Reported by Simon Daniel Yusuph l Journalist at Weng Global
Ayomide Olubunmi, a first-class graduate of Lagos State University (LASU), has recounted how poverty, the loss of her father during infancy and years of financial hardship shaped her determination to succeed academically, describing education as her pathway to a better life.
Olubunmi graduated with a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 4.77, emerging as a top-performing student despite growing up in difficult circumstances in Lagos, where she sold sachet water on the streets to support herself and her mother.
In an interview published by Punch Newspapers on October 10, 2026, the graduate explained how she navigated financial difficulties, secured admission into university, received support from a previously unknown relative and balanced academic responsibilities with work to achieve her goals.
Her experience offers a personal account of the challenges faced by students from financially disadvantaged households and the determination required to pursue higher education when resources are limited.
Beyond her academic achievement, Olubunmi’s story highlights the importance of educational funding, access to information about scholarships, family support and employment opportunities for young Nigerians seeking to improve their circumstances.
Growing Up in Poverty in Lagos
Olubunmi said her father died when she was five months old, leaving her mother to raise her alone.
According to her account, her childhood was marked by financial hardship, with her mother undertaking different forms of work to provide for the family.
Her mother sold goods on the streets, prepared noodles for customers and took on other jobs to meet their basic needs. Olubunmi also recalled that there were periods when they slept in a shop because they lacked stable accommodation.
As a teenager, she sold sachet water on the streets, an experience that exposed her to the daily difficulties of surviving in a low-income household.
Despite these circumstances, she maintained an interest in education and saw schooling as an opportunity to move beyond the limitations imposed by poverty.
She explained that education offered more than academic qualifications. It also exposed her to new ideas, different experiences and people whose lives helped her understand the opportunities available beyond her immediate environment.
For Olubunmi, attending university was therefore not simply about obtaining a degree. It represented an opportunity to develop her abilities, broaden her outlook and pursue a different future.
Her experience illustrates how financial hardship can shape educational aspirations while also making it difficult for students to access the opportunities they need to succeed.
For many families, the challenge is not necessarily a lack of interest in education but the inability to consistently afford school fees, accommodation, transportation, food and learning materials.
Olubunmi’s account demonstrates how these financial pressures can continue even when a student performs well academically.
How She Prepared for University Admission
Olubunmi completed secondary school in 2019, when she was nearly 18 years old.
After leaving school, she took a gap year to teach and raise money because she was concerned about how she would finance a university education.
Although she was determined to continue her studies, her financial circumstances made the decision difficult.
She initially considered attending a federal university because she believed the fees would be more affordable. However, she eventually applied to Lagos State University and remained determined to find a way to pay the required charges.
Her first attempt at the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) produced a score of 245. She sat the examination again and scored 252 before securing admission to study a communication-related course at LASU.
Even after gaining admission, she faced another challenge: finding the money to complete the registration process.
Olubunmi said she had hoped to attend a university where the fees would be approximately ₦25,000, an amount she believed she could manage more easily.
However, she recalled that LASU’s fees, including acceptance, faculty and medical charges, placed a significant burden on her and her mother.
She also described concerns about the university’s admission streams and the additional financial obligations associated with Stream Two admission.
Coming from Osun State rather than Lagos State, she worried about whether she would secure a place on the merit list and whether her family could afford the associated expenses.
Her admission eventually placed her in Stream One, easing some of her concerns. Nevertheless, the challenge of paying her fees remained.
The experience highlights an important distinction in access to higher education: gaining admission does not always mean a student has the financial resources required to begin or complete a university programme.
For students from low-income households, admission can mark the beginning of another struggle involving tuition, accommodation, feeding, transportation and other expenses.
An Unexpected Family Connection Changed Her Circumstances
A previously unknown relative eventually helped Olubunmi overcome the immediate challenge of financing her university education.
She explained that her mother used Facebook to reconnect with someone from her late father’s family. The contact helped reveal a family connection that had not previously been established.
Through that process, an uncle living in Germany learnt about Olubunmi and offered to sponsor her education.
According to her account, the uncle paid her university fees throughout her studies, providing the financial assistance she needed to continue her education.
The support became a turning point in her academic journey.
However, Olubunmi’s experience also demonstrates how access to educational opportunities can sometimes depend on personal circumstances and connections that are not available to every student.
Although her uncle’s assistance helped resolve the tuition problem, she still needed money to cover her daily living expenses.
She therefore continued seeking ways to support herself while studying.
Her story highlights the importance of relatives, community networks and individual acts of assistance in helping students remain in school when household income is insufficient.
