A social media post intended to make fun of a graduating student of Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, has unexpectedly resulted in Nigerians raising N14m to support him.
Madumere Felix Nwachikerendu, also known as @Felix_the_SUG on X, first attracted widespread attention on August 31, 2026, after pictures from his final-year project defence surfaced online.
The images were shared by an X user, @vector_olal, alongside the caption, “I just did my final year project defense”. The post gained huge traction, with some users making disparaging comments about Felix’s appearance, outfit and prolonged stay in the university.
The conversation, however, took a different turn when Mercy Ninian, who said she knew Felix personally, explained what he had gone through to remain in school.
Ninian revealed that Felix had battled serious financial difficulties throughout his education. While studying History at AE-FUNAI, he reportedly took on different jobs and survival activities to raise money for his needs and education.
His struggles, according to her, included fetching water, washing clothes for other students and selling peanuts and other goods. She also claimed that he sometimes spent the night in classrooms because of his circumstances.
She further explained that Felix had initially been unable to meet his financial obligations after gaining admission. His academic performance later suffered, resulting in his withdrawal from the institution after he failed to attain the required CGPA.
Instead of giving up, Felix reportedly sat for JAMB again and eventually returned to the university to pursue his education.
Ninian wrote, “If you know him, you won’t catch cruise with him .. this boy will fetch water, wash other students clothes , hawk peanuts , sleep in classrooms.. cos he wasn’t able to pay his school fees the first time he got admission and couldn’t meet up with the cgpa..the school withdrawed him .. still he wrote jamb and came back .. kudos to Felix fr.”
Her revelation changed the tone of the discussion, as several people who knew Felix began sharing stories about his struggles. A former roommate was also said to have given him accommodation for several months during his first year.
Felix later responded to the original post, making it clear that his delayed graduation should not be interpreted as a lack of ambition or seriousness.
He explained that he was supposed to finish with his colleagues in the History Department in 2023 but encountered setbacks along the way. Despite falling behind, he said he remained determined to finish his degree.
Felix wrote, “You can laugh at the picture, but you don’t know the story behind it. I didn’t graduate with my set in the History Department in 2023 not because I was lazy or unserious, but u chose to make mockery of me. You’re laughing at someone who fell behind but refused to give up.”
As more Nigerians became interested in his story, efforts began to raise financial assistance for him.
Popular X personality Wisdom Obi-Dickson, better known as Sir Dickson Wizarab, joined the campaign after Ninian shared Felix’s experience. He called on others to contribute and revealed that he had already sent N100,000.
Wizarab wrote, “Thank you, Mercy. This is someone we can get behind. I would like us to support him going forward. Today might just be his lucky day. This is his account number and I’ve sent mine. Raise am.”
The appeal quickly gained momentum, with contributions pouring in from Nigerians on X.
In a matter of hours, the amount reportedly crossed N4m. As more people became aware of Felix’s circumstances, the donations continued climbing.
Wizarab wrote, “He has gotten over N4million. Keep raising it for him.”
Subsequent updates showed that the contributions had gone beyond N5m and later passed the N10m mark.
By Thursday, Wizarab announced that the fundraising had reached N14m, describing the development as a remarkable turnaround from the initial mockery.
He wrote, “I just want to thank everyone for your kindnesses and the trust. What began as a mockery turned out to be a miracle. Thank you for your eternal show of support. Together we raised the sum of N14m for him. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.”
Wizarab also said @Skolex5 would help Felix with investment guidance so that the money could be managed wisely.
Felix subsequently expressed gratitude to Wizarab and everyone who contributed to the fundraiser.
He wrote, “Thank you so much sir, I’ll still make a proper video and say a proper thank you.”
With his story attracting widespread attention, Felix also moved to correct false information circulating about him.
He dismissed a claim that he had been attacked, insisting that he was unharmed and that nobody had gone to his home.
He said, “This is fake, I wasn’t attacked and nobody came to my house. Would appreciate you don’t use me or my situation to chase clout pls thank you. I wouldn’t want to misinform the public and well meaning Nigerians, I’m safe and nobody attacked me,”
Felix also connected his experience to a promise he made to his late mother.
According to him, he created a poster on his sign-out day in memory of his mother and in honour of the commitments he had made to her.
He wrote, “I did this poster on the day of my sign out as a tribute to my mother whom I promised to never fail, never to do illegal things and never to bring disgrace to.”
The unexpected financial assistance, he said, further strengthened his faith and convinced him that remaining committed to his values had meaning.
He encouraged people following his story to live right, treat others well and remain faithful to their beliefs.
He said, “Now you reading this post, just be clean and never go against God’s wish. Be good to people. If you don’t see the result now, you will surely see the result later,”
Felix also urged social media users not to turn his situation into a competition by comparing him with another person who had received public attention.
He said, “Stop the comparison. I’m not in any competition with anyone. I don’t know him from anywhere but looking at how long he’s been here, he’s a great man,”
He added, “I’m here cause God wants me to be here and not to compete on who is the highest or whom to choose over another. I’m here cause God wants me to be here and not to compete on who is the highest or whom to choose over another.”
What began as an embarrassing moment for Felix has therefore developed into an unexpected show of support. His experience of struggling to stay in school, including selling peanuts, doing menial jobs and reportedly sleeping in classrooms, has now led to a N14m financial boost from Nigerians.
The development has transformed the narrative surrounding his viral photographs, turning what started as online ridicule into a story of perseverance and generosity.
