AFRICA | A determined Nigerian man named Chigozie Chukwu has defied the odds to achieve remarkable academic success despite facing years of setbacks and rejection.
After completing high school, Chigozie struggled repeatedly with the exams required to gain admission into a university in Nigeria.
He wrote the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) eight times and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) seven times. Each attempt came with disappointment, but he refused to let failure define his future.
In 2008, after years of persistence, he finally gained admission to study Economics at the University of Abuja.
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He graduated in 2011 with second-class upper honours and later returned to the same institution in 2015 for a master’s degree in Applied Economics, which he completed in 2017.
Driven by a vision of academic excellence, Chigozie migrated to the United Kingdom in 2020 to further his education. He enrolled for a PhD in Development Economics at the University of Lincoln.
During his time there, his dedication and academic brilliance earned him a position as an associate lecturer in Economics and Business. A year later, he was appointed a full lecturer in Economics at the University of Wolverhampton, England.
Now in 2025, Chigozie has officially earned his PhD in Development Economics from the University of Lincoln. His achievement is a powerful reminder that no amount of failure can stop a determined spirit.
Reflecting on his journey, he shared his gratitude on LinkedIn, thanking his supervisory team for their support and encouragement. He also expressed appreciation for his colleagues at the Lincoln International Business School for their friendship and belief in him throughout the years.
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