Date: 2016-10-23

One of the graduands at the University of Ilorin 32nd convocation ceremony, Yusuf Ololade Faidat, was the centre of attraction yesterday, having clinched 19 prizes.

Faidat, who is in her early 20s beat the men in her department to win the prize for the best graduating student from the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences.

She received the prize of N20,000 awarded each session by the Senate to the student adjudged to be the best in each faculty.

She also got another prize of N10,000, awarded by the Senate to the best student in each department. Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that Faidat took home prizes for best student in the departments of Behavioural Sciences, Pathology, Community medicine, Paediatrics and child health, Medicine, Ophthalmology, Obstetrics and gynaecology and Surgery.

Also, out of the 12 endowed prizes and scholarships, Faidat got 10 of them which are; the Henry Adewoye prize for best graduating student in Chemical pathology, Late Dr. Hamza Olayinka Brimoh prize for best graduating student in Medicine, Prof. Mathew Akinyemi Araoye prize for best graduating student in Medicine, Abdullahi Mohammed/Ilorin community prize for best graduating student in Child health.

Others are the late Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki prize for best graduating student in Medicine, Prof Stephen K. Odaibo’s prize for best graduating students in Surgery, Justice Mohammed Mustapha Akanbi's prize for best graduating female student in College of medicine, 1992-1995 prize for best overall pre-clinical medical graduand at 1st professional MBBS and best overall clinical medical graduand in Part III final MBBS as well as Albert Anjorin prize donated by the Ilorin Medical Student Association (ILUMSA) Alumni for best graduating student in Pathology.

The overjoyed Faidat, while speaking to our correspondent attributed her success to the Almighty and perseverance.

"As a woman you can become whatever you want to be once you are persistent, irrespective of number of men around you. I read for about four hours every day," she said.

The Deputy Executive Secretary of the National University Commission (NUC), Prof. Chinedu Mafiana, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the occasion, urged the University of Ilorin to retain her.

He warned university managers in the country against wasteful spending, saying any fund made available to them should be spent on productive activities.

"The government is aware of the hardship the citizens are going through at the moment but I want to assure all Nigerians that we shall overcome the present economic doldrums. Our country is blessed with great potentialities and resources that have yet to be harnessed. The task to restore our country to economic prosperity does not depend on government alone. All of us, men and women of our great country must be involved in the struggle to build a viable and virile country for the general well-being", he said.