After Supporting over N400 Nigerian Students, 26 Year old Nzidee Promises more

Raheem Akingbolu

The young businessman behind Project New Nigeria, Samuel Kaley Nzidee, has brought his campus empowerment drive to Niger Delta University, Bayelsa, as the Initiative Marks Its Second Major University Intervention.

At a time when many young people are still figuring out their careers, Nzidee, 26, is being applauded for paying other people’s school fees.

On April 22, 2026, the businessman arrived at Niger Delta University (NDU), Bayelsa State, to do what he has now made a personal tradition; show up for students who need it most.

At the New Site Multipurpose Hall of NDU, Nzidee’s initiative awarded 300 scholarships, including one special scholarship, and distributed 15 iPads to young people who lack the digital tools required to thrive in today’s academic and professional landscape. Project New Nigeria has now directly supported over 400 students across two universities, a number that is entirely the product of personal conviction and follow-through, not government mandate. The programme was delivered in partnership with the Foundation for Citizens Empowerment and Sensitisation on Civic Responsibility and the NDDC.

The event drew a large student audience and featured appearances by comedian and cultural influencer Sabinus, Ball Boy, Hype Queen Pandora, and others, whose presence amplified the initiative’s message across a digitally connected generation. But the emotional heart of the day belonged to its beneficiaries.

Mr. Josiah Prosper of the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Miss Layefa Tare of the Department of Human Anatomy were among those who received digital devices. Both expressed profound gratitude to the organisers and offered prayers for the initiative’s continued growth, a response that, in Nzidee’s own words, is precisely the point.

“I grew up with a sense that Nigeria had failed its young people, but I also grew up believing we could change that, from within. Project New Nigeria is my answer to the question of what I can do. Not what someone else should do. What I can do, now, with what I have.” — Samuel Kaley Nzidee, Founder and Convener, Project New Nigeria.

The institutional response has been equally affirming. Comrade David-Patrick Dauduokumor, President of the NDU Students’ Union Government, praised the selection of NDU as host and noted the relief the intervention would bring to financially stretched students.

“This initiative will provide relief and renewed hope for students facing financial and academic challenges. We commend the organisers and the NDDC for what they are doing here.” said Comrade David-Patrick Dauduokumor, SUG President, Niger Delta University.

Beyond the scholarships and devices, the event wove in a civic awareness segment covering voter registration and PVC collection, integrating political education into a space of celebration. The design was intentional: linking economic support with civic duty, insisting that the two are not separate conversations but deeply connected ones.
Project New Nigeria has no intention of stopping at two campuses. Nzidee has signalled that the initiative will continue expanding its reach across Niger Delta universities, with plans to build institutional partnerships that can sustain the programme’s impact long-term.