Ayodele Daniel Dada, the star graduand of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), is already the toast of many companies.
The 29-year-old Psychology graduate set a record for achieving the maximum 5.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) in the university.
After receiving his scroll at the 2014/2015 convocation, he said he has been approached by many companies, three of them multinationals.
Dada, who is working as an intern in one of the firms he refused to mention, said he has not made up his mind which one to go with.
“Many companies have been requesting for my services. I won’t mention them but there are three solid offers now and I am currently on an internship with a global multinational company,” he said.
At the convocation, Dada carted home prizes worth N1 million for his sterling performance.
He won eight awards of various categories, including the Vice Chancellor’s award for the best graduating student, worth N600 000. He also got N500 000 from the UNILAG Alumni Association, which was presented by the National president, Dr Sunny Kuku.
Kuku, who announced the award while admitting the new graduands into the alumni association, said the body rewarded him with N100, 000 to represent each CGPA he attained, adding up to N500, 000, as against the association’s usual N100, 000 cash prize to the best graduating student as well as a plaque.
Dada, who was thrilled by the awards, expressed profound gratitude to the institution for their support.
Being the top of his class from his first year, he said he used the opportunity to teach his peers and younger ones as much as he could and eventually got paid for his tutoring services.
“I give glory to God and I understand that it took a lot to get here. I am proud of all the people who were part of my success story. I also feel the weight of the responsibility that this achievement bequeaths on me.
“I did private tutoring for my colleagues and my juniors while in school and they paid me for it. It was useful for me even in my own academics. I got the advantages both academically and financially,” Dada said.
Delivering his valedictory speech, Dada said being the best was not only about reading books, but having a balanced life and surmounting impossibilities.
He said: “I was a social person throughout school. I attended birthday parties, cinemas, I had so many movies on my laptop and I was sharing them with my colleagues, as I was sharing notes as well.
“I have fond memories. I was the head of my final year planning committee for dinners, symposium, and was involved in a lot of other things. But I didn’t have a girlfriend.
“I had close friends but I did not want to have to deal with a lot of things at the same time. I was working and schooling. You don’t have to be a genius to get the results of a genius. Just target excellence always. The nation needs us. We must readily take direction for our lives.”
