UNILAG Best Graduand: How Mentorship, Hard Work Influenced My Academic Feat

Having emerged the overall best-graduating student at the University of Lagos with a perfect score of 5.0 CGPA, David Oluwatomiwa Akanmu of the Faculty of Engineering, who set the record for the fourth time in the 61-year-old institution, attributed his feat to hard work and seeking advice from mentors in the same field; and documenting it at every point. Funmi Ogundare reports

It was a celebration all the way at the 54th convocation ceremony of the University of Lagos, as David Akanmu, 22, of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was called to the podium to receive his prize for emerging the overall best-graduating student with a perfect score of 5.0. 

He carted home about 20 prizes, including that for an outstanding student with leadership quality in the faculty, the Sahara Group prize of N1 million for the best-graduating student in Civil Engineering and the best-graduating student in structural engineering, among others.

Akanmu was among the 340 first class students with 97 coming from Management Sciences, followed by Science with 57 and Engineering 47.

A total of 17,464 students graduated from the university, with 10,578 finishing with first degrees and 6,886 at the postgraduate level.

Also, Mr Ibrahim Quadri of the Faculty of Management Sciences, with a CGPA of 4.94, emerged as the best-graduating student (Humanities), while Ms Aminat Ige received the overall best PhD thesis award in Mathematics for the year, as well as the best PhD in the Sciences. Issa Adedokun got the best PhD award in the Humanities (Private and Property Law).

The week-long programme also witnessed the conferment of honorary doctorate degrees on three personalities who have distinguished themselves by significantly contributing to scholarship and societal development in various fields.

They were Prof. Toyin Falola, Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker, Chair at the University of Texas at Austin, a Professor of Immunology at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Phyllis Kanki, as well as professor of Political Science and former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega.

Speaking with journalists, Akanmu, the son of a professor in the same institution, explained that his upbringing with his father influenced his success and that he had to put a lot of effort into his studies.

“When I gained admission into the University of Lagos, I didn’t envision finishing as the best-graduating student or finishing with a CGPA of 5.0, but one thing that stood out for me was seeking advice from mentors in the same field at every point and documenting it into the book as a guide to help students and give back to the university Akanmu who will be proceeding to Stanford University for his master’s degree, said he dedicates at least four hours to read every day and he has been consistent with it and that the university gave him an enabling platform to develop as a man.

“I co-founded a student club in 2019, Sustainable Development Advocate (SDE), and became its president. I worked on various projects, including developing a community-based idea to tackle open defecation in Nigeria, which won a prize of $2,500.”

He thanked his faculty for providing an enabling environment for growth, adding that his academic journey was enriched by mentors and friends who guided him.

David, the author of ‘Roadmap to 5.0: The Unhidden Secrets to Academic Success, ‘ explained that his goal is to ensure that it gets into the hands of secondary school students and undergraduates. He thanked everyone who has contributed to his success, including his parents. To his fellow graduands, he stated, “You need to study hard, work diligently and be consistent. It is very important to have a community by seeking out friends that will help you in your journey.”

His visibly excited mother, Mrs Ayoola Akanmu, an entrepreneur, said David was admitted into Stanford University, U.S., last year. However, due to the high dollar exchange rate, he could not proceed.

She promised to earmark a fund of almost a million naira to the best graduating student who has secured admission into an institution abroad.

“We will always follow up with them if they show us their letters of admission, and we can pay into the school. Our scope is to reach out to the indigent. There are people who are ready to work, but they don’t have the means.”

She appealed to Nigerians to buy her son’s book, saying that money from it would be pumped into an indigent fund initiative. 

“We cannot help everyone, but everyone can help someone,” Mrs. Akanmu stated.

In her remarks, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, congratulated the graduating students for their diligence, resilience and hard work to complete their respective programmes.

She enjoined them to keep the university updated with their progress in life by joining the alumni association.

“You don’t go to a university, so you can punch a clock. You go to university so you can be in a position to make a difference. You are the solution that we need; therefore, go out into the world and remember that everything you do is a building block of your life that will determine who you become,” she stated.

The VC highlighted some of the achievements made since the last convocation, including a partnership with Sahara Group for both infrastructural and human capacity development, as well as scholarship awards of one million naira for students in various categories.

She thanked various individuals and organisations that had donated money to support its indigent students.

According to her, 1,329 students have benefitted from various support programmes. The university has paid obligatory fees for 400 indigent students, 170 are in the work-study programme, 74 have been adopted by various individuals through the adopt-an-Akokite programme, 40 are benefitting under the free meal scheme of the UNILAG Chapel of Christ Light, while 645 qualified for the endowment scholarship from advancement.

In his remarks, The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, recalled how his ministry approved the policy document for transnational education, saying that the policy framework will facilitate partnerships between tertiary institutions in Nigeria and other universities worldwide.

“Quality university education is essential for development and nation building,” he stated.

He admonished the graduating students to exemplify and demonstrate the knowledge and skills they have gained and acquired to contribute to the nation’s growth.

“You need to come up with innovative ideas that will foster economic growth of Nigerian. We are determined to make policy that will make life easier for university management,” the minister stressed.

He congratulated the graduands and the honorees, saying that universities benefit greatly from alumni support and that they must move in the direction of financial autonomy through research and alumni support.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu congratulated the graduating students, saying that the excellence they have achieved at the university should be the foundation for greater accomplishments.