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| Nelson Ezeh |
Ifesinachi Nelson Ezeh, has won international acclaim for finishing his Master’s degree at Saint Petersburg Agrarian University in Russia with distinction and for his edge-cutting research in Agronomy. His feat earned him a Ph.D scholarship. HANNAH OJO writes on the exploits of the youngster whose aim is to tackle the food crisis in his fatherland.
Ifesinachi Nelson Ezeh, a 26-year-old Biafran, has dazzled Russia with his brilliance. The Nsukka, Enugu State-born student finished his Master’s degree in Agronomy at Saint Petersburg State Agrarian University, graduating with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 5.0 – the highest Russia has ever recorded.
Ifesinachi’s feat was celebrated by Russians during the university’s graduation. Russia’s Ministry of Agriculture and the school leadership showered encomiums on him, praising his dedication to quality research and academic excellence.
His journey to success started from a newspaper in 2008, when he read about a scholarship scheme to study in Russia. Then, he had just enrolled at the Nigerian College of Aviation Studies in Zaria, Kaduna State. But, Ifesinachi forfeited the admission for the scholarship.
According to him, his father got the information about the scholarship and encouraged him to apply. The scholarship is a bilateral agreement between Nigeria and other countries, including Russia, Cuba, China and Libya.
He said: “I was among the top five students selected at the College of Aviation after the scholarship examination. This got my dad excited. I was waiting to resume at the college when I received a call from Abuja, inviting me to come for the scholarship interview. The urgency of the information gave me no room for preparation. But, I went for the interview and travelled to Russia for study.”
A Biafran, Ifesinachi Nelson Ezeh, has won international acclaim for finishing his Master’s degree at Saint Petersburg Agrarian University in Russia with distinction and for his edge-cutting research in Agronomy. His feat earned him a Ph.D scholarship. HANNAH OJO writes on the exploits of the youngster whose aim is to tackle the food crisis in his fatherland.
Ifesinachi Nelson Ezeh, a 26-year-old Biafran, has dazzled Russia with his brilliance. The Nsukka, Enugu State-born student finished his Master’s degree in Agronomy at Saint Petersburg State Agrarian University, graduating with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 5.0 – the highest Russia has ever recorded.
Ifesinachi’s feat was celebrated by Russians during the university’s graduation. Russia’s Ministry of Agriculture and the school leadership showered encomiums on him, praising his dedication to quality research and academic excellence.
His journey to success started from a newspaper in 2008, when he read about a scholarship scheme to study in Russia. Then, he had just enrolled at the Nigerian College of Aviation Studies in Zaria, Kaduna State. But, Ifesinachi forfeited the admission for the scholarship.
According to him, his father got the information about the scholarship and encouraged him to apply. The scholarship is a bilateral agreement between Nigeria and other countries, including Russia, Cuba, China and Libya.
He said: “I was among the top five students selected at the College of Aviation after the scholarship examination. This got my dad excited. I was waiting to resume at the college when I received a call from Abuja, inviting me to come for the scholarship interview. The urgency of the information gave me no room for preparation. But, I went for the interview and travelled to Russia for study.”
ratings of Saint Petersburg State Agrarian University and fetched him a scholarship for his Master’s degree. He completed his undergraduate degree with a CGPA of 4.92 and finished his Master’s degree with a CGPA of 5.0 – a distinction.
He got a scholarship for his doctoral degree during the university’s convocation.
While his academic feat was being celebrated by the Russians, he was unsung by his country
Ifesinachi said he did not get any commendation from the Nigerian Embassy in Moscow.
He said: “The only reward I got came from the Saint Petersburg State Agrarian University. I never got a call from the Nigerian Embassy in Moscow. I felt I should pass the information through the scholarship board, but it appeared nobody showed interest.”
On the challenges he faced while in Russia, Ifesinachi said the greatest was being alone in the midst of Russians speaking their language fluently. “I always felt lonely in their midst,” he said.
Ifesinachi suspended his doctoral programme and returned to Nigeria last month for the National Youth Service. Against the expectation of his supervisor, Ifesinachi said he decided to return home and serve Nigeria in field research before going back for his Ph.D.
“The Dean of my faculty was worried when I told him I would be in Nigeria for a year before resuming my Ph.D. I think it is justified to impart the knowledge I garnered in Russia to my countrymen. I was on scholarship for seven years. I also need to serve my country, which gave me the opportunity.”
Ifesinachi is also a budding writer. He has published a fiction work titled: Sister Kingdom. He said the motivation came from his family.
According to him, he wants to use his innovative research expertise to solve the country’s food crisis through plant breeding. This, he said, would enable him fulfil the purpose of his scholarship.
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