A Music School That Started With 25 Students and No Money Is Sending Graduates to Berklee

Two of the world’s most elite music schools in the world flew into Lagos this month, audited students at the MUSON School of Music, and offered full scholarship offers to two Nigerian students.

The Boston Conservatory at Berklee awarded full scholarships to MUSON scholars after an institutional visit. For context, Berklee’s acceptance rate sits around 51 per cent. Its full-ride scholarships are not handed out lightly. That they were offered to students trained entirely in Lagos tells you something about what has been quietly building inside the MUSON Centre for two decades.

The news was shared during the 2026 graduation ceremony this month, at the Shell Hall, MUSON Centre, Lagos. The event recognised 39 scholars who completed two years of conservatory-level training on full MTN Foundation scholarships covering tuition, learning materials, and transportation.

The school, in partnership with MTN Foundation, enrolled 25 students when it launched in September 2006. Financing was “a massive challenge.” The MTN Foundation stepped in and has since funded every single admitted student. Over 19 graduating classes, that adds up to more than 550 scholars, each one trained in 14 instrument specialisations including Piano, Violin, Cello, Flute, Saxophone, Voice, and Percussion.

The 2026 class produced standout talent. Umukoro David Ogheneothuke, a clarinettist, was named among the Berklee recipients. Johnson Roseline Chidinma, a contemporary singer and violinist, received an international scholarship.

Twenty years ago, three faculty members walked into a room with 25 students and no funding model. Today, the world’s leading conservatories are travelling to that same campus to recruit. The school was built to give talented young Nigerians access to training they could not afford. The world has started showing up to find them.