Student’s dream of becoming pilot nearly crashed until Yahaya Bello provided ₦30m support

• Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello provided N30 million to help aviation student Enejoh Faith complete her pilot training.

• Faith and her family visited Bello to thank him after she completed her training and passed her public pilot licence examination with 89%.

• Faith’s father said the family had struggled financially before Bello stepped in and described the former governor as a valued member of their family.

• Bello’s spokesperson said the support was part of his private scholarship initiative that has helped others pursue education and professional training.

For Enejoh Faith, becoming a pilot was a childhood dream that almost ended because of one major problem; money.

The Kogi student was already on her way to achieving her aviation dream when financial difficulties threatened to stop her training. But things changed after former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello stepped in with ₦30 million to support her journey.

Faith and her family visited Bello at his Abuja residence on Monday night to thank him for the intervention that helped her complete her aviation training.

According to a statement by Bello’s spokesperson, Onogwu Muhammed, the former governor first met Faith and her father on July 17, 2025, after they visited him to seek financial assistance.

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Faith’s father reportedly presented her admission letter and explained the financial challenges facing the family.

Bello then agreed to take responsibility for the training, which cost about N30 million.

“The cost of the programme was about ₦30m and the former governor provided more than the amount initially requested because he anticipated that Faith could encounter other financial challenges during her studies,” the statement read.

The support, according to Muhammed, was not announced publicly at the time because there was no media event or press conference around it.

During their latest visit, Faith and her family shared an update on her progress and expressed appreciation for the help.

Her father revealed that Faith scored 89 per cent in her public pilot licence examination and has completed her training ahead of the next stage of her aviation career.

He also said Bello had no previous relationship with the family before the intervention.

“And Oga did not know me before. He didn’t know my daughter,” he said.

Speaking about the impact of the support, Faith’s father said the former governor had become very important to their family.

“God will bless you, sir. I have nothing to reciprocate. In this family, after God, you are the next person to us. Our family will continue to remember you. Even at death, our spirit will continue to appreciate you,” he said.

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He also recalled how worried he was before receiving help from Bello.

“Before we came to your place, my Blood Pressure rose to 180. When we left, and I checked the next day, it came back to 130. If I had died that very day, I would have still died a happy and fulfilled man on earth,” he added.

Bello’s spokesperson said the intervention was part of the former governor’s private scholarship programme, which has supported education and professional training for several beneficiaries.

According to him, at least four people have already received support to become pilots through the initiative, while others have received assistance for university education in Nigeria and abroad.

Faith’s family said their visit was simply to appreciate Bello and show him the outcome of the support that helped keep her aviation dream alive.