AFRICA | A brilliant Nigerian man, Yusuf Abednego, has made history at the Department of Political Science, University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), Nigeria, by becoming the first student in over a decade to graduate with a First-Class degree.
His achievement is even more remarkable because he was the only student to earn First-Class honors out of 192 students in his graduating class.
Reflecting on his academic journey in a Facebook post, Yusuf described his pursuit of a First-Class degree as one filled with numerous obstacles and challenges beyond just studying and passing exams.
Yusuf’s challenges began in his first year when his academic status was released. Instead of the 4.80 GPA he expected, he was given 4.51. At the time, he assumed it was a minor error that could be easily corrected.
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Determined to excel, Yusuf set a goal of achieving a perfect 5.0 GPA in his 200-level studies. In his first semester, he earned a 4.77 GPA, and in his second semester, he scored a 4.90 GPA.
However, when his cumulative grade point average (CGPA) was released, instead of 4.82, he saw 4.52. Despite making multiple attempts to rectify this error, the issue remained unresolved until his final year.
As Yusuf progressed in his studies, he began hearing rumors about his department’s reluctance to award First-Class degrees.
Some people speculated that the department had not produced a First-Class graduate in 10 years and that no matter how hard he worked, he would not be allowed to break the record.
Others claimed his religious background or being a non-indigene could impact his chances. Despite these discouraging statements, Yusuf remained focused and determined.
However, things took a turn for the worse in his third year, when for the first time, he received C and D grades—results he believed did not truly reflect his performance. He attributed this setback to two major factors.
One was that he encountered lecturers who were notorious for not awarding A grades, and even B grades which significantly affected his GPA and the other heavy involvement with other activities aside from academics.
Yusuf served as a Student leader in multiple organizations, including being the
PRO of the Union of Campus Journalists, Member of the SUG Ministry of Programs & Competitions, and representative of UNIMAID in various national programs and competitions.
Due to these responsibilities, his daily routine was packed with lectures, tutorials, meetings, and official functions, sometimes causing him to miss classes. Some of his peers even questioned whether he had sacrificed his First-Class ambition for student unionism.
Despite these setbacks, when his third-year results were released, he still topped his class with a 4.64 CGPA.
Additionally, his CGPA remained the highest in the department from 100 to 400 level. He was awarded the Best Graduating Student but still had no certainty of achieving a First-Class due to the challenges.
After his final exams, Yusuf assumed the struggles were over until he called his Level Coordinator to inquire about the final result press release who in turn told him, he was less than one point to graduate with first-class.
Yusuf immediately recalled an error in his 100-level results, where a 3-unit course he scored 86 (A) was mistakenly recorded as 55 (C). Since he had always documented his results, he quickly found the details and forwarded them to his coordinator.
Later that evening, his coordinator confirmed the error after cross-checking the hard copy records in the HOD’s office. However, he advised Yusuf to wait for the official press release to know his final fate.
After years of uncertainty and struggle, the final press release confirmed Yusuf’s First-Class status, making him the first Political Science First-Class graduate in over 10 years at UNIMAID.
Yusuf said even though the academic journey was tough and challenging, he is glad he persevered and won.
”In the end, despite all the challenges that I faced, in a class of over 400 students, I graduated with First-class, breaking the 10-year record in the department of Political Science,” he said.
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