Lagos State University Graduate Who Was Denied Admission at UNILAG 3 Times Emerges as Best Graduate
- Oyewole Samod Atanda emerged as the Best Graduating Student in LASU's Chemical Engineering Department with a 4.84 CGPA despite initially studying Physics Education
- The LASU graduate revealed that he was denied admission into UNILAG three times before securing a transfer to Chemical Engineering
- During an interview with Legit.ng, Oyewole opened up about scoring 1/30 in a test, battling low grades, sleeping in classrooms, and the sacrifices he made for success
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A Lagos State University (LASU) graduate, Oyewole Samod Atanda, has shared the remarkable story of how he overcame years of rejection and academic challenges to become the best graduating student in his department.
In an interview with Legit.ng, the Chemical Engineering graduate opened up about his journey from being denied admission into the University of Lagos (UNILAG) three times to graduating with an impressive 4.84 CGPA.
Source: UGC
The first-class graduate emerged as the Best Graduating Student in the Department of Chemical Engineering and the second-best graduating student in the Faculty of Engineering for the 2025/2026 academic session.
LASU graduate shares how he became BGS
Introducing himself during the interview, Oyewole Atanda said he did not begin his university journey in Chemical Engineering.
According to him, he was initially admitted to study Physics Education before later transferring to the Department of Chemical Engineering in his second year.
He said that despite graduating with an outstanding result, seeing his final CGPA still felt surprising.
Source: UGC
He said:
"Honestly, I didn't know what to feel at first. If you had told me in 200 Level, when my CGPA dropped from 4.94 to 4.70, when I was carrying letters from one lecturer to another, when I was crying over Engineering Drawing, that I would graduate with 4.84, I would have laughed in your face."
The LASU graduate explained that he felt grateful not only for the result itself but also for the difficult journey that led to it.
LASU graduate denied UNILAG admission 3 times
Speaking on his academic path, Oyewole disclosed that studying Engineering had always been his dream.
He revealed that he sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) three times in an effort to gain admission to the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
Source: Getty Images
According to him, he scored 230, 242, and 273 in different attempts but was unable to secure admission into his preferred university for an Engineering course.
He said:
"I had always wanted to study Engineering. I did JAMB three times, scoring 230, 242, and 273, trying to get into UNILAG for Civil Engineering."
After years of waiting at home, he was eventually admitted to the Physics Education programme at LASU.
However, he never abandoned his dream of becoming an engineer.
He added:
"In 100 Level, I met someone who told me I could transfer from one course to another within LASU if I had a good CGPA. That became my goal. I worked hard, ended with 4.94, and applied for an intra-university transfer to Chemical Engineering. It was approved, and I never looked back."
LASU graduate transfers from Physics to Engineering
While many expected the transfer to be a breakthrough moment, Oyewole described it as one of the most difficult periods of his life.
He explained that he joined the department seven weeks after lectures had started and struggled to catch up with courses he had missed.
He said:
"It was the hardest thing I've ever done."
"I transferred into Chemical Engineering seven weeks late. I had missed tests, and I had to play catch-up in courses like Engineering Mathematics, Applied Mechanics, and Strength of Materials. Engineering Drawing, my weakness; gave me 2s(D) twice."
"I went to exam halls with half knowledge. I cried some days because I couldn't grasp concepts that I knew I would have understood if I had started with everyone else. I moved from one person's hostel to another just to learn. I was always on YouTube. I cut people off. I was reading over 10 hours a day, and still struggling."
"It was tough. But I stayed consistent."
LASU first-class graduate recounts academic setbacks
Beyond academic challenges, Oyewole also faced administrative issues after changing departments.
According to him, his new status as a transfer student created problems with course registration.
He said several lecturers initially believed he had not registered for their courses because his matriculation number differed from those of other students in the department.
The confusion reportedly resulted in four zero scores appearing on his portal.
"I saw four zeros on my portal. I carried letters from one lecturer to another, looking homeless, using all my money to print documents."
Although the issue was eventually resolved, he described the experience as traumatic.
Despite the obstacles, Oyewole said he eventually became convinced that transferring to Chemical Engineering was the right decision.
He pointed to his Industrial Training experience at Matrix Energy as a turning point.
According to him, working in a real engineering environment helped him understand how classroom concepts applied to real-life situations.
The experience strengthened his passion for the profession and confirmed that he had chosen the right career path.
He also found fulfillment in teaching his classmates, who often relied on him to simplify difficult topics.
LASU's Oyewole Atanda attains 4.84 CGPA
The graduate admitted that academic success came with significant sacrifices.
He disclosed that he sometimes slept in classrooms due to accommodation challenges and often spent long hours on campus studying.
He also reduced his social activities in order to focus on his academic goals.
Despite the difficulties, he said every sacrifice eventually paid off.
"But looking back, every sacrifice was worth it. Because today, I'm standing here with 4.84, as the Best Graduating Student of my department. And I wouldn't trade that for anything."
UNILAG graduate lands job at Bank of America
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that a University of Lagos (UNILAG) graduate secured a full-time role at Bank of America after completing an internship with the firm in 2024.
She joined the American multinational bank as a Fixed Income Trade Support Analyst earlier in 2026, following the completion of her undergraduate degree.
Source: Legit.ng
