for their leadership and I was honored to receive it for the year 2023,” shares Anukwuocha. “I also received a Graduate Leadership Award from NIU. I am happy that my involvement on campus has been recognized by the university.

But that’s not all he did.

Driven by his passion for public administration and his desire to give back, he founded Education African Scholars Global Connectan organization dedicated to helping young Africans realize their dreams of studying abroad.

We spoke to Anukwuocha on his work with Education African Scholars Global Connect and the personal advice he was able to share with those following in his footsteps.

What motivated the creation of Education African Scholars Global Connect?

Education African Scholars Global Connect is a non-profit organization that I founded in 2022.

I started helping students part-time in 2020, while I was still in Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic, to enable them to continue their studies abroad and secure funding for them.

At the time, it was called People Empowering People Tutorials (PEP-T). In late 2022 or early 2023, I had the idea to expand our scope and that led me to form a team to work with me on the expansion.

My team and I know that it is difficult for people, especially in Africa, to access quality education. Looking back on my experience facing financial hardship and lack of access to education, I wanted to give back to society by helping others access quality education through the organization.

Our organization provides students in Africa with assistance in researching and identifying graduate programs, applying for admission, preparing students for standardized tests, guiding students in writing application essays, and assisting them in Payment of SEVIS fees.

Additionally, we assist in searching and applying for scholarships, paying admission fees, conducting mock interviews for F-1 visa, and providing travel allowance for their move abroad.

We have successfully funded the travel allowances of six students under our 2024 Personal Travel Allowance Scholarship Program – three from Nigeria and three from Ghana. They have all been admitted to prestigious universities in the United States, including East Carolina University, Yale UniversityTHE University of Georgia, Lehigh University, University of Illinoisand the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

The goal of Education African Scholars Global Connect is to fund more students to pursue higher education and increase the number of leaders who can contribute to Africa’s development, particularly human capital development.

What challenges do you and your students face?

One of the major challenges I faced and still face is financing.

Running a nonprofit requires a lot of money, and I was a student earning a monthly stipend. I used personal funds to create this organization.

We have received several messages from struggling students who cannot access higher education, but our hands are tied due to limited funding. I wish I could help everyone, but unfortunately I can’t.

For many university students, both within and outside of our organization, lack of funds is the biggest challenge. They do not have access to the Internet because they cannot pay the subscription. As a result, they cannot research, apply to, or attend admissions interviews online.

Additionally, many students need help paying for application fees, the GRE, or the English proficiency exam due to the high exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Nigerian naira. The GREs and English proficiency exams are very, very expensive.

The plan is to award students a scholarship towards the application fee. They will have to submit their application and we will select the best candidates. Those who pass our selection will be offered between US$60 and US$100, depending on our budget.

We will also help you transfer payments, as most US universities do not accept Nigeria debit or credit cards, making it difficult for students to pay admission fees.

What advice would you give to students going abroad?

Be open to new cultures, as well as habits of learning, unlearning, and relearning. What I mean by that is unlearn old habits, learn something new, and try to improve the ones you already know.

Additionally, you will need to understand that the style of education in your home country and the one you are studying in is different. You must be open to learning and understand how courses are delivered. Don’t be discouraged if you find it difficult.

Try to connect with people who share your mindset. When you arrive, the type of people you surround yourself with will determine your survival in the new country. You can join student organizations or volunteer to find the right group of friends.

So if you connect with the wrong people, they will lead you down the wrong path. And if you connect with the right people, they will be there with you to follow the right path.