A Nigerian scholar and Presidential awardee, Jacobs Williams Okpe, has died in the United Kingdom amid a prolonged wait for his PhD scholarship funds, ten years after being honoured by the Federal Government.
Okpe, who passed away on May 18 in Manchester, was one of 164 outstanding Nigerian youths conferred with a national award and a three-part scholarship package by former President Goodluck Jonathan in March 2015.
The package comprised funding for a Master’s and PhD programme, along with federal employment.
While about 80 of the awardees, largely placed under the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), received full sponsorship and have since completed their doctorates, Okpe was among 86 others who were left behind — their PhD funding and promised jobs never materialised.
Until his death, Okpe reportedly struggled with the mental and emotional toll of the government’s silence and the prospect of returning home without completing his doctoral studies. Only the Master’s degree component of the scholarship was fulfilled through the Federal Scholarship Board (FSB).
“It’s been 10 years, and the silence is deafening,” a representative of the affected scholars told The Punch. “We are still waiting for the release of our PhD scholarship funds.”
In 2018, the stranded awardees staged two peaceful protests in Abuja after attempts to lobby the National Assembly failed. However, Okpe, a reserved advocate, remained hesitant to join public demonstrations, fearing reprisal from anti-corruption agencies.
“He was scared that if he joined the clamour for the release of our PhD scholarship funds, he might get probed by the ICPC,” a fellow awardee said. “His last nine WhatsApp messages were about our unresolved PhD scholarship issue.”
The discrepancy in the treatment of awardees has also been a source of anger. One recipient revealed that while he received £12,000 in living allowance during his Master’s studies, another from a different region got £21,000 — raising allegations of regional disparity and lack of transparency.
Scholars say the value of the PhD package, which includes multi-year tuition and living costs, runs into tens of thousands of pounds per student.
They argue that the failure to release the funds not only undermines the credibility of national awards but also derails the academic and professional futures of promising Nigerians.
Despite petitions — including one to the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) in 2019 — and follow-ups with the FSB, there has been no concrete resolution.
The news of Okpe’s death has sent shockwaves across the community of affected scholars and NYSC Presidential Award recipients.
“I am saddened that William Okpe, aka Big Willy, died without receiving his PhD scholarship funds,” another scholar said. “It’s discriminatory and deeply unfair, especially when Nigerian politicians continue to live large on public funds.”
A fellow awardee paid tribute, saying, “A sad day for me and other NYSC Presidential Awardees. We lost a friend… just like that. He was the best male corps member when we received our award at Aso Rock in 2015. What will become of his young pregnant wife and baby?”
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