By Odo Christian Obinna
Temitope Victor Oyedeji, the best graduating student of the Faculty of Science, is the subject of this round of our interview series. As he is affectionately referred to, “Learning Maths” is a well-known nickname that has evolved into an intimidating personality in Nnamdi Azikiwe Hall, the Mathematics department, and most recently, in the entire University of Ibadan community. You will concur with us that achieving a first-class grade, much alone outperforming the entire faculty at the prestigious University of Ibadan, where merely surviving the infamous “tsunami” is cause for celebration, goes beyond spending a run of restless nights at the Kenneth Dike Library.
Temitope’s journey to first class and to outperforming his faculty thus invites us into his world, which goes beyond simply shuffling books to a collection of less-discussed inspiration, values, and grit that made him just the Temitope Victor Oyedeji, who only could best his peers in his time and space.
Having said that, let’s look at how Temitope Victor Oyedeji’s motivational tale, who is currently undergoing his one-year mandatory national youth service at the Federal University of Technology in Akure, Ondo state, might as well become a constant, a conscious presence in our own academic lives as students at Nigeria’s top university, the University of Ibadan.
UCJ
What does it take, in your opinion, to emerge as the Best Graduating Student in a Faculty at the University of Ibadan?
Temitope Victor Oyedeji
Understanding yourself and lecturers, takes a lot of consistency and persistency, diligence, not intimidated, hard work, smart work, favour, grace and mercy of God.
All these combined together gives you an upper hand. And of course provided that your village people aren’t involved lol
UCJ
When you gained admission to UI, did you make any decision towards what you wanted to achieve or you simply took it one day at a time?
Temitope Victor Oyedeji
I was told from home that it’s either I beat my brother’s record or I equal his record. He was the BGS in his faculty in 2017 at the University of Ilorin and that alone was a motivation. So I made it a decision and my own work was just to keep spanking the As and leave the rest to God.
UCJ
At what point did you realize that you will emerge as your Faculty’s BGS?
Temitope Victor Oyedeji
It was a little bit tough. I wasn’t even the highest in the faculty when we started in 100 level but I just kept doing my own. I had a lot of ‘competitors’ from different departments along the way. Even after seeing my final results, I was still not sure I was the BGS till we had our alumni summit in the faculty and I confirmed it.
UCJ
Were you able to combine your academics with other extracurricular activities?
Temitope Victor Oyedeji
Yes. I was a sport person. I was an active football player in my department, hostel(Zik) and faculty. I never miss football trainings, friendly matches and competitions. I’m also a Barcelona fan and I don’t miss champions league night games even if I have exams.
UCJ
What were your most memorable moments and worst moments, if any, in school?
Temitope Victor Oyedeji
Worst moment was anytime sapa hits me lol. But joking aside, one of them should be when my department lost to the department of statistics on two occasions in different sessions at the knockout stage.
Most memorable moments were in my final year when I was getting awards in various places, that felt like a reward for all my hard work. I ended up with 41 of them altogether.
Other memorable moments were on this compulsory course I never carried, AWO101 and IDIA101. Those nights were memorable.
UCJ
So what next for you? Postgrad?
Temitope Victor Oyedeji
Yes. I’m looking at opportunities for postgraduate schorlarship to continue my career(Masters/PhD) in Mathematics or any other related disciplines outside the country.
