When Aduragbemi Akindunbi finally saw his graduating CGPA, he paused, not in disbelief, but in quiet fulfilment. The number, 4.98, was not a surprise. It was a destination he had been walking toward since his first year at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA).
At 25, the Civil Engineering graduate had just written his name into the university’s history books as the Overall Best Graduating Student of the 2024 academic year, with the highest CGPA ever recorded at FUTA, surpassing the previous record of 4.96.
For Akindunbi, excellence was never about a single moment. It was about consistency. From his first semester in 100 level, when he recorded a striking 4.95 GPA, the path became clear. If that level of focus could deliver such results, he reasoned, then greater discipline and better strategy could push him even further, and so, semester after semester, the numbers quietly accumulated, reflecting long nights of study, careful planning, and a refusal to settle for less.
His journey to FUTA did not begin smoothly. Raised in Akure, he attended Divine Favour Nursery and Primary School and later Oyemekun Grammar School, where he was always among the best students, even if not the standout star.
After secondary school, financial constraints forced him to wait a year before attempting university admission. Rather than give up, he worked at a primary school, teaching and saving, while hoping for another chance. That chance came in 2019 through an unexpected act of kindness from a woman whose children he tutored. She encouraged him to sit for UTME and promised to support him if he gained admission. He scored 283, earned his place at FUTA, and stepped into university life determined not to waste the opportunity.
Civil Engineering was not a random choice. Akindunbi says he has always been drawn to infrastructure, the roads, bridges, and systems that quietly shape everyday life. That passion sustained him through one of the most demanding programmes in the university. Early mentorship also made a difference. Senior colleagues, including