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This is the story of Chidi a young man from Surulere, Lagos, who had a dream bigger than his circumstances. It is also the story of thousands of Nigerian students just like him. The names and details may differ, but the journey is the same.
Where It Started
Chidi finished his undergraduate degree at the University of Lagos with a Second Class Upper in Economics. His grades were strong. His ambition was stronger. He wanted to study for a master’s degree in the UK specifically at the University of Manchester. But between him and that dream stood one requirement he had never really thought about: proof of English proficiency.
He had spoken English his entire life. He had written exams in English. He had read novels, watched BBC documentaries, and debated in English. How hard could a language test be?
He was about to find out.
The First Attempt
Chidi registered for the TOEFL after two weeks of light reading and a few YouTube videos. He walked into the test centre in Victoria Island feeling reasonably confident. He walked out feeling confused.
His score was 74. Manchester required a minimum of 90.
That gap 16 points felt enormous. For a few days, it was demoralising. He called his mother in Surulere and told her the score. She told him something simple: “Try again. But this time, prepare properly.”
The Turning Point
That phone call changed everything. Chidi did not rush to rebook his next test. Instead, he spent the first week diagnosing his performance. His Reading and Listening were acceptable. His Speaking and Writing were where the points were disappearing.
He discovered TED Talks and started watching one every morning, taking notes like he was being tested. He practised Writing essays every evening and used ChatGPT to give him feedback on structure and grammar. He recorded his Speaking responses on his phone and listened back critically every night something that felt deeply uncomfortable at first but became one of his most powerful habits.
He gave himself eight weeks. He studied for 90 minutes every day without exception. He took a full mock test every two weeks and tracked his progress in a small notebook.
By week six, his mock test scores were consistently above 90.
The Second Attempt
Eight weeks after his first attempt, Chidi walked back into the test centre in Victoria Island. This time he arrived 40 minutes early. He ate breakfast. He did not study the night before. He breathed deliberately before the exam started.
His score came back three days later: 97.
Manchester required 90. Chidi had cleared it by seven points with room to spare.
What Happened Next
Chidi applied to the University of Manchester with his TOEFL score included in his application. Six weeks later he received his offer letter. Four months after that he was on a flight from Murtala Muhammed International Airport to Heathrow.
He is currently in his second semester of a Master’s in Development Economics. He says the hardest part of living in London is not the weather or the workload it is calling his mother every Sunday and trying to explain how different everything looks from up here.
What Chidi’s Story Actually Teaches Us
Chidi is not exceptional. He did not have a unique talent for English. What he had was a clear target, a structured plan, and the discipline to show up every single day for eight weeks.
His first score of 74 was not a failure. It was a starting point and it gave him exactly the information he needed to build a better preparation.
The TOEFL did not change Chidi’s life. Chidi changed his life. The TOEFL just opened the door.
That door is open for you too.
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