Thirty-year-old commercial motorcyclist and bricklayer, Toyinbo Hezekiah, who graduated as the overall best student from the Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, said he was determined to achieve academic success despite coming from a poor background.
Hezekiah who hails from Igude, a village in the Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State, said his academic path is quite unexpected as his parents were not educated and his village is known for farming.
“My academic path is quite unexpected, influenced by both chance and divine guidance. My parents do not pursue scholarly pursuits, and those around me lack a strong academic foundation. However, I possess a genetic predisposition for intelligence, particularly from my mother. This knowledge motivates me to seek out environments that fully nurture and showcase this innate ability,” he added.
In an interview with Punch Newspapers, Hezekiah, said he is famously known as a commercial motorcycle rider and bricklayer because those were the jobs he did to support his education while in school.
“In the 2020/2021 academic year, I was the top student in Animal Breeding and Genetics at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, graduating with first-class honours. Many people know me as a commercial motorcycle rider and bricklayer because those were the jobs I did to support my education while in school. However, my goal was simply to become a graduate. Considering my academic background and financial limitations, achieving first-class honour was not part of my plan. However, I started with a GPA of 3.8, which is second-class upper division, and that was my lowest GPA. In the first semester of my third year, I achieved a GPA of 5.0, which made me realise that I had the potential to graduate with first-class honour. From that point, I dedicated more time to studying. It was in the second semester of my final year that my CGPA reached the first-class division with a score of 4.55,” he said.
Hezekiah noted that his strong passion for academics motivated him to overcome obstacles, including working as a bricklayer and Okada rider to pay his tuition.
He also had to battle the stigma of being a commercial motorcycle rider and bricklayer.
“Yes, there were numerous challenging times. One example was during and after exams. While my classmates relied on exam packages and support from friends and family, I had to borrow money and repay it after the exams. Instead of resting like my peers, I would immediately start working to pay off my debts and save money for the following semester. The primary difficulty was the complete lack of time for rest. Additionally, it was challenging to avoid perceiving myself as just an ordinary okada rider or bricklayer while working alongside my course mates,” he said.
Speaking on how he managed his education pursuit while working as an Okada rider and bricklayer, Hezekiah stressed, “I am constantly grateful to God for the strength He has given me and how He has prepared me for the challenges ahead. However, reading every day helps with the nature of my work. During continuous assessment tests and examinations, all I do is revise instead of serious reading. However, during breaks and strikes, I tend to work more, and when school resumed, I dedicated weekends to work. I stopped working towards exams.”
Heekiah, who noted that he was not rewarded despite bagging a first-class degree, said he is engaged in farm work and free consultation for farmers.
“I’m already engaged in farm work. I am engaged in rearing various breeds of chicken and offering free consultation to individuals who have a passion for farming but lack the necessary knowledge. Additionally, I am learning valuable insights from experienced farmers who have been practicing agriculture for a significant amount of time. Practical experience holds more value than mere theoretical knowledge,” he said.
He called for more recognition for outstanding students as a way of encouraging students to be more diligent in their academic pursuits.
