From a small town in Delta State to the lecture halls of Japan and the podiums of Switzerland, Chioma Chukwuka’s journey shows that refusing to settle can break barriers once thought impossible.
In this interview with Rita Oyiboka, she recounts how she earned three international scholarships, built a global youth network, and champions the belief that the Nigerian child can, and should, dream beyond borders.
Can we meet you, ma?
My name is Chioma Joan Chukwuka. I am from Obiaruku, Ukwuani Local Government Area, Delta State.
What do you do?
I am involved in NGOs, community development, and am also a member of NGOs in Nigeria. I also recently started a global network in Japan with people from Nigeria, India, Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Japan itself. Eventually, we will expand to more countries.
What was your childhood like, and how did that influence who you are today?
My upbringing at first was normal, but eventually, things got tough for my family. That stage had a big impact because when my family had all the resources, I did not connect deeply with what was happening in society. I hadn’t considered how people were trying to survive. However, when we didn’t have it, everything fell into perspective.
Thankfully, both my parents are educated, so they were fully willing to keep sponsoring our education. They sold land and did many things to ensure we could attend school.
And then when I was in school, I had people telling me, “Why don’t you get married?” and things like that. And I was just thinking, “Is this all there should be?” That was why I became very interested in gender equality.
Even now, I’m interested in education and education reform.
Can we get to know your educational trajectory?
I studied Political Science at Delta State University, Abraka.
What drew you to Political Science?
I can’t pinpoint what pushed me there, but I knew it was something I wanted to do. My father had nothing to do with politics, and nearly all my siblings were in the science field, so my decision was questioned.
Even in secondary school, I didn’t like Government. But for some reason, I just felt like maybe one day I’d be a politician.
That was why I went for it, but because I also wanted to obey my father, during my pre-degree, I did Business Administration. Then, when it was time to fill out the JAMB and Post-UTME, I put in Political Science. When admission letters came, I got admission into both.
I took some classes in Business Admin for a while but decided to stick with Political Science.
After your first degree, you went on to get your Master’s. How was the journey like?
During my undergraduate days, I was thinking a lot because I was doing Political Science, and there was almost no clear career path or job market for Political Science in Nigeria.
It was a friend of mine who said, “Why don’t you do a master’s degree?” I thought about it. Getting a master’s degree in Nigeria is another stress I couldn’t handle, and after getting the degree, there might still be no job for me.
Around that time, I was writing for a website where you write novels, get contracted, and get paid. I began to save.
Then I thought about scholarships abroad. I started browsing online, looking for fully funded scholarships. I watched a lot of YouTube videos on scholarships. After going through many, I finally narrowed down what I wanted to do.
I was also consuming a lot of Asian media, so I thought, “Okay, let me try these countries.”
That is how I started the process. I obtained my international passport, wrote my IELTS, and began applying. I eventually applied to five universities: two in China, two in Japan, and one in Thailand. Fortunately, three applications were successful, one from each country, but the offer from Thailand was only partially funded. Therefore, I would say I secured two fully funded scholarships from China and Japan.
How did your family react when you got the scholarships?
I come from a big family, the last of ten children, so naturally, I’ve always been the baby. When I first shared my desire to study abroad, my mother wasn’t comfortable with it; she was afraid of racism and preferred that I do my master’s here in Nigeria, perhaps in one of the top universities. But I had always wanted more, to travel and see the world beyond my small town.
My father supported me, but over time, I stopped sharing too many details with them to avoid hearing discouraging words. When I eventually won the scholarship, I told them, and surprisingly, my mother was the happiest; she was so proud. My siblings were also supportive.
After completing my youth service in June 2023, I moved to Japan that September to begin my master’s programme in International Relations at the International University of Japan, fully funded by the Japanese MEXT scholarship. I successfully earned my master’s degree in June 2025.
While in Japan, I was also selected as one of the top 25 writers in the St. Gallen Global Essay Competition in Switzerland. This May, I travelled to Switzerland to attend the symposium, also fully funded.
How did the learning structure in Japan differ from what you experienced in Nigeria?
In Japan, the learning structure felt surprisingly relaxed, yet the standards were undeniably high. It wasn’t just about teaching; they equipped us to look for information ourselves, to research, question, and think beyond the classroom. The grading was tough, and competition was fierce. But what struck me most wasn’t only the academics, it was meeting young people there.
