It is often said that when talent meets opportunity, success becomes inevitable. Before November 5, 2022, only very few people (obviously family and close friends) knew Miracle Onyedikachi Ezugwu and the wonders of his hands. But that changed on Friday, November 5, when Miracle thrilled thousands of Nigerians who gathered to campaign for one of Nigeria’s presidential candidates, Peter Obi, in Nsukka, Enugu-Nigeria.
Miracle, 22, left secondary school about two years ago but just like most highly gifted children in the world, he got handicapped by lack of finances to further his education. Instead of sitting back to mourn the inability of his parents to send him to the university to study his dream course; aeronautical engineering, he decided to try his hands on his long-time dream of building airplanes.
“I fell in love with aerophane as a child. Initially, my dream was just to enter into it someday, but as I grew, the dream shifted to desiring to construct as many as I can” excited Miracle explained to Biografrica.
As his 015NC727 RC trainer plane flew beautifully far above the campaign ground, it stole the attention of 90% of the party faithful who could not help but marvel at the young Miracle behind the plane which had the name and slogan of their presidential candidate, and political party (Peter Obi, and Obidient) boldly written on it.
Miracle, who says his good knowledge of Physics helped him greatly in the pursuit of his passion, explained that his love for aeronauts spurred him into studying motion and air, and he eventually paid great attention to wing spars which later helped him to construct several of his projects.
“My 015NC727 RC trainer plane is just a prototype of what I want to do, this is why I call it a trainer plane. It is number 15 among the planes I’ve built. This particular one goes very high when it flies. Its range is way beyond 2 KM. But I see it as a toy because a lot more still resides in my head. This particular one, I can use it to support security officials like soldiers to carry out surveillance during their operations, I can use it to support farmers to spray fertilizers, I can also use it for land mapping, and numerous other activities.”
“I still have other projects at home like war jets, Boeing planes, even mini planes that I can hardly locate in the air. I would like to be an aeronautical engineer or a pilot. With support, I can do a whole lot more because as long as it remains in my head, it keeps coming. Sometimes when I am sleeping, I see myself building bigger airplanes and when I wake, I will start drawing the plans, scattering our electronics to try them out. I don’t know if I should say it is in-born in me”
When asked why he could not afford to further his education but easily afforded the construction of flying machines, Miracle objected immediately what he goes through to source some materials for his constructions “at the moment, I do not have a phone, so even if you would like to contact me, it has to be through my sister’s phone. I sold my phone and all my valuables including clothes and shoes to source the materials I used to construct this and others. It’s not easy making all the sacrifices but in all, I love the presidential candidate of this political party,
Mr. Peter Obi and this is my own little way of campaigning for him”
Miracle explained that he started drawing the plans for his projects right from primary school but because he had no support, he waited till he began to make little money for them which of course seem not to be enough. “I need support. I just need financial support presently to carry on with my projects because this is just a toy as far as I am concerned but I don’t have the financial capacity to handle all the projects. I want to study more on aeronauts”
The young inventor, while praying that his talents meet a great opportunity someday, encouraged other African youths not to relent in taking their dreams as high as they should so long as they have the opportunity, and even if the opportunity does not come, giving up should never be an option.
“In a conducive environment, this Miracle boy ought to have been picked and given complete support to live his dreams. The young boy is something else. He is really good and I pray that someday, his destiny helpers either the government or good spirited individuals will locate him and help his life for good,” Samuel Agbo, one of the campaign officials who seemed engrossed by young Miracle’s project all through the event.