UNILORIN Graduate Who Wrote JAMB Twice Bags First Class in Biomedical Engineering, Shares Her Story
- Barakat Jummai Banni scored 141 in her first JAMB attempt and considered herself a failure before turning her situation around
- She retook the UTME, scored 242, and secured admission into the University of Ilorin to study Biomedical Engineering
- Banni disclosed that she received zero scholarships or grants throughout her degree, yet maintained a 4.6+ GPA across all academic years
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Barakat Jummai Banni, a fresh University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) Biomedical Engineering graduate, has gone viral after sharing the remarkable academic journey that took her from a 141 JAMB score to a First Class degree.
Posting on X on September 7, 2026, the lady with the handle @baniaz68 recalled how her first UTME result felt like a crushing blow, one she now credits as the turning point that forced her to reassess everything.
Source: Twitter
UNILORIN: From a disappointing JAMB score to first-class
After scoring 141 in her first attempt, Banni overhauled her approach entirely. She cleared her O'level papers, rebuilt her study habits, and returned to write the UTME a second time, this time scoring 242.
That result was enough to earn her admission into UNILORIN for Biomedical Engineering.
What followed was four years of quiet, consistent excellence. She finished her first year with a 3.95 GPA and graduated with a 4.66, earning First Class Honours, a result she shared alongside a screenshot of her official UNILORIN academic dashboard.
UNILORIN: No scholarships, no grants, no giving up
In a follow-up post, Banni addressed what she described as the hardest part of her journey, one that had nothing to do with academics.
"Zero scholarships. Not one grant or bursary," she wrote, adding that she spent her university years "calculating how to clear school fees, running on empty, and crying over every rejection email that punished me for dreaming."
Despite applying for financial support throughout her degree, every application came back empty. She maintained her 4.6+ GPA through it all, without a single sponsor backing her studies.
"I wasn't sponsored. I just refused to quit," she said.
Her story, which touches on the twin pressures many Nigerian students face — excelling academically while managing financial hardship — quickly resonated online, with her post drawing thousands of engagements.
See her tweet below:
Nigerians react to UNILORIN graduate's feat
@Ojere09 said:
"You see as this one look very focus in life ❤️.... You see those ones with 2nd class lower or 3 class or even pass check very well Na them de carry fyb pass😂😂.... Congratulations to you ❤️."
@iamAbiodunAA said:
"Congratulations 🎊 more blessings."
@BioBash_001 said:
"Congratulations! BarakaLlaah feeh!!"
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that a UNILORIN graduate had bagged a first-class degree in law and drew closer to her dream.
UNILORIN graduate earns first class in Mathematics
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a UNILORIN graduate had achieved a first-class degree in Mathematics.
Writing on the platform, the fresh graduate confirmed that the graduating list had been released and that his name appeared among those recognised for first-class honours in Mathematics.
He described the moment as something he and those close to him had long been waiting for, expressing deep gratitude through a faith-filled message.
Source: Legit.ng
