In life, success is tasking when there is no one to assist, in this article, we’ll share with you the story of Emmanuel Maxwell Uduafemhe, one of the best NECO researchers who against all odds achieved success by selling frogs to sponsor his education.
- Full name: Emmanuel Maxwell Uduafemhe
- Profession: Educationist and researcher
- Date of Birth: January 21, 1978
- Nationality: Nigerian
- Marital status: Married
- State of origin: Edo
- Alma mater: federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State
Academic career:
From 1983 to 1989, Maxwell Uduafemhe was at Jalli Special Primary School Bukavu Barracks, Kano State, for his Primary School Leaving Certificate.
From 1990 to 1995, he was at Afokpella Secondary School, Okpella in Edo State for his SSCE and proceeded to the Federal College of Education (Technical), Bichi, Kano State where he obtained NCE graduating with distinction in Elect/Elect technology (Technical).
His love for education would not make him relent as he proceeded to the Federal University of Technology, Niger State, graduating with Second Class Upper in Industrial and Technology Education.
From 2012 to 2015, he bagged a Masters Degree in Industrial and Technology Education from the same university he had his first degree. He would remain at FUT Minna for his Ph.D from 2015 till 2019.
How Maxwell Uduafemhe started selling frogs:
In 1997, he started selling frogs to sponsor his education. He used the money from frogs sales to get an education.
He was also coordinating tutorials for students for General Certificate of Education examination at the time, but he confessed in The Punch interview that the bulk of the money spent on his education came from frog business.
According to him, “Everything in life is about determination; once you are determined to achieve a particular goal, you need to work on it fully.”
His love for education made his dream come into reality. Though he said combining frog business with studies was tasking.
How he combined frog business and tutorials:
During vacations, Maxwell Uduafemhe would go frog hunting while some of his students who knew the business he did help out.
At the time, his monthly salary was N5,000 which was not enough to fund his education.
According to him, he was inspired by one Mr. Emmanuel Okom, who was a frog hunter.
“There is something I will like you to start doing that is not illegal and you will make enough money to continue your education and that is frog business,” his motivator told him, and that’s how he started catching frogs and made enough money to support his education.
How he started making money from frog business
After his training from Mr Emmanuel, Maxwell Uduafemhe started catching frogs live and put them in a sack with holes to allow some air in so that they would not die before it was time to prepare them to be roasted.
ometimes, he would travel to Jigawa to sell at wholesale, selling about 50-100 sticks every week. There was a time he made N20,000 within 14 days from his sales.
According to him, a stick with frogs could be sold for N50. He was quoted as saying, “I could leave my studies to satisfy my customers.
One day I was in a class when one of my customers asked me to supply him about 50 sticks of frogs in a week’s time and I didn’t have up to that, so I left my classwork to make sure my customers were satisfied because it was because of them that I was able to pay my school fees and sort out other domestic needs.”
His customers too were encouraging.
His present status:
After his degrees, Maxwell Uduafemhe was employed by the National Examination Council (NECO) in May 2010. Presently, he is the senior researcher at NECO headquarters in Minna, Niger State.
At NECO, he conducts related research to enhance smooth operation and fulfillment of the examination body.
He also does data coding, cleaning and analysis and data interpretation.
Academic Works:
Maxwell Uduafemhe at the time of this compilation had written and co-authored close to a dozen of books.
Some of his publications are:
- “Development And Validation Of Additional Cognitive And Psychomotor Skills Contents For Satellite Transmission And Reception Module For Technical Colleges In Nigeria.”
- “New Television Camera Systems Operation And Maintenance Contents For Training Radio, Television And Electronics Work Students In Nigeria.”
- “Correlation Between The Five Personality Dimensions And Creative Behaviours Of Electrical And Electronics Teachers In Nigerian Technical Colleges.”
Maxwell Uduafemhe is a member of different research organisations both within and outside Nigeria. One of such is researchgate.net
Lessons from Maxwell Uduafemhe:
- Never resign to fate in life.
- You may be born poor, you shouldn’t resign yourself to remain poor.
- Success will always be tasking for those who are not born with a silver spoon in their mouth
- The world is filled with opportunities, you will have to keep trying and tap into them. Staying idle will not help when you don’t have helpers around you.
- By what Maxwell Uduafemhe achieved, it’s a lesson that some are born great while some achieved greatness.
Maxwell Uduafemhe is married and blessed with three wonderful kids. He speaks English, Edo and Hausa fluently.
What other lessons can learn from him, share them with us.
An impressive expose.