At the same time, it raises broader questions about how universities, governments, charitable organisations and private institutions can provide more predictable financial support to students who demonstrate academic potential but lack the means to continue their education.
A student’s ability to complete a degree should not depend entirely on whether an unexpected source of assistance becomes available.
Why Scholarship Information Matters
Olubunmi said she later applied for a scholarship, explaining that limited access to information had previously prevented her from exploring educational funding opportunities.
She described herself as a strong student throughout secondary school but said she did not know enough about the scholarships available to students with good academic records.
She also lacked access to people who could guide her through application procedures or explain how to identify suitable opportunities.
Her mother, she explained, had not attended secondary school, which limited the educational guidance available within the household.
Olubunmi’s experience illustrates how students can face barriers beyond financial hardship itself.
Information about scholarships, bursaries, grants and other educational opportunities can make a significant difference, particularly for young people whose families have limited experience navigating higher education.
Students who are unaware of available support may miss opportunities even when they meet the relevant academic requirements.
Schools, universities and education-focused organisations can help address this problem by providing accessible information about funding programmes, eligibility criteria, application deadlines and supporting documents.
Guidance on preparing applications can also help students understand how to present their academic achievements and demonstrate financial need where required.
Olubunmi’s account suggests that identifying educational opportunities is an important part of widening access to higher education.
Financial support can help students remain enrolled, while reliable information can help them discover that the support exists in the first place.
Balancing Academic Excellence With Work
Although her uncle paid her university fees, Olubunmi still needed to provide for her everyday needs.
She said she began selling items while studying and became involved in student leadership activities.
She also developed a student initiative called LASU Fellows, which she said brought together 30 members to create opportunities for other students.
Later, she began working as an event host as she pursued her interest in communication and sought ways to earn an income.
These activities required her to manage several responsibilities while maintaining strong academic performance.
Olubunmi said her first-year GPA was 4.91 and that she consistently worked towards achieving a first-class degree.
Her academic ambitions remained strong even as she explored professional opportunities and took on responsibilities outside the classroom.
She explained that she eventually secured a full-time remote job during her final year, creating additional pressure as she tried to balance employment with lectures, examinations and her final-year project.
The job was important because she needed the income to meet her basic needs and wanted to secure employment before graduating.
However, managing work and academic responsibilities became increasingly difficult.
She recalled that her grades dropped during this period and that she received her first C in an examination, an outcome she found particularly disappointing because of her previously strong academic record.
Despite the setback, she continued working towards completing her degree.
Her experience highlights a challenge for students who must earn money while studying: employment can provide financial stability, but demanding work schedules may also compete with the time and energy required for academic success.
For students without sufficient financial support, abandoning work may not be a realistic option.
This makes affordable student accommodation, financial assistance, flexible employment arrangements and effective academic support important considerations for institutions seeking to improve student outcomes.
Sleeping at School to Continue Studying
Olubunmi said her final year was the most difficult period of her university experience.
In addition to managing her job and academic commitments, she faced periods when she lacked food or electricity.
She recalled sometimes sleeping at school because the absence of electricity in her hostel made it difficult to study at night.
These experiences demonstrate how basic living conditions can influence students’ ability to concentrate, prepare for examinations and complete assignments.
Access to electricity, adequate food, a quiet study environment and suitable accommodation can affect academic performance, particularly during demanding examination periods.
Students facing these difficulties may have to spend additional time finding places to study or securing the resources needed to complete their work.
Olubunmi’s account also illustrates the pressure that can arise when a student is determined to maintain high grades while meeting financial obligations.
She said she did not consider giving up, even during difficult periods, because she continued to view education as her opportunity to improve her circumstances.
Her experience should not, however, be interpreted as evidence that students must endure hardship to achieve academic excellence.
Rather, it highlights the challenges that can accompany educational advancement when financial and institutional support is inadequate.
Universities and relevant authorities can help students by improving access to affordable accommodation, reliable study facilities, counselling, food assistance and other forms of support where resources permit.
Such measures can help ensure that students are assessed more on their academic abilities than on the disadvantages created by their living conditions.
Her Strategy for Maintaining Strong Grades
Olubunmi attributed her academic performance partly to understanding her learning habits and organising her time around them.
She explained that she preferred studying during the day because she did not function as effectively at night.
She said she typically ate dinner around 6 p.m. and went to sleep at approximately 9 p.m., allowing her to organise her reading around the hours when she felt most productive.
She also said she preferred studying alone rather than in groups, explaining that individual study helped her concentrate on the material.
Another strategy was reading ahead of lectures.
At one point, she said she studied course materials one or two months before they were covered in class, although she later adjusted that schedule because of her other commitments.
