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With a CGPA of 4. 86, Joshua Aghogho Erubami was the best graduating student of the Delta State University , Abraka in the 2015 /2016 session . In this interview with OVIE OKPARE, the 22 -year old shares his experiences and how he feels being the first student to have graduated with a first class degree from the Department of Mass Communication in DELSU How was life growing up ? I was born in Oghara in Delta State. I grew up under the direct care of my elder siblings . My mum had four children for my dad. I’m actually the last of them . My dad also had children from other women . My mum and dad had issues , and my dad couldn ’t let me go with her so I grew up in his care . Growing up with him wasn ’ t that easy as there were a lot of challenges because my dad was involved in so many things. He was into politics . He ’s actually the Umugbrogodo (Spokesman ) for Oghara Kingdom. Were you this brilliant when you were in primary and secondary school?   I attended St . Peters Nursery...

Onakoya Oludare, 25, could not make first class as an undergraduate at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, where he studied Law, but he made it in Law School in 2016 and that was a milestone for him. In this interview with TUNDE AJAJA, he speaks on the things he did differently Did you have any specific target when you were an undergraduate? I didn’t really plan to have first class in the university. I just wanted to give it my all and satisfy myself that I had given my all, and if that was good enough to have a first class, then good, but if not, then I would still be content knowing that I had given my best. So, I didn’t feel bad, I was satisfied I had given my best and I still finished as one of the best students in my class. So that was sufficient consolation. However, in Law School, I planned to do everything I could possibly do to have first class. How easy or challenging was it to graduate with a first class from the Law school? Even though it’s eas...

Eke Ifeanyichukwu dared the odds that confronted him as an undergraduate, especially as someone from a ‘humble ’ background to still emerge as the best graduate of the University of Nigeria , Nsukka , in the 2015/2016 academic session. In this interview with TUNDE AJAJA, the 22- year- old , who had 4 . 83 in Microbiology , talks about his experience Can you recall how it felt when you received the news that you were the overall best in your school? I think it was on a bright Thursday morning when my Head of Department called me into his office and showed me a circular informing the Faculty of Biological Sciences that the overall best graduating student for 2015/ 2016 academic session emerged from the Department of Microbiology and I happened to be the one . I was excited . I was then asked to prepare a valedictory speech. I can ’ t emphatically say the achievement was a surprise . While in school , some of my friends who knew my academic records had sent I might possibly be the best ...

Much of the money bloggers make doesn’t come from blogging directly. A blog is a platform or online home base. After proving their trustworthiness, bloggers use their blogs as springboards to launch other products & services that bring in income. Examples are ebooks, books, speaking gigs, products, ecourses, etc. If you want to make money blogging, it takes time, creativity and hustle— a lot of all three—but it’s absolutely doable. Each blogger has a different combination of income streams. There is no “right” way and that’s the beauty of it. There are endless possibilities. Find a combination that works for you or make up your own. Income streams ebb and flow, so successful bloggers are constantly exploring new ways to make money. The key to making good money as a blogger is to have multiple streams of income. Even small trickles of money coming from various sources over time can add up. The best way to start monetizing is to let it happen organically. Hopefully you are blog...

Danug Simtong emerged as the overall best graduate of Bingham University in Nasarawa State at the recently held convocation of the institution for the 2014/ 2015 academic session . He had 4. 97 CGPA to lead others . In this interview with UMAR MUHAMMED, he shares his experience on how he did it How would you describe this feat of being the overall best in your set ? Actually the best is being chosen by God . So, if God doesn ’ t find someone worthy, that means that person is not worthy . So , I would actually say it is because of God I achieved this feat. Was it something you really planned towards ? The journey of a thousand miles actually begins with a step and it was something well planned from the beginning . Such feat does not happen by happenstance, so I planned for it and I thank God for making it happen. What was your performance like when you started ? When I started , it wasn ’t very easy. It was somehow rough and at a point in time, I became apprehensive of my perform...

Korede Adebanjo is a first class graduate of Computer Science from Tai Solarin University of Education , Ogun State . Bowing out with a CGPA of 4 . 51 in 2015/ 2016 academic session , she shared her experiences in this interview with Eric Dumo How easy was it finishing with 4. 51 CGPA ? I won’ t call it easy , I say it ’s the grace of God, hard work and favour . How did your parents receive the news? My parents never believed I could make it that far because I made first class in my last semester . When I gave them the news , it was like a breaking news ; my mum shouted “ Halleluyah ” and gave me a huge hug; the same with my dad. Have you always had similar performance in your previous schools? Yes, I had excellent performances at the primary and secondary school levels . How easy was it passing the Senior School Certificate Examination and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination ? It wasn ’t easy at all . I had two sittings at the SSCE and three sittings at the UTME an...

