From NYSC to school owner: Meet the Nigerian graduate bracing the odds to make impact 

The common saying that necessity is the mother of invention is now more meaningful than ever as Emmanuel Otete defied all odds to establish a school amidst the growing unemployment rate in Nigeria.

Royal Star Academy, the brainchild of Otete was founded as a result of increasing numbers of unemployment in Nigeria.

Unlike many other unemployed graduates that got frustrated and took to crime after their compulsory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme, Otete decided to make a difference as he carved a niche for himself by establishing a school.

The graduate of biological sciences from the Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi in Benue State took advantage of his compulsory one-year service teaching experience and went further to practice what he had learnt.

When he looked around his neighbouring communities in Cross River and discovered that there were no schools, he took the bull by the horns and established one in Akwulega community in Wanikade, Yala Local Government Area of the state in 2016.

Today, the academy has grown from a creche into a nursery and primary school.

The school has successfully completed four academic sessions and each year, their pupils come off in flying colours and get enrolled into various secondary schools of their choice across the state.

Presently, the academy boasts of seven qualified staff – two NCE holders, two BSc holders, and a school cert holder including two non-teaching staff (a cleaner and a security personnel).

With about a hundred and fifty pupils presently undergoing learning in the academy, Otete has been widely celebrated by members of the community who see him as a bridge builder that has significantly reduced the knowledge gap in the area through the establishment of Royal Star Academy.

“Mr Otete is a bridge builder, we are very happy with his initiative. This school has given our children the opportunity of learning like their peers elsewhere. Before the establishment of this school, our children used to be at home playing due to the distance between the community and the school they were attending is located,” a community member said.

Royal Star Academy, however, appealed to the government and non-governmental organisations to help with the provision of social infrastructure, particularly electricity, pipe-borne water, health centre, and road among others.