At a period when many young ladies are all about dressing up, being seen as a Genz baddie and using the latest phones and wigs, some are making giant strides, discovering their purpose and making a name in landmark achievements.
One of such that hasn’t allowed circumstance or age to deter them from their objectives is 24-year-old Officer Cadet Owowoh Princess Oluchukwu, who on Friday, became the first-ever Nigerian female officer to graduate from the UK’s Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) and 190th Nigerian graduate.
This feat has placed Oluchukwu in the league of prominent alumni of the institution. Indeed, she has blazed the trail as the first Nigerian female graduate of the school.
And now, she can proudly boast of achieving a feat that was earlier achieved by several renowned Nigerian officers including former Nigerian President Yakubu Gowan and the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye as well as other Nigerians who have become RMAS alumni since the 1950s.
The excellent prowess of Oluchukwu was made known in a statement by Atinuke Akande-Alegbe, a Senior Communications and Public Diplomacy Officer at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office in Abuja on Friday
Oluchukwu at 24 years was one of the 135 Officer Cadets to graduate during RMAS’ Sovereign’s Parade which marked the completion of 44 weeks of intensive training for the Officer Cadets of Commissioning Course 232, in London last Friday.
“Princess’ graduation as the first female and 190th Nigerian graduate marks a significant milestone in UK’s long-standing commitment to supporting Nigeria’s Professional Military Education training.
“This commitment to close UK-Nigerian cooperation was affirmed during the recent UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership talks held in February 2024,” the statement said.
In 2018, Princess joined the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), in Kaduna State, Nigeria.
During her second year at the NDA, she was appointed a Cadet Lance Corporal; a Cadet Sergeant in her fourth year and in her fifth year she was appointed to the role of Company Senior under Officer Charlie (CSUO C).
She held this appointment with two other female counterparts and made history as the first female to assume the position of CSUO in the academy.
In her fourth year, she completed the Academics Wing of the commissioning course and achieved first-class honours in Biological Sciences.
Speaking of her achievement, she said: “It is a profound honour to be the first Nigerian female officer to commission from the esteemed Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
“This achievement is not mine alone, but a testament to the unwavering support of my family, mentors, instructors, and countless individuals who believed in me every step of the way.
“As I look ahead to the future, I am committed to representing Nigeria with pride, and to making a positive difference in the world,” she added.
It is not the first time she is breaking a record in her career as a military personnel. And with the years ahead, people are looking forward to more record-breaking feats from Oluchukwu.
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