“I Feel Incomplete If I Don’t Read Every Day” — How UNILAG’s Best Graduating Student Earned a Perfect 5.0 CGPA While Funding Himself Through School

Benedict Umeozor, a 24-year-old graduate of Business Administration, emerged as the Overall Best Graduating Student at the University of Lagos after finishing with a perfect CGPA of 5.00. His achievement is not only a story of academic excellence but also one of discipline, self-funding, skill development, and strategic time management.

For Benedict, graduating with a first-class degree was a deliberate goal from the moment he gained admission. He later discovered that no student in his faculty and department had ever achieved a perfect CGPA, a discovery that strengthened his resolve to set a new record.

He described the achievement as deeply fulfilling, noting that it reflects consistency, discipline, and personal growth over the years rather than just grades.

Originally from Unubi in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Benedict was raised in Lagos, where he completed his primary, secondary, and tertiary education. After finishing secondary school in 2017, financial challenges delayed his university education. He stayed with his uncle at Balogun Market, worked for a period, and made multiple attempts before gaining admission into UNILAG in 2019.

He is the first of four children, and his mother is a tailor. Conscious of the financial responsibilities facing his parents, Benedict made a bold decision to fund himself through university from his second year to graduation. He paid his tuition, accommodation, and other expenses without relying on his parents.

This decision meant he had to combine full academic responsibilities with multiple income streams. He worked as a software developer building products for companies, ran academic tutorials for students on campus, and also served as a technology instructor for secondary school students through tech education organisations.

Despite these commitments, he maintained a strict reading culture. From the beginning of each semester, he sourced course materials from senior students and began studying early. Rather than fixating on long study hours, he set a minimum target of one hour of reading every day, ensuring he never skipped a day.

According to him, there were days he read for up to eight hours and others when he could only manage one hour. What mattered most was consistency. On days he didn’t read, he said he felt incomplete until he picked up his books.

Benedict also credited his success to adaptability during the COVID-19 lockdown and the ASUU strike, which extended his academic calendar. During this period, he developed software skills and learnt how to balance work and academics effectively.

Another major factor was his study group, known as “The Achievers.” The group consisted of disciplined and ambitious students who held themselves accountable through structured rules and shared academic goals. Being surrounded by intellectually driven peers pushed him to maintain high standards.

Recognising his weakness in calculation-based courses, he sought alternative learning methods, including YouTube tutorials, to strengthen his understanding of difficult topics.

In addition to his personal studies, Benedict co-founded a tutorial platform for students, charging about ₦12,000 per course each semester. Initially conducted physically, the tutorials later moved online due to hostel renovations and accommodation shortages on campus. He adopted digital teaching tools like Microsoft Whiteboard and began recording sessions, allowing students to revisit lessons at any time.

The success of the online format led students to prefer it over physical classes, enabling him to continue running the tutorials even after graduation.

His ambition to graduate with a perfect CGPA intensified after witnessing previous UNILAG convocations where students achieved 5.0. Seeing others accomplish the feat convinced him it was possible, even when many seniors insisted it was nearly impossible in his faculty. He eventually became the first student in the Faculty of Management Sciences and the Department of Business Administration to achieve this record.

With a background that blends Business Administration and software development, Benedict sees his future in the FinTech sector, where business and technology intersect. He plans to pursue further studies up to the PhD level and hopes to study abroad.

For students striving for academic excellence, he emphasised the importance of mindset, discipline, community, and mentorship. He advised students not to be intimidated by the performance of others but to focus on their personal goals and remain consistent.

Benedict’s story highlights how determination, daily study habits, skill development, and financial independence can combine to produce exceptional academic results, even under challenging circumstances.