Victor Audu's Story

I’m Nigerian, and when I think about my heritage, I think first about family. My family is my world.

My mum, my dad and my siblings gave me the foundation of who I am. From them, I learnt love, passion, trust, courage and intentionality. When I moved away from my family, I think I subconsciously started trying to give some of the love I had experienced at home to the people around me.

That is also what I love most about being Nigerian. Yes, there is the food, the music and the celebration, but what makes me proudest is the people. Nigerians are passionate, ambitious and determined. We take on big things. We are pioneers, trendsetters and trailblazers. Growing up around that spirit  taught me to believe in possibility. It taught me that you can shape your own life. You can write your own story.

I grew up with a stammer, and for a long time it made me second-guess myself before I had even said a word. I am naturally an outgoing person, but there was always that worry in the back of my mind. Will I stammer? How will this person react? 

Becoming a University Ambassador changed that.

Suddenly, I had to speak. I had to talk to prospective students, deliver Open Day talks, answer questions and connect with people I had never met before. I had no choice but to use my voice.

And I realised I could do it.

Students connected with me. Some later told me that conversations we had influenced their decision to come to Portsmouth.This connection showed me that  I was so much more than my stammer.

I am Victor.

I also learnt what it means to carry someone else with you.

Losing my mum is one of the hardest things I have ever been through. My mum was such a big part of my identity. My life, in so many ways, was shaped around her. Losing her has left a mark on my heart that I don’t think will ever disappear.

But I don’t want her story in my life to end with losing her.

My mum was loving. She was patient. She was gracious. She loved people and she loved seeing people happy. She was a light, and so much of the person I am today is because of her.

When I speak to a student and they leave smiling, or someone comes to me with something they are struggling with and leaves feeling a little better, I sometimes feel that they have experienced a little bit of my mum too. The Victor who cares about people, who wants people to feel seen, and who tries to be intentional about others is a reflection of who my mother was and who she raised me to be.

I came to Portsmouth thinking I was simply coming here to get a Master’s degree. I didn’t know how much Portsmouth, the University and the people I met here would change me.

I found community. I found support through The Students’ Union. I found people in my accommodation, my course, church and the Nigerian community who helped Portsmouth slowly become home.

I became a University Ambassador. I became President of the Nigerian Society. I met Blessing Okafor, who showed me what it really meant to be an Elected Officer. She supported me, and through her I saw that leadership could simply be about showing up for people, listening to them and making them feel seen.

Eventually, I became an elected Inclusion Officer.

Sometimes I think about that journey because I have been the student who didn’t know where to go. I have been the student who questioned whether he belonged. I know what it feels like to need somebody to help you navigate things.

Now, I have the opportunity to be the person I wish I had and to be someone students know they can come to.

That is what I am proudest of. Not just the titles, but the impact. It is seeing a student smile after we have spoken. It is someone feeling comfortable enough to stop me on campus and ask for help. It is creating spaces where people can meet, feel welcome and find community. It is knowing that, in whatever way I can, I am helping another student feel seen and heard.

There will not be another Victor Audu.

And that means I should leave my own mark.

That is also why Black History Month matters to me. For me, Black History Month means excellence. It is a moment where we intentionally recognise, champion and celebrate Black history, Black people and Black excellence. But I strongly believe that Black excellence should not only be celebrated during one month.

Black excellence should be celebrated every month.

My journey didn’t magically happen. I put in the work. I took opportunities, built relationships, volunteered, put myself into spaces that scared me and tried things I had never done before. I failed at some things and succeeded at others.

And I’m still going.

If there is one thing I would say to someone who is doubting themselves, it is this:

Put yourself out there. Be intentional. Try. If you fail, stand up and try again. You are the author of your own story.

I came to Portsmouth to do a Master’s degree. I ended up finding a community.

I found my voice.

And once I found my voice, I started using it to help other people find theirs.