A 19-year-old Nigerian, identified as Samuel Adeniyi, has received an outpouring of support from Nigerians after a video of him selling plastic waste and cartons to raise money for his work tools went viral.

Samuel’s story came to public attention through a video shared by content creator Bayuztv, who met the teenager while he was carrying a sack filled with recyclable materials. In the video, Samuel explained that he had taken up the job to fund his dream of becoming a professional tiler.

According to him, he learned tiling at the age of 17 but could not properly start the trade because he lacked basic equipment. “I need money to buy my work tools,” he said, listing a cutting machine, mallet, and knife as essentials. Samuel added that he earns between ₦1,000 and ₦2,000 for each sack of plastic waste he sells.

Deeply moved by his determination, the interviewer later visited Samuel’s home, where his mother shared the family’s struggles. She revealed that her husband was no longer with them and that survival had been difficult. She said she had been praying for divine help, explaining that she needed about ₦200,000 to ₦300,000 to restart her palm oil business, which had collapsed.

In a surprise follow-up visit on Thursday, Bayuztv presented Samuel’s mother with ₦1 million in cash and accompanied her to a mall, where food items worth about ₦700,000 were purchased for the family.

The biggest shock came when the content creator announced that Samuel had received over ₦8 million in donations from Nigerians, alongside an education scholarship covering his studies from secondary school through university.

Overwhelmed with joy, Samuel and his mother broke down in tears and rolled on the floor in celebration, expressing heartfelt gratitude to Nigerians whose generosity had transformed their lives and secured a brighter future for the young artisan.