The two first class students of Kwara State University, Metele, have attributed their successes to hard work and determination, saying hard work and determination are the secret behind their success.

Comfort Yemi Folorunsho and Olatunji Mustapha Abdulkadir, bagged First Class honours degrees in Animal Production and Computer Science respectively. While Miss Folorunsho emerged the overall best graduate in the set with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.62/4.0, Abdulkadir was the second best graduating student with a CGPA of 3.61/4.0.

Folorunsho said: "I love agriculture with passion and graduating with First Class degree is a dream that has come true. You know when you are determined to achieve something, you keep on pursuing it even though it may seem sometimes that you are not getting it, but you still have that determination that you would get it.

"I encountered so many challenges. Sometimes you have to read throughout the night. You will see others playing while you would be reading because you know what you want to achieve. So you just try as much as possible to concentrate on what you are doing. You won't look at side attractions, you won't look at what people say because you know what you are doing. You just try to concentrate."

On his part, Abdulkadir said he maintained a tight schedule which he stuck to to achieve his goal. I follow a very tight schedule with total commitment.

Everybody has a dream but you have to wake up and make it a reality. You set your goal, you know what is required to achieve it, then you have to take those steps and stay focussed. That is the secret and I think success is guaranteed.

A total of 349 students graduated with Bachelors of Science, Arts and Agric degrees in various programmes. Ten students from the College of Agriculture, 36 from the College of Education, 184 in the College of Humanities, Management and Social Sciences, 67 in the College of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) while 52 were from the College of Pure and Applied Sciences.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abdulrasheed Na'Allah, said the two first class graduates would be made fellows of the university's Resident Life Fellows programme under which they would work as staff of the university during the one-year mandatory service where they would engage in academic projects in their respective departments.

Na'Allah advised the graduating students to explore the entrepreneurship skills learnt in the university to be self-employed. "It will be a dishonour to your university if you are found not using your entrepreneurship skills to create wealth for yourself and your respective communities," he said.