Nigerians raise N1.8m to help protester fulfill son’s dream of becoming programmer

Nigerians have raised N1.8 million for a protester whose son dreams of becoming a programmer.

Ogwu Chijioke was among the hundreds of protesters who took to the streets in Lagos State on Thursday, joining the nationwide #EndBadGovernance demonstrations against the country’s harsh economic conditions.

In an interview with Channels Television at the Lekki Toll Gate area of Lagos, Chijioke shared his struggles in trying to support his son’s dreams of becoming a programmer.

“I’m riding from Mile 2, Festac. My son, at 13, is a programmer but I can’t even buy data for him to learn more. I can’t even pay for the tuition fees, millions of naira. At 13, he can programme games,” he told Channels Television, clutching his bicycle.

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“My name is Ogwu Benjamin Chijioke. I would rather die on the streets than die at home. I can’t sit down and watch the future of my son go to waste. I know I may not have a future again in Nigeria, but my son’s future will not be wasted.”

Moments later, his video went viral.

“You can feel the passion in his soul,” social media influencer Morris Monye captioned the video shared on his X handle. “He’s lost hope that life will be good for him but has not lost hope for his son. This is why he is protesting.”

“Hello, guys. I’ve gotten his details,” Morris wrote hours later. “N1.8 million is needed to make his dreams come true.”

Barely 24 hours after the move, the money was successfully crowdfunded.