LAUTECH First-Class Graduate Who Worked as Labourer Shares Story, Bags 5 Major Awards

LAUTECH First-Class Graduate Who Worked as Labourer Shares Story, Bags 5 Major Awards

  • A Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) graduate has celebrated with a touching story after bagging an excellent result
  • The young graduate worked as a manual labourer, carrying cement to self-finance his university education
  • He spoke about how he was able to achieve such feat despite his background, sparking applause from many

A Nigerian graduate, Agbalaya Jubril Ayomide, has shared an emotional story on TikTok about how he overcame financial hardship to emerge as the second overall best graduating student at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH).

The BSc Economics graduate revealed that he had to work as a manual labourer, carrying bags of cement to fund his education from secondary school through his university days.

A LAUTECH graduate shares how he, being a cement labourer, came out top in his academics with first class degree.
A LAUTECH graduate who does manual labour in school bags first class. Photo credit: @jubrilagbalaya3/TikTok
Source: TikTok

Ayomide shared photos from his time working on construction sites alongside pictures of his graduation gown and the numerous awards he received.

LAUTECH graduate, once labourer bags first-class

Ayomide also revealed that he was once a welding apprentice but had to leave the career in May 2019. From then on, he started carrying cement so he could finance his studies.

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Ayomide said:

"Tears of joy filled my eyes when I was honoured as the Second Overall Best Graduating Student in the University. The weight of my struggles since October 2018, and being a first-generation university student came rushing back to my mind. In May 2019, I chose to leave my welding apprenticeship and started carrying cement to finance my education from high school through university, even when my parents doubted me because of my two older siblings' struggles in their own education. With a meagre daily wage, I fought relentlessly to finance my education."

LAUTECH graduate breaks university records

The first-generation graduate stated that for him to cope with his studies, he mingled with medical students who motivated him to read for an average of 19 hours per day throughout his undergraduate years.

He added that immediately after his exams each semester, he took a bus to Ibadan to work and raise funds for the next semester.

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Ayomide eventually graduated with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.86 out of 5.0, breaking the highest academic records ever recorded in both his department and faculty.

He also served as his department's president and as a member of the Student Caretaker Committee in 2025, culminating in five major university awards on his graduation day.

He said:

"I served as:
1. President of My Department
2. Member of the Student Caretaker Committee'2025
3. Graduated with the highest CGPA ever recorded both my department and faculty
4. Received multiple awards for academic excellence and leadership impact
Today, I received five major awards, across my faculty and at the University level and I am proud of myself..."

See his TikTok post below:

UNILAG graduate breaks family record with result

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that a graduate of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, who gained admission into the university while her mates were graduating, trended online as she finishes with a first-class degree and also sets a new record in her family.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Oluwadara Adebisi avatar

Oluwadara Adebisi (Human Interest Editor) Adebisi Oluwadara is a Human Interest Editor who joined Legit.ng in January 2026. He has over seven years of experience in press release writing and journalism. He graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, in 2021 with a bachelor's degree in Food Science and Technology. However, he was mentored in journalism and became a certified journalist after completing the Google News Initiative courses in Advanced Digital Reporting and Fighting Misinformation. He can be reached at oluwadara.adebisi@corp.legit.ng