A brilliant Nigerian man has defied the odds and achieved his dream of graduating with a First-Class degree in Finance, despite facing years of setbacks.

For four consecutive years, Olayinka struggled to gain admission into the University of Ilorin. However, he did not give up. After multiple attempts, he was finally admitted to study at the Federal Polytechnic Offa, Nigeria.

There, he faced another challenge: what was supposed to be a two-year program stretched into three years due to academic strikes.

Despite these hurdles, Olayinka graduated as the best student in the Department of Banking and Finance, with an impressive cumulative grade point average of 3.73/4.0.

With his outstanding performance at the polytechnic, he finally gained admission to study Finance at UNILORIN. However, another problem arose—his three-year program stretched to four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and academic strikes.

Also, during his time at UNILORIN, Olayinka spent two of his three academic sessions without accommodation. He would often spend his days in class, unable to keep up with basic personal hygiene due to his circumstances.

Olayinka was greatly affected by the strikes. He recalled times when he had to beg for food before he could focus on studying. “Hunger 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s reading,” he said, reflecting on how difficult it was to concentrate while struggling to meet his basic needs.

Despite these challenges, Olayinka found ways to stay afloat. He took up side hustles and tutored younger students, which helped provide some degree of financial independence.

However, it was hard for him as he did not receive much support from his family, especially after the passing of his mother; he often had to navigate his academic journey alone.

Through it all, Olayinka remained focused on his studies. His hard work and perseverance paid off when he graduated as the best graduating student in his department.

Olayinka expressed deep gratitude to everyone who supported him throughout his academic journey, including his father and Faculty Adviser.

Looking forward, Olayinka is filled with hope and excitement for the future. Despite all the difficulties he faced, he is determined to achieve even greater things in the years to come.