BY JULIET EKWENUGO
Kaduna
Chief Godwin Obla, SAN, has fulfilled his pledge to sponsor Ochanya Owoicho, the first female of Idoma extraction to graduate with first-class honours from the Nigerian Law School, for postgraduate studies abroad.
Obla, through the Godwin Obla Foundation, has paid £33,000 for Ochanya’s tuition at Queen Mary University of London, where she will undertake an LLM programme in Artificial Intelligence and the Law.
The foundation has also paid ₦25 million into her personal account to cover her upkeep during her studies in the United Kingdom.
The presentation of dummy cheques to Ochanya at a ceremony in Abuja yesterday was therefore symbolic, as the payments had already been made directly to the university and her personal account.
Obla had made the pledge less than a year ago at a reception organised in Otukpo by the Association of Idoma Lawyers for newly elevated Senior Advocates of Nigeria of Idoma extraction.
At the event, he promised to sponsor the first Idoma female to graduate with first-class honours from the Nigerian Law School for postgraduate studies at any institution of her choice in the world.
“Today marks a fulfilment of that promise,” Obla said at the Abuja ceremony.
“I can confirm today that her school fees of £33,000 and her upkeep of ₦25 million have been fully paid. The tuition was paid directly to the school’s account and the upkeep to Ochanya’s personal account.”
He said the scholarship was not merely a reward for academic excellence, but part of a deliberate effort to create opportunities for young people from the Idoma community.
“As a minority that is overwhelmed by the tyranny of the majority, we must be our brother’s keeper and helper at all times,” he said.
Obla charged Ochanya to see the scholarship as both an opportunity and a responsibility to support others in the future.
“This scholarship is a challenge and a call for you to commit to the ideals of carrying others as you have been carried.
“I expect you to be a future burden bearer for our people and to live this ideal all your life,” he told her.
He also disclosed that Ochanya would be introduced to members of the Idoma community in the United Kingdom who would provide guidance and support during her stay.
The President-General of Ochetoha K’Idoma Forum Worldwide, Prof Yakubu Ochefu, commended the foundation for its interventions, saying many of its activities had been undertaken without excessive publicity.
Ochefu, who recalled witnessing the pledge in Otukpo, urged Ochanya to make the most of the opportunity.
He particularly challenged her to use her studies in artificial intelligence and law to examine emerging issues such as AI ethics and algorithmic bias from an African perspective.
He said Africans needed to participate actively in shaping the legal and ethical standards that would govern emerging technologies.
Ochefu also assured Ochanya that members of the Idoma community in the UK would be available to support her during her studies.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria at the event also described Obla’s leadership style as one focused on creating opportunities for others rather than seeking personal recognition.
He recalled Obla’s role in encouraging the emergence of more Senior Advocates of Nigeria from Idoma land.
The gathering also remembered a late female colleague whom members of the Association of Idoma Lawyers had hoped would one day attain the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
Obla also commended the leadership of the Association of Idoma Lawyers and acknowledged its Vice-President, Moses Onyiloko, who is among those designated for elevation to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2026.
The scholarship is part of the Godwin Obla Foundation’s broader interventions in education, healthcare and human capital development.
Among the foundation’s interventions is the Judith Ogwa Obla Memorial Kidney Centre at the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Otukpo, which is equipped with six dialysis machines and other medical facilities.
The foundation is also supporting an ongoing 23-bed VIP and amenity ward at the hospital, while it has established a ₦40 million endowment for outstanding medical students at the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo.
Other interventions include internet connectivity for the university and the renovation and equipping of science laboratories and other facilities at St Francis College, Otukpo.
A skills acquisition facility estimated at about ₦1 billion is also being planned.
For Ochanya, the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree in the United Kingdom was one she said she had never imagined.
She recalled receiving a telephone call from Obla after completing her studies at the Nigerian Law School, during which he asked about her plans for postgraduate education.
According to her, she was surprised when the conversation ended with Obla offering to sponsor her studies abroad.
She expressed gratitude to Obla and the foundation, saying the scholarship had changed the direction of her immediate future.
The ceremony ended with a charge to Ochanya to sustain the hard work and excellence that earned her first-class honours and, in turn, extend similar opportunities to others.
Obla disclosed that the foundation was already considering its next scholarship intervention, which may be outside the legal profession.
“Our next scholar may be in the area of aeronautics,” he said.
“Possibly, we are looking at sponsoring a young Idoma girl as a pilot. Fingers crossed as we work on this.”
