‘I want to be remembered as someone who changed the world’

How did your family and school receive your victory?Before I got home, my parents, sibling and all had lined up outside waiting for me. Immediately I stepped into the gate, I was greeted very warmly; my mum and dad came to congratulate me. We praised God all through the night. I couldn’t even sleep that […]

How did your family and school receive your victory?
Before I got home, my parents, sibling and all had lined up outside waiting for me. Immediately I stepped into the gate, I was greeted very warmly; my mum and dad came to congratulate me. We praised God all through the night. I couldn’t even sleep that night. I was so restless and quite happy. Then in the school, it was amazing. I had photographs with students, staff and all. Everybody welcomed and congratulated me. I can’t count the number of hands I shook on that day.

Has your school organised anything for your success?
The school organised a reception where I delivered a speech. The proprietor asked me to speak on how I made it in the competition and give advice to fellow students and to show appreciation to the teachers.

So what did you tell the students?
The first thing I said was that hard work really pays – aim at what you want and go for it; always persevere. You may not get it at the beginning, but keep on striving and God will reward you.

Was that what worked for you in the competition?
Yes, indeed. I said to myself, “Emmanuel, you have nothing less than the first.” I wasn’t settling for the second place at all. My total focus and concentration was to get to the top. And I thank God I achieved that.

So from the day you registered for this competition you have had your mind on the trophy?
Yes.

At your age, there is the tendency to get carried away by the success. How prepared are you for the challenges ahead?
I am not just settling for winning this competition alone. I want to win more competitions worldwide. I will struggle hard and read more. I am not just satisfied at this one. In life you should always aim for growth. Once you stop growing, you are dead. Learning is a continuous process. Just as growing is also continuous process. If what you achieved previously seemed a big deal to you, then you are not growing. I look at myself and would say, “Oh! I achieved this. That means I can achieve more.” I set my mind to higher goals and I know that if I stay focused, I can achieve those heights with God.

What is your upbringing like?
I am the first of the four children. I have one younger brother and two sisters. My father taught me to be spiritually minded. He would say that I should always count on God. He would say, “if you leave God, Emmanuel, you are going to die!” He has imputed in me God-fearing character. Spiritually and morally, he has brought me up. Any wrong thing I do, he doesn’t spare the rod. And I thank God that he brought me up that way. My mother also brought me up morally. She teaches me to be hard working. Even when I said I’m tired, she would insist I should run my errands. I thank God for giving me such good parents.

Do they do that to you because you’re the eldest?
They do it to all of us.

What do your dad and mum do for a living?
Dad is involved in technical work, while mum is a businesswoman, a trader.

Was that why they couldn’t attend the final competition?
No. The letter given to each of the four finalists indicated that we should come with only our chemistry teachers, principals and some students from our schools.

Do you see this feat having any effect on your siblings?
I believe this will ginger them, especially my younger brother. They were all very happy and he particularly seemed determined to make a success. He now reads more than before and he bothers me more now to explain things to him. Two of my junior ones are science-oriented. One is an arts student while the other one is still in junior secondary classes.

What is your best subject and what will you like to study in University?
My best subject is chemistry and I will like to study chemical engineering.
Why do you want to study chemical engineering and not chemistry?

First, you choose based on your interest. I find myself interested in chemistry. I was thinking I would put in for pharmacy, chemical engineering or any other chemical-based disciplines. But I eventually chose chemical engineering because I also love engineering. Chemical engineering is a discipline that requires background in chemistry and is also interesting.

Who are your role models?
For the spiritual aspect, my father usually says “let your role model be Jesus Christ.” So, Jesus Christ is my role model. If I am to take it to the physical aspect, I want to be greater than my father spiritually. In the academic aspect, I have various people I want to be like; scientists who achieved great feats; Albert Einstein, Marie Curie who won the Nobel Prize. I’m aspiring to get to that height, and even do more than them.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years? What are your immediate, mid-term and long-term plans?
During my university years, I want to graduate as the best overall student and I’m aiming for that. I’m also aiming at gaining scholarships from multinational companies. I want to graduate with nothing less than first class. For my long-term, I want to have an impact in science just like my role models, the great scientists I mentioned. Years after they had died, we still remember their works and their names. I want to make such impact such that 200 or 500 years from now, people would remember my name as someone who did something for the world.

What changes or improvement would you like to see in the competition from the next edition?
First, the duration of the competition should be shorter than it was this year. This edition lasted about three months from the first stage to the final. I would also like the competition to go national. If it becomes national, it will be more exciting. They should also expand the scope to make it a science competition by including other science subjects. Although PZ Cussons is a chemical-based company, it also requires engineering and other aspects of sciences.

Any advice for the organisers, your fellow students and all?
For the organisers, I appreciate what they did. I thank God for giving them the idea to sponsor the competition. It has helped me and my family a lot. To other students, my advice to them is to read hard and aim high. They should shun evil practices and also strive to be the best wherever they are. If we all strive to be the best in whatever we do, Nigeria will be a lot better than it is right now. Students are leaders of tomorrow.