One Man’s Mission to Rebuild Hope in Poverty-Stricken Nigeria

Ejembi’s father could only afford a dozen exercise books for him and his six siblings, and no one got more than two. At best, they use one for two or more subjects in class, and the educational sector begs for reform in North Central Nigeria.

He accepted these two new exercise books with a wide grin; he knew this was hard to come by. “Thank you, Dad,” he said, glaring at his father, who works as a security guard to provide for their basic school needs, which he always did. His father smiled back at him before drawing a breath. He wished he could do more.

Ejembi then hurries to school after giving his father a hug. His hands are firmly clenched to his new books, now a trophy—a treasure that means the world to him. But he has another need. He is going to school without sandals. Yet, he leaps for joy all the way, believing another miracle will happen.

“I like early satisfaction in life,” he says, but that dream was a distant reality as he grappled with his primary and secondary education because of the meagre income his family had.

Ejembi’s love for education went beyond a wish. He believed that once he acquired a good education, nothing would be impossible. This passion cemented into a firm conviction, but that alone wasn’t enough. He needed to pay his school fees to stay in class, but he couldn’t.

Though he was the proprietor’s friend, the business line remained uncrossed, and Ejembi and his siblings would be chased out of class.

“I remember so many times when I was chased out of school, but I’d always go back,” Ejembi says.

This scene occurred not only during his primary school days but was replicated and duplicated during his secondary school days until he decided to put it in the past. He wanted to have a better life and a smooth journey. And before his tertiary institution could become possible, he enrolled to learn a skill at 18 in 2013, which became a key survival tool for him.

“One major thing that helped me through my tertiary education was the skill I learned shortly before leaving secondary school, which is shoe making,” he says.

From his school fees to his house rent and other tiny expenses in between, Ejembi footed it. He worked while being a student. “Nobody paid my school fees or house rent, or met my school needs. I bore the burdens alone from start to finish,” he said with a tinge of resilience echoing in his voice.

Ejembi’s story mirrors that of many other children in rural communities in north central Nigeria, given the poor quality of schools, high poverty level and high cost of living. In 2025, Nigeria allocated a paucity of 7% of its national budget to education, falling below the recommended 15–20% by UNESCO.

A report published by HumAngle revealed a decline in the quality of primary school education, particularly in low-income communities and rural areas in north-central Nigeria, leaving the children vulnerable and susceptible to terrorism.

UNICEF also outlines some of the causes, including inadequate resources, teacher shortages, and the effect of socio-political instability.

A narrative that Ejembi didn’t just hear from a distance but lived in it.

Now at 29, he strives to rewrite the story for dozens of children and teenagers through an organisation dubbed the Simon Ejembi Foundation(SEF), the first of its kind in Otukpo, a community in north central Nigeria, which he founded in March 2022, while he was still an undergraduate.

SEF aims to help children with educational materials such as books, sandals, and pens, skill acquisition, and relevant life skills. SEF has empowered 160 people, including children, teenagers, and young adults between the ages of three and 20, with barbing, shoemaking, soap making, baking/pastries, and photography skills.

Beyond that, they also groom and develop creative prowess, such as dancing, acting, singing, and spoken-word poetry, catering not just to their educational needs but also to their mental and physical needs.

Several children like Onoja found another reason to keep going to school after SEF visited Ojira, one of the local government areas in Otukpo, 74 km from the state capital, Markurdi in north central Nigeria.

During the visit, responses gotten for staying out of school were inconsistent among students and pupils. Some had parents who couldn’t afford their school needs, while others had parents who could.

“I used to have naughty sandals and was unhappy wearing them to school, so I just stayed home. But now, I have been given a new pair of sandals and will be in school tomorrow,” Onoja, 14, in his primary, said.

Ejembi also devotes time to talking exclusively with male children aged 13-19, dubbed ‘Boys Quarter’, through seminars. Sessions on themes like public speaking, critical thinking, financial management, and hygiene are top conversations.

“Education makes people control and not to be controlled, and it also makes people thrive and to be easily governed. Beyond Mathematics and English, we prepare them for life,” he says.

Jonathan Obaje was 17 when he first encountered SEF through one of the facilitators. Overwhelmed by school and society’s pressures, Obaje felt his life was moving without a clear structure.

Now 18 and about to graduate from secondary school, Obaje is optimistic about the future. He feels more aware and in charge of his life rather than succumbing to societal pressure.

“The session at SEF challenged my thinking about responsibility and self-discipline. I started evaluating my habits, relationships, and how I lead myself. It didn’t change everything overnight, but it definitely sparked a new mindset,” he said.

This new mindset is now the norm for over 25 young boys in the community who have attended the ‘Boys Quarter’ at SEF.

Despite every condition, SEF believes that children should always remain in school, no matter what. “We want to make learning and education fun for them by supplying educational materials like books, pens and sandals. At SEF, we believe education is the key to societal development, and education is power. We want to unlock that power in every child,” Ejembi says.

SEF’s impact in north central Nigeria fluctuates amid myriad challenges, such as a fund deficit, community acceptance, and poor media representation.

SEF also lacks an adequate team of volunteers and educational material to meet the students’ needs.

“Limited or uncertain funding means we often have to prioritise activities, break down project scopes, or phase them out to match available resources. Sometimes we delay and even shift distribution dates because of low finances,” Vincent Abah, the project manager for 3 years at SEF, said.

SEF has limited its team of staff to just three due to low finances for remuneration as a budding non-profit organisation.

Sunday Adeyi is the secretary, Gabriel Ochima is a member, and Vincent Abah is the project manager. They pool resources from their small earnings for most of SEF’s projects.

“I played an active role in my education, and I have learned some things early in life about finances that have helped me, and this is what SEF wants young people to know,” Ejembi adds.

He knows his past cannot be revisited to undo his struggles and hurts, but he now writes a new future for his community through his SEF.