Brilliant Nigerian man emerges best graduating student at OAU with 4.90/5.00 CGPA in Engineering: A young Nigerian man, Monday John, has made many people proud after finishing as one of the top graduates of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife. He emerged as the Second Overall Best Graduating Student of the 2025 graduating set.
Monday studied Mechanical Engineering and graduated with a First Class degree, recording an impressive 4.90 CGPA out of 5.00. This alone shows how serious and focused his academic journey was.
He was also inducted into the Graduate Membership of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), which shows that he is ready, both academically and professionally, to practice as an engineer.
How Monday’s journey started
Monday’s story did not begin with instant success. In 2017, he wrote the UTME and did well, but admission did not come through. Instead of giving up, he stayed back and tried again in 2018. During that period, he studied on his own from home and rebuilt his academic foundation step by step.
That phase of self-study helped him understand how to learn better. It also improved his discipline and determination. Later in 2018, he gained admission into Mechanical Engineering at OAU, a school he once thought was out of reach.
According to him, his first day on campus felt unreal. It did not scare him, rather, it motivated him. From that moment, he made up his mind that he wanted to graduate with a First Class degree, even if he would not be the overall best student.
Consistency and results
Monday stayed consistent throughout his years in school. Semester after semester, he kept pushing himself. That effort paid off in the end. He did not just earn a First Class degree, he also broke records.
He emerged as:
- Best Graduating Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering
- Best Engineering Graduate, Faculty of Technology
- Second Overall Best Graduating Student in the university
His hard work also attracted several awards and scholarships, which helped him stay focused. He received the OAU Stars Award for Best Student in Mechanical Engineering at 200, 300, and 400 levels. He also won the Second Best Final Year Design Project award in his department.
Some of the scholarships he benefited from include the NNPC–Chevron and Agbami MEP Scholarship, MTN Foundation Scholarship, and Bet9ja Foundation Scholarship.
During convocation, he received other prizes such as the West Africa Portland Cement Plc Prize for Best Graduating Student in Mechanical Engineering and Prof. Mojola’s Prize for the same category.
Final year project and appreciation
Monday’s final year project was titled “Design of a Smart Plastic Shredder that Connects to the IoT.” The project showed his interest in combining engineering, technology, and sustainability.
He appreciated his project supervisor and Head of Department, Dr. Adam Muritala, for his guidance. He also thanked other lecturers who contributed to his growth, as well as Dr. Olusola Ayoola, who gave him a cash prize during his NSE induction.
Above everything, Monday gave credit to God, his parents, and his siblings for standing by him throughout the journey.
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Source: Scholarship Region
