AFRICA | A young Nigerian Lady who almost dropped out because of school fees defies odds, earns 4.58 first class degree in Mass communication.
A young Nigerian lady named Funmilola Onabanjo has achieved a remarkable milestone by earning a first-class degree in Mass Communication with a CGPA of 4.58 from the University of Lagos, Nigeria.
Funmilola’s journey was fraught with financial challenges that nearly forced her to drop out of school, but she persevered with unwavering determination and faith.
She recounted her story on Instagram, reflecting on her journey with deep gratitude. In 2018, she and her brother were both admitted to the University of Lagos, but their father’s struggling business could not support the tuition fees for both siblings.
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Faced with the difficult choice of giving up her admission, Funmilola was determined to stay in school, recalling the effort it took to excel in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and secure admission into the prestigious university.
At the time, she had some savings, but it was barely enough to cover her registration fees. Miraculously, two days before the payment deadline, she raised the required amount. From that moment, Funmilola committed herself to academic excellence.
Initially, Funmilola aimed for a perfect 5.0 CGPA, inspired by the promise of a monetary award for first-class students in their first year. Although she did not receive the rumored reward, she persevered and maintained her academic excellence throughout her university journey.
Beyond her academic success, Funmilola accomplished numerous feats during her time at the university including writing content that ranked on Google’s first page multiple times and working as a freelance content writer and copywriter for national and international clients.
As an athlete, she won the Dean’s Cup female football medal twice, along with several gold and silver medals in athletics (200m to 400m races)
Funmilola interned as a brand manager at X3M Ideas in 2021, served as a copywriter at Insight Publicis in 2023, and secured funds and an internship offer through the 2024 ADWAVE competition.
She also worked as a content director and social media manager for Sulcata TV, creating content for the Pulse Influencer Awards that was reposted by top influencers.
Funmilola stated that she co-hosted “Aging Matters” on Unilag 103.1 FM, launched her department’s weekly newsletter, and represented her school fellowship as a presenter for Scholar’s Awards.
As the youth president of her home church, she organized its first-ever youth program and emerged as the first runner-up in the inaugural ADWAVE competition in 2020.
Reflecting on these achievements, Funmilola expressed her gratitude to God, her family, friends, and everyone who supported her during the academic journey. She credits her success to her unwavering faith and reliance on the words of Deuteronomy 29:11.
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