Meet the young man who broke academic record in the University of Ibadan

23-year-old Olayinka Olamide Sadiq has broken an academic record in the University of Ibadan (UI).

According to The Nation report, Sadiq made history at the convocation of the University of Ibadan last week when he got eight out of 11 possible distinctions in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. He beat the record of seven distinctions which was set by a student some years ago.

He was also the overall best graduating student of the university.

In an interview with The Nation, Sadiq disclosed why, with his intelligence, he chose to study Veterinary medicine, as opposed to Medicine or Surgery.

“Years ago, University of Ibadan practised a mode of admission where your credentials are graded; basically your JAMB and O-level results.  Unfortunately, my O-Level was not included, so my weighted average was so low.  It was 27.5; too low for the course I wanted. Veterinary medicine was neither my first nor second choice. It was an alternative as ‘change of course’ due to what I call irregularities, which prevented me from being admitted for Basic Medical Science.”

Sadiq has also always been confident in his abilities and believes he would be the best student in his class. Although, he did admit that he never imagined he will be the best in the school.

“I knew I was going to do very well in the university, but being the best overall student of the year…sincerely I did not think of it. I had some B grades despite the fact that I still scored highest in those courses. The number of distinctions attainable in the veterinary school, university of Ibadan is 11 and I made 8.  The other three courses were B grades,” he said.

When asked how he was able to achieve this feat, Sadiq said, "Being a first class student takes hard-work, focus and prayer to sustain. Some are gifted, but work is still required. Prayer is a necessity if we want to survive the hurdles of life; I am a Muslim and I pray five times daily. Distractions would always surface, but when you are focused, you will be able to achieve many things, even with the numerous distractions in the university.

“In veterinary school, 24 hours is never enough. Going to class Mondays to Fridays, from 8am to 5pm; extra-classes on weekends, numerous tests from various departments…It is impossible to thrive without burning the midnight oil.”

After his youth  service, Sadiq plans to enrol for a postgraduate course in diagnostic medicine, hopefully in the United States.