The family of an aviation student, Enejoh Faith, has commended former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, after his N30 million intervention enabled her to complete her aviation training and move closer to fulfilling her childhood ambition of becoming a pilot.
Faith and her family visited the former governor on Monday night to express their gratitude for his support, which came at a time financial difficulties threatened to bring her aviation ambition to an end.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by Bello’s spokesperson, Onogwu Muhammed, the former governor first met Faith and her father on July 17, 2025, when they visited his residence to seek financial assistance.
Faith, who was dressed in an aviation uniform during the visit, had secured admission for aviation training but was unable to raise the funds required to complete her registration and continue the programme.
Her father reportedly presented her admission letter and other relevant documents to Bello, explaining the financial difficulties confronting the family.
Following the meeting, Bello decided to take responsibility for Faith’s aviation training.
“The cost of the programme was about N30 million 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 said.
It added that the intervention was kept private at the time, with no press conference or media event organised around the support.
During Monday’s visit, Faith and her family updated the former governor on her progress and thanked him for giving her the opportunity to pursue her childhood ambition.
Her father disclosed that Faith scored 89 percent out of 100 in her public pilot license examination and had completed her training, and was preparing to advance to the next stage of her aviation career.
According to him, Bello had no prior relationship with either him or his daughter before their encounter.
“And Oga did not know me before. He didn’t know my daughter,” he said.
Expressing deep appreciation, Faith’s father described the former governor as a highly valued member of 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.
He also recalled the anxiety he experienced before the family received Bello’s intervention.
“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.
Muhammed said Bello’s support for Faith was part of his private scholarship initiatives, through which several beneficiaries have received assistance for education and professional training.
According to him, at least four people have been trained as pilots through Bello’s private scholarship scheme, while others have received support to study at universities within and outside Nigeria.
The spokesperson added that Faith and her family visited Bello not to seek further assistance but to express their gratitude and share the outcome of his intervention.
