At the 24th Convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Technology, Minna held last Saturday, 22-year-old, Osimimi Victor Oludare, stole the show as he emerged the best overall graduating student.
Oludare who studied Electrical/Electronics Engineering obtained a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.76 to clinch the number one position.
In a chat with the National Mirror shortly after the ceremony, Oludare recounted his journey to stardom, saying it all started from his primary school days.
He attended Goddy Nursery and Primary School, Okene and NIOMCO Staff Secondary School, Itakpe, both in Kogi state, where he equally graduated as the overall best student of his set.
Oludare from Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area of Kogi State did not deviate from the path of hard work and commitment he had known for when he gained admission into FUT Minna five years ago.
He faced his studies squarely and ensured he did not miss class and other engagements including Christian fellowship activities he knew would enhance his education. He also decided not to keep girl friend so as not to distract him.
He said: “Although, I had many female friends, I was not into anything intimate with any of them. I knew combining academic works with a relationship would be difficult to cope with since every relationship would be demanding on both parties. For example, it will demands for time and attention, among others and I was not ready for all that.
So, I avoided it.” Even though he knew he was in First Class category all along, he never knew he had the highest CGPA in his set.
Oludare on the convocation day
The news was broken to him through telephone call three days to the convocation ceremony. “And I received it with great joy,” he said. “Because the achievement means a lot to me.”
According to him, “it shows that God crowns effort of those who work hard and fear Him.” Although on resumption to the school after admission, he never thought according to him that he would emerge the overall best when graduating from the institution.
“But honestly speaking, I did my best possible as human being. I studied hard and left the rest in the hand of God and I thank Him for proving Himself in my life,” he stressed.
Interestingly, Oludare took part in international Fix Olmypia exams in 2009 while he was in secondary school from state to the national level and his excellence performance got him a ticket to represent Nigeria at the world competition in Mexico in that year and came back to the country with a laurel.
But, he is not happy that government does not accord due recognition to those who perform excellently in one national competition or the other from academic circle unlike their counterparts from the sport sector.
“I want to see a change in this regard. When we wrote the International Olympia exams, people that performed very well were not celebrated like those that are into sport.
I know of a man, Henry by name who represented Nigeria in the Pan- African Olympia and came out the best and nothing was done for him after making the country proud.
“So, government will need to appreciate those in the academic circle the way it does to those in sport when they do well. It will go a long way in making them to work harder.”
Oludare with fellow FUT Minna graduates
Oludare also wanted government at all levels to invest more in the education sector, especially in provision of infrastructure and research as it will bring out the best out of Nigeria.
When he was asked of what next now, he said he would go for his one-year mandatory National Youth Service Corps scheme from next month after which he hopes to further his education in the area of research.
He used the opportunity to thank his father, who is a lecturer at Kogi State Polytechnic Osara and mum, a primary school teacher, for their parental roles on him while commending the university for impacting positively on its students.
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Congrats 2 u