Should I start a blog? It depends. Here are 11 things to consider before you start a blog. 1. Blogging is Easy Yep. Blogging is actually really-really easy. The hardest part is setting it up but I’ve fully explained it on my homepage. If you are able to write emails, then you are also able to run a blog. With WordPress, you don’t have to deal with any website creation or HTML that is time consuming and boring. The only thing you need to do is customize your blog with themes, add some cool plugins and write content. Once you get the grip of it, you will know exactly what to do. 2. Google Loves Blogs When your blog is ready, Google crawls your pages and it will be listed on Google search. It means you will start receiving additional visitors from the search engines. Isn’t that great? Search engines help to bring new people to your blog that can become your new friends or future business partners . 3. Blogging Makes You a Better Person Having a blog will surely make you a better ...

After four years of seeking admission and living on N 30 per day , 24-year- old Saka Ismail gained admission into the University of Ilorin to study Statistics and he graduated with 4 .90 CGPA to emerge as the best graduating student of his set ; 2014/2015 academic session . In this interview with TUNDE AJAJA , he talks about the issues he contended with to succeed It’s over a year since you graduated, what have you been doing ? Five days after my convocation, I proceeded to the orientation camp for the National Youth Service Corps programme in Paiko , Niger State and I had the opportunity of serving at the Federal University of Technology, Minna as a graduate research and teaching assistant. That was when I won the prestigious $ 25,000 Next Einstein Initiative scholarship to study at the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences for Master ’s degree in mathematical sciences . How did you win the scholarship ? The Next Einstein Initiative is a scholarship proposed by South Afric...

It is fast becoming a cliche that some people are just born geniuses. The young man who holds the record of best graduating student in Nigeria doesn’t quite fall into that class. With a CGPA of 4.99 under his belt, 20 year old Victor Ubong used to fail woefully as a child. In an exclusive interview with Vanguard Learning, He talks about the nuggets that make up his success story. Have you always been at the top of your class? Not until I got to Covenant University. Growing up, I was practically a struggle. I lost my mother, who had always been my motivation when I was in JSS3. In my junior secondary days, I used to be one of the last in class. Sometimes, out of 50 people in a class, I would come 43rd. But when I entered SS1, I was the best in accounts, though I was an average student in subjects like Biology and English. What brought about the difference from olodo to genius? I think it was because I started specializing. I began doing well in accounts alone as I had always had an ...

Things don’t seem to have changed in terms of your everyday life. Since you got out of office, your schedule is still tight.   I remain what I am: a stupid village boy. Born in the village. Raised in the village. Grew up in the village. Doing a number of things by accident. Went to school by accident. Joined the Army by accident. Rose through the ranks by accident. Though I went to the Congo, not by accident. I went there and came back after I did what is right and what is wrong there. Then came back and continued to rise in the Army.     What do you mean when you say ‘by accident’? You see, some people will say: ‘Yes, my family. I came from a military family.’ I didn’t come from a military family. Some people will say: ‘Yes, I was planning it. It took me two years to plan.’ I didn’t plan it. I was going to my family one day and he asked if it is farming I will continue to do for the rest of my life and I said yes. I had a cousin who had left the village and went to...

Kindly tell us about yourself I am Mansur Akolade Ismaila. I just graduated with a Bachelors degree from the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos. How do you feel graduating as a first class student? I feel happy and I feel relieved, too. What are the factors responsible for your feat? The God factor; mentorship and guidance; focus and doggedness; broad-based teaching and support from my lecturers; my academic and cognitive maturity, harnessed from my years in medical school. You were a medical student? I was in the University of Ilorin, where I studied Medicine and Surgery for a total of 10 years, precisely between 2001 and 2011. Can you share some of your experiences at UNILORIN? UNILORIN was hellish for me. I never wanted to become a medical doctor in the first place. While I was at the institution, the course was made unbearable, and I think unnecessarily difficult then. Tens of us were failing and repeating serially, and several colleagues were withdraw...