A young Nigerian man, Oluwapelumi Osuntayo, has shared his inspiring journey after graduating with a first-class degree in engineering from the University of Ibadan (UI). He opened up about his challenging admission process, which involved writing the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and post-UTME three times before finally securing a place at the prestigious institution.
Oluwapelumi Osuntayo's UTME Experience
On his LinkedIn page, Osuntayo detailed how his initial two UTME attempts did not include UI as a choice. He wrote: "These last few days have been a deep moment of reflection and appreciation for me. I stumbled at some of my JAMB files and I saw my registration form for 2018 UTME and the 2019 UTME and made me remember how it all started till the very last days I spent in the University."
He continued: "I eventually graduated from the first and best university, but the University of Ibadan was not on my choice list for the first UTME and the second one. Bro, I have always loved Engineering, Innovation and creativity and the two universities I have always thought about and worthy of satisfying my hunger and thirst are the Federal University of Akure (FUTA) and the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Ogbomoso (LAUTECH), so I eventually settled for FUTA in the first two admission attempts."
Struggles and Persistence
In 2018, Osuntayo went for the post-UTME at FUTA, choosing Mechanical Engineering, but did not meet the cutoff. Undeterred, he tried again the following year, applying to Agricultural Engineering, yet that also did not work out. "Coming back from Akure in 2019 is someone just down and maybe full of wondering mind. On that spot, someone introduced me to the Pre-degree program at FUTA and how it is one of the ways to gain admission," he recalled.
Eventually, he obtained the UI post-UTME form, which was about to close without reopening. He prepared for the exam with a fresh mindset. "One thing that stood out for me in the whole process of writing UI PUTME that year was that I never approached it as someone who had been denied admission two times. The approach I gave to it was as though it was my first attempt."
Graduation and Future Plans
In January 2026, Osuntayo successfully defended his final project in the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering and graduated from the Faculty of Technology, University of Ibadan. He expressed gratitude: "This is the Lord's doing and marvelous in my sight. Looking forward to my Induction into the Engineering Profession. Keep showing up. Keep preparing. Keep believing."
His story has triggered reactions on social media, with many congratulating him on his achievements. In a related story, UNILAG's best graduating student shared how he was rejected by UI, while another graduate staged a one-man protest over unemployment. Meanwhile, the Lagos State University's (LASU) best graduating student also opened up about her admission struggles in an interview with Legit.ng.
