Things always seem impossible until it is done. Also, no blame should be passed on to people for being skeptical about opportunities, many times, offers that appear too good to be true is actually a scam. In a country like Nigeria, where we are accustomed to counterfeit admission offers and financial fraudsters, being cautious will always be welcome as a defense strategy to not being duped or cheated by others. Yet, is it all schemes, programs and study chances that are to be frowned at? I leave that to you to answer…
Things always seem impossible until it is done. Also, no blame should be passed on to people for being skeptical about opportunities, many times, offers that appear too good to be true is actually a scam. In a country like Nigeria, where we are accustomed to counterfeit admission offers and financial fraudsters, being cautious will always be welcome as a defense strategy to not being duped or cheated by others. Yet, is it all schemes, programs and study chances that are to be frowned at? I leave that to you to answer.
Your Worries are Valid
I, Azeez Olanrewaju Shoderu, am here to tell a story which happened to me early this year. It relates to my quest to further my education abroad. A lot of Nigerians, I hope, will relate with this story as well. Firstly, I would like to say to you all that, you need not instantly believe all what I would say here, you can also verify all my claims and information just like I did via my post on LinkedIn and through many sources who are currently inhabiting or schooling abroad before even embarking on this study route in the United Kingdom.
My Attention drawn to UNICAF
My UK study adventure all started in the month of January 2022. Though, I have been applying to Canadian universities since last year, getting feedback from some and even paying some of the application fees to secure admission into their institutions. On the faithful early morning of January 25th 2022, when I was surfing the internet, I came across an eye-catchy UNICAF advert that looked somewhat like this on Facebook. I was immediately drawn to it and wanted to learn more, I clicked on the link below the picture and I got myself to start applying for the scholarship at once.Application on the Way
That day, I chose to study Master’s Degree in data Science at the University of East London through the UNICAF scholarship program so I filled their application form, scholarship application, uploaded all the required academic documents including;- my ID Proof, a document to prove my identity (Passport, Police ID etc.), – all my academic qualifications (submit copies of certificates and transcripts), – Copy of my CV (Curriculum Vitae) and – Proof of English language ability if English is not your first language (WAEC Certificate). Soon, I received series of email messages and phone calls from the student adviser that was later assigned to me.
My Nigerian Defense Strategy
At this juncture, the lady was talking about paying the application fee of £35 and you know as a Nigerian guy I was taken aback when I noticed her emphasis on the money. So, I stopped my application and contacted my cousin who is currently living in the UK to verify the authenticity of the school and scholarship offer. She later advised me to post a LinkedIn article requesting for further inquiries from the school, scholarship provider and students who were currently admitted and have schooled through the program before. I also chatted with my uncles in the UK to contact the University of East London directly to find out if the school was truly in collaboration with the UNICAF body.The Overwhelming Responses
As expected, I got a bunch of feedbacks. My cousin who researched online about them said they were quite genuine but I should be careful. One of my uncles said the program is okay while others were disturbed saying that I should be careful and not get phished by online scammers posing as a UK-based school. In particular, one uncle said that if they were truly in the UK, I should be contacted by a UK personnel not the Nigerian lady who used a Nigerian number to call and chat with me on Whatsapp. So, he got her contact and tried to reach out to the University of East London on my behalf to see if she was recognized as one of their true agents here in Nigeria.
Validation of All Doubts
Sadly, the enquiry came back to state that the school is truly in partnership with UNICAF but they do not know anyone by that Igbo name who contacted me constantly. Thus, we had to send all the so-called emails and chat messages she was sending to me to the school’s email responder and Alas, she later confirmed that she is truly one of the student advisers with the UNICAF organization, not the University. My first, company article and second LinkedIn posts brought in various positive student reviews and Alumni connections. Afterwards, I paid the application fee and continued with getting their decision and approval on the level of scholarship and confirmation of payment plan.My Admission Offer and Perks
As soon as my application was successful, an Offer Letter was issued and sent to me by email and I was advised to proceed to pay my deposit to secure your scholarship and your place in the course. Subsequently, I was offered a place to study with University of East London. In fact, I was gifted an additional $50 online professional short course from UNICAF for free and I am currently expecting my free tablet to be shipped and delivered to my doorstep to take my online Msc program with. Once, I’m done with the program as well, I look forward to going to the UK for my graduation and certificate collection as it was preached by the student adviser.
My Own Comments
At a point in the admission seeking journey, I got confused and tired of the process. I felt like giving up, indeed, I spoke and sent series of fed-up email messages to the student adviser regarding the lack of enough finances, my background in the arts and even alternative courses that I was advised to initially take instead of the Master’s program. The others had no recognized degree certificate or cheap like this. At last, I got enrolled to the program after my deposit payment and didn’t even start the course immediately since I was often pitched by the adviser that I could pay now and start the course later when I am free and ready for it without of course no extra charge to me on a later date.Still on the Matter
I am currently in the euphoria of online studies abroad, getting congratulatory messages on Facebook and sorting out my business affairs to make sure that I am fully committed and devoted to the program when I decide to start. Now, I am even referring others to study in the UK through UNICAF scholarships and I have more than 10 students in my downline. What are you waiting for? If you have any questions or clarifications on this scholarship or admission package, you can reach out to me via 09091884943 or send me an email message through admin@aosacademy.com.