She also emphasised the importance of understanding course outlines and identifying the topics likely to require detailed preparation.
Beyond prescribed academic materials, Olubunmi encouraged students to read widely to develop their vocabulary and broaden their understanding of different subjects.
She believes that reading beyond classroom materials helped her draw connections between academic theories and wider knowledge.
Her approach highlights the value of developing study habits that suit individual learning needs rather than assuming that every student must follow the same routine.
Students differ in their concentration patterns, schedules, responsibilities and preferred learning environments. Understanding those differences can help them organise their time more effectively.
However, effective study habits must also be supported by adequate rest, nutrition and a manageable workload.
Olubunmi’s experience suggests that academic performance involves more than the number of hours spent reading. Planning, consistency, self-awareness and the ability to balance competing responsibilities can also influence a student’s progress.
From University to Professional Employment
Olubunmi’s academic journey has also provided a foundation for her professional career.
In the interview published by Punch Newspapers, she said she was working as a communication strategist at a gadgets company after gaining experience in different sectors, including public relations and technology.
She explained that she wanted to secure employment before completing university because she did not want to graduate without a clear path towards earning an income.
Her efforts to make herself visible professionally included using social media to present her abilities and pursue opportunities.
However, securing work while completing her studies created another set of responsibilities that she had to manage.
Her experience reflects the relationship between higher education and the transition into employment.
For many graduates, obtaining a degree is an important milestone, but professional opportunities also require practical skills, relevant experience, communication abilities and the capacity to meet workplace expectations.
Students who gain experience through internships, part-time employment, volunteering or extracurricular activities may develop skills that help them prepare for professional life.
At the same time, universities and employers have an important role in helping young people bridge the gap between academic learning and workplace demands.
Career guidance, industry partnerships, internships and practical training can help students better understand the opportunities available in their chosen fields.
Olubunmi’s journey shows how academic ambition and professional preparation can develop together, although balancing both can be demanding for students with limited financial resources.
What Her Story Means for Education in Nigeria
Olubunmi’s experience provides a personal perspective on the relationship between poverty, educational access and individual achievement in Nigeria.
Her first-class result demonstrates what she was able to accomplish despite substantial personal and financial challenges.
However, her journey also highlights the importance of support systems that can help students remain in education without having to depend entirely on personal sacrifice or unexpected family assistance.
Financial hardship can affect students at different stages, from preparing for admission examinations to paying registration fees and meeting living expenses during university.
Even students with strong academic records may struggle to continue if they cannot afford the costs associated with higher education.
Scholarships, bursaries, student support programmes and accessible information about funding opportunities can help address some of these barriers.
Educational institutions can also support students by providing career guidance, mentoring and information about opportunities beyond the classroom.
For policymakers, the wider question is how to ensure that talented students from low-income households have a fair opportunity to pursue their education.
Individual success stories are important because they demonstrate what determined students can achieve. However, a sustainable education system should not depend on every student displaying extraordinary resilience in the face of avoidable hardship.
Support structures must help students develop their abilities while reducing the financial and practical obstacles that can prevent them from completing their studies.
Olubunmi’s account also highlights the importance of recognising that students have different circumstances. Some can devote most of their time to studying, while others must work, support family members or manage difficult living conditions.
Policies and university services that acknowledge these differences can help make educational opportunities more accessible.
What Happens Next?
Olubunmi’s professional career as a communication strategist marks the next stage of her journey beyond university.
Her experience in communication, public relations and technology provides a foundation for further professional development, although her future career plans were not fully detailed in the published interview.
Her story also offers lessons for students currently navigating financial difficulties while pursuing their academic ambitions.
Understanding personal learning habits, preparing ahead for examinations, seeking reliable information about scholarships and exploring suitable professional opportunities can help students make informed decisions about their education.
Nevertheless, students should not have to face these challenges alone. Families, universities, employers, government agencies and education-focused organisations all have potential roles in making higher education more accessible.
Olubunmi’s achievement is a reminder that difficult beginnings do not necessarily determine a person’s future. It also demonstrates how financial assistance, personal determination and access to opportunities can influence a student’s ability to complete university.
Her journey from street hawking to graduating with a first-class degree at LASU provides an example of academic perseverance under difficult circumstances.
The broader lesson is that educational achievement should be celebrated alongside efforts to address the barriers that make such achievements unnecessarily difficult for other students.
For Nigeria, improving access to higher education means ensuring that young people with the ability and determination to learn have a realistic opportunity to do so, regardless of their family income.
Weng Global – stories beyond borders
Sources
- Punch Newspapers — Interview with Ayomide Olubunmi published on October 10, 2026, detailing her childhood, university experience, academic achievements and professional career.