The kids I met already knew exactly what they wanted to do, and they were already pursuing it. Many were involved in study-abroad programmes, supported by government scholarships. I remember talking to a 15-year-old boy who told me he wanted to become a software developer. When I asked why, he simply said he enjoyed coding and had been doing it for years.
It made me think of my nephew back in Nigeria, who’s also fifteen. Like so many Nigerian kids, he doesn’t really know which direction to go. Recently, I mentioned to my sister that there are lots of competitions, conferences, and opportunities he could try for, even things like Google essay competitions. But she said, “He doesn’t have time.” And I found myself asking: what time does a fifteen-year-old not have?
The reality is, in Nigeria, schools sometimes close at 4 p.m., or at 2 p.m., only to start extra lessons until 4:15 p.m. Then there’s the journey back home. Weekends are taken up by chores and church. There’s barely any time left for self-driven learning, exploring interests, or preparing for international opportunities. It’s a system that, frankly, keeps our young people too busy to discover what they might really excel at, and that’s not how you build a modern society.
I recently turned 26, and when I told non-Nigerians I was still doing my master’s degree, they were surprised. To them, it felt late, many were 21 or 22 and already pursuing master’s degrees. Some even assumed I was doing a PhD. And when I travelled to Switzerland for the St. Gallen Symposium, I met other young people, just 21 or 22, doing incredible things on the global stage. All of this is possible because they come from education systems designed to prepare them early, to push them to aim high and explore widely.
Going to Japan, was there any cultural shock?
Japan teaches you discipline. Here, there’s simply no such thing as “African man time.” Everything runs on strict schedules, and people respect them completely. Watching how the Japanese work, you realise they don’t even waste a single second. If you’re late by just one second, you’ll literally miss the train or bus, it won’t wait.
My very first shock was during an orientation day at school. The event was supposed to start at 12 noon, and I arrived by 12:25. When, I saw everyone moving around, I was confused until someone took the mic and said, “Welcome to our second half. We just finished the first break.” That impressed me, because lateness had always bothered me in Nigeria. Living here forced me to develop time management skills.
The people in Japan are also very welcoming, though sometimes curious about black people. When you visit certain places, some may want to talk to you, take photos, or ask questions, but they always do it politely.
At first, it was tough getting by without speaking Japanese. When I arrived, I didn’t know any Japanese at all. But I started learning in school, and now I can speak enough to communicate, even if I’m not fluent.
Another culture shock was the snow. My school area gets very heavy snowfall, and the first year was especially hard for all of us to adapt. Then there’s the summer, right now, it’s extremely hot and humid. But beyond these adjustments, life in Japan is really pleasant, if you’re willing to follow the rules.
Now that you’re done with your master’s, do you have plans to do a PhD?
Yes. My long-term goal is to be a professor. But for now, I’m just taking a break, because, after my bachelor’s, I did NYSC and then went straight to master’s. So now I want to focus more on community development before going back, maybe next year or 2027.
You mentioned in secondary school you thought about becoming a politician. Is that still in your plans?
Now I’m more into activism. Politics, yes, but maybe in a way that supports policy recommendations, research, activism, and so on. I don’t want anything that will limit me. I feel that, especially in Nigeria, once you become a politician, it might limit your freedom. I still want to express my views freely in different areas.
For migrating to Japan, what process did you follow to avoid scams? Many people get scammed in immigration. What steps did you take to arrive safely?
My main advice: do everything yourself. One problem with Nigerians is that we don’t like to read; we like “fast, fast, fast,” but good things don’t come that way.
For every scholarship I applied for, I read carefully. I checked their websites, social media, YouTube, everywhere, to be sure it was genuine. Once you get selected, they send your details straight to the embassy. The embassy emails you and tells you to submit your passport for visa processing. I did that, and a few days later, I got my passport back. Flight tickets, everything was paid for by the government. All I had to do was pack and go to the airport.
If people want something worthwhile, they have to be ready to spend money, time, and effort. Don’t rush to find an “agent” to do it for you. I’ve never used an agent for anything. If a scholarship needs a medical certificate, get it. If you need IELTS, write it. Yes, it’s expensive, but that’s the price for a genuine opportunity.
Finally, what are your words for the Nigerian youth looking for opportunities outside the country?
Don’t be desperate. Desperation blinds you.
Keep pushing towards your goals. Don’t let desperation for friendship, relationships, money, or validation distract you. If I’d allowed desperation to consume me, I wouldn’t be here now.
Don’t settle out of fear that “if I don’t get it now, I won’t get it later.” I got better and best later.
