A young Nigerian man has gone viral after sharing his inspiring journey from repeated rejection at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) to successfully joining the United States Air Force.
The man, who shared his story on TikTok, revealed that he applied to the NDA seven times between 2017 and 2023 but was unsuccessful on every occasion.
He shared his application record in a viral post:
- 2017 – NDA ❌
- 2018 – NDA ❌
- 2019 – NDA ❌
- 2020 – NDA ❌
- 2021 – NDA ❌
- 2022 – NDA ❌
- 2023 – NDA ❌
However, after years of persistence, his military dream eventually became a reality abroad.
According to him, he applied to the United States Air Force in 2026 and was successful on his first attempt.
2026 – Air Force ✅
Reflecting on his journey, the young man said it took him about nine years to achieve his dream of becoming military personnel.
“Stay locked in. It took me 9 years to achieve my dream.”
His story has drawn reactions online, with many people praising his resilience and determination despite years of rejection.
Reactions
“Seven rejections did not stop him. This is the definition of persistence.”
“Sometimes your dream is valid, but the location meant for it may be different.”
“Congratulations to him. May we all find the door meant for us.”
“The lesson here is not to give up on yourself because one system rejected you.”
“From NDA rejection to U.S. Air Force acceptance — what a turnaround.”
Published by Ejoh Caleb
