OAU Engineering Graduate Who Failed WAEC Math and Wrote UTME 3 Times Bags First Class
- Emmanuel Olalere wrote UTME and WAEC three times before gaining admission to Obafemi Awolowo University
- During an interview with Legit.ng, Emmanuel revealed that he later graduated with a 4.79/5.00 CGPA in Chemical Engineering, emerging as the Best Graduating Student in his department
- He also served as NSChE student chapter president and led reforms that boosted the department’s national ranking
A graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Emmanuel Olalere, has shared his inspiring academic journey after emerging as the Best Graduating Student (BGS) in his department despite earlier struggles to gain admission to school.
In an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, Emmanuel revealed that he wrote the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) three times and also repeated the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WAEC) three times before gaining admission into the university.
Source: Twitter
Despite the rocky start, he later graduated with a 4.79/5.00 CGPA in Chemical Engineering, becoming the top graduating student in his department.
Speaking with Legit.ng, Emmanuel opened up about his academic journey, the setbacks he faced, and how he eventually found his passion.
OAU BGS writes UTME, WAEC 3 times
When asked about his early academic journey, Emmanuel disclosed that he had to retake both UTME and WAEC multiple times before gaining admission.
According to him, his first UTME score was 178 out of 400, which was not high enough to secure admission into his school of choice.
He said:
“I wrote JAMB three times. First: 178/400. Second: 212/400. Third (the one I gained admission with): 287/400.”
He also revealed that he wrote WAEC three times due to challenges with some subjects, particularly Mathematics.
“I was failing Mathematics. Mathematics and a couple of other subjects, I simply wasn’t good enough.”
OAU Best Graduating Student shares academic journey
Emmanuel also told Legit.ng that his original plan was to study Medicine and Surgery at the University of Ibadan, which he chose for his first two UTME attempts.
However, after his second attempt at UTME did not yield the desired result, he began reassessing his strengths.
Source: UGC
“After my second JAMB, I realised I hadn’t scored high enough to gain admission. That was when I decided to focus on myself and explore my strengths.”
Through that process of self-discovery, he realised he had a strong ability in mathematics, which ironically, he struggled with in his WAEC.
OAU first-class graduate shares academic journey
Despite his strength in mathematics, Emmanuel said he did not want to study Mathematics as a standalone degree.
Instead, he started researching courses that were heavily grounded in mathematics.
That was when he discovered Chemical Engineering.
He said:
“I began researching engineering fields that were heavily grounded in mathematics, and that’s when I came across Chemical Engineering. I fell in love almost instantly.”
He later discovered that the University of Ibadan did not offer the course.
Source: UGC
While searching for universities that did, Obafemi Awolowo University stood out to him.
“OAU immediately stood out and appealed to me the most. I fell in love with the school almost immediately.”
At OAU, Emmanuel’s academic story took a completely different turn.
He revealed that he consistently ranked as the top student in his class from 200-level to 500-level.
By the time he graduated, he had achieved a CGPA of 4.79 out of 5.00, making him the Best Graduating Student in his department, Chemical Engineering.
OAU graduate Emmanuel Olalere's achievements
Beyond academics, Emmanuel was also actively involved in leadership roles.
He served as the immediate past President of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers (NSChE), Obafemi Awolowo University student chapter.
During his tenure, he led several reforms that improved the department’s activities and visibility.
According to him, the chapter rose to become one of the top two NSChE student chapters in Nigeria.
He said:
"I consistently ranked as the top student in my class from 200 to 500 level.
"I served as the immediate past President of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers (NSChE), Obafemi Awolowo University Student Chapter.
"As President, I spearheaded major and forward-looking reforms within the department.
"Under my leadership, our department rose to become one of the top two NSChE student chapters in Nigeria.
"I was recognised as one of the top two NSChE student chapter leaders in the country.
"I underwent my undergraduate industrial training at Chevron Nigeria Limited.
"I'm also known for my high level physical fitness."
From failing Mathematics to eventually excelling in a mathematically intensive course like Chemical Engineering, he said persistence and self-discovery played major roles in his success.
Today, Emmanuel Olalere is celebrated as one of the standout graduates of his set.
University of Jos graduate breaks family record
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that a young University of Jos graduate, Victory Oluwadamilola Ajani, celebrated a major milestone after becoming the first engineer in her family.
Her announcement and photos sparked congratulatory reactions from social media users online.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
