AFRICA | An exceptional Nigerian lady named Yusuf Aminat, has achieved yet another incredible academic milestone after winning the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship to study for her Master’s degree at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
This new success comes after her historic, record-breaking performance at Lagos State University (LASU). Aminat’s story is one of consistency, excellence, and remarkable hard work.
Aminat's Story and How She did It
In 2023, she graduated from LASU with a perfect 5.00/5.00 CGPA in Law, breaking the university’s 40-year-old record. Her journey started in the Diploma in Law programme, where she scored an outstanding 4.98 CGPA over two years.
She later advanced into LASU’s Faculty of Law, where she remained exceptional throughout the five-year programme, earning straight A’s in every test and examination she sat for.
Her stellar performance made her the overall best student for the 2021/2022 academic session. For this achievement, the Lagos State government awarded her ₦10 million and automatic employment.
Building on that success, Aminat reached another historic milestone in 2025 when she won the highly competitive Rhodes Scholarship. She made history as the top Rhodes Scholar for West Africa (2026 cohort).
The Rhodes Scholarship is a fully funded opportunity covering two postgraduate degrees. Aminat will pursue a Master of Laws and later a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at the University of Oxford, with a monthly stipend sufficient for a comfortable life in the UK.
Sharing her journey on LinkedIn, Aminat revealed that her Rhodes application started barely 20 hours after her Law School results were released. What was meant to be a simple consolation call from her mentor, Yusuf Asamu Olalere, became the push she needed to apply.
At the time, she felt exhausted and unmotivated to begin another demanding process, one requiring deep reflection, intellectual rigour, resilience, and strong vision.
She even had setbacks: she did not have an international passport, nor was she ready for the IELTS exam. But out of respect for a mentor who had always supported her, she applied.
According to her, the Rhodes application is a five-stage process, and she is grateful she found the strength to proceed.
Aminat expressed profound gratitude to her referees, her lecturers and top legal professionals in Nigeria, for their guidance, character references, prayers, and constant encouragement.
She also celebrated her mentor for his prayers, constant support, and for always grounding her throughout the journey.
Aminat noted that this achievement is even more meaningful because it coincides with the 63rd anniversary of Olaniwun Ajayi LP.
Reading the memoir of the firm’s founder, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, reinforced her belief that success becomes predictable when the right values align with the right environment — even in the face of challenges.
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