“From drinking garri to U.S. professor” – Man recounts friend’s rise, rewards kindness with ₦500K

A Nigerian man has shared an emotional story of resilience, friendship, and the long-term rewards of kindness, recounting how his former university hostel mate rose from hardship to becoming a professor in the United States.

In a post shared on X, the man, @DurojaiyeSegun recalled their days at Ekiti State University, where his friend struggled financially, often relying on garri for survival.

According to him, the friend’s parents sometimes went without food for months just to raise about ₦50,000 for tuition.

He narrated how he would regularly leave a bowl of garri outside his door, knowing his friend would come knocking. At one point, the friend consumed garri so frequently that it made him sick.

Years later, the same friend reached out to him from the United States, now a Professor of Physics at Arkansas State University.

Reflecting on their past, the professor remembered the little acts of kindness shown to him, ranging from transport fare assistance to shared meals and academic support.

He also recalled how his friend once used his own tuition fees to cover his medical bills during an illness, even going as far as lying to his mother to secure another payment.

Moved by the memories, the now-successful professor sent ₦500,000 as a token of appreciation, describing it as money “to buy some green bottles,” while noting that it was only a fraction of what he had done in recent times.

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