Firewood Seller’s Son Who Wrote UTME Five Times Emerges Best Graduating Student at Oyo Varsity
- Uthman Oloyede, son of a firewood seller and secondary school teacher, graduated as the best student from Abiola Ajimobi Technical University with a 4.98 CGPA
- After five failed attempts at securing university admission, he finally earned a scholarship and excelled academically
- Oloyede’s emotional convocation speech, delivered at the combined 3rd and 4th convocation ceremony, moved the audience
Uthman Olayode, the son of a firewood seller and a secondary school teacher, has emerged as the best graduating student at Abiola Ajimobi Technical University (AATU), with an impressive Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.98 out of 5.00.
Olayode, a graduate of Physics with Electronics from the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, was honoured at the university’s 3rd and 4th combined convocation ceremony held on Friday in Ibadan.
Source: Original
Uthman failed to secure admission four times
Addressing the gathering during his valedictory speech, the first-class graduate recounted a difficult academic journey marked by multiple admission failures, financial hardship, and relentless perseverance.
“I sat for UTME five times before I was finally admitted. It was tough watching others move forward while I stayed behind,” he said.
Olayode eventually secured admission to Tech-U on a scholarship provided by the Lagelu Local Government Area, which he credited for changing the course of his life. He also acknowledged the Oyo State Government for creating educational opportunities for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“I am the son of a dedicated teacher and a hardworking woman who sold firewood. Today, I stand as a testament that no background is too humble for excellence,” he said to a standing ovation.
Throughout his academic career, Olayode maintained outstanding performance - earning 55 A’s and only 2 B’s, and achieving a perfect 5.0 GPA in six out of eight semesters, including five consecutive terms.
Uthman led Muslim students' association on campus
In addition to academics, he held leadership roles within the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), serving as Ameer and Chairman of the Education Committee in his final year.
Source: Facebook
He credited his involvement in campus leadership for developing discipline and time management skills.
Olayede was also a recipient of the Federal Government Scholarship Award (FSB), the MTN Foundation Scholarship, and the Oyo State bursary during his time at the university.
The convocation was attended by prominent personalities including the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Bayo Lawal, who represented Governor Seyi Makinde; the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin (represented by Chief Adegboyega Adegoke); AATU Chancellor, Dr. Tunde Afolabi; Governing Council Chairman, Dr. Kazeem Adeduntan; and Vice Chancellor, Prof. Adesola Ajayi.
In closing, Olayode urged the Nigerian government and private institutions to invest more in education and youth development, stressing that “brilliance exists everywhere, but opportunity does not.”
He is expected to begin the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme later this year and has expressed interest in furthering his education and contributing to research and innovation in Nigeria.
UNIBEN best student gets N5k cash prize
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a young man, Ogheneochuko Okpako, emerged as the best-graduating student in his department at the University of Benin (UNIBEN).
Okpako studied Mechanical Engineering and graduated with a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 4.80/5.0.
In a post on his X page (@Okpako_O2), the young man revealed that he got N5,000 as a cash prize for emerging as the best-graduating student in his department.
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Source: Legit.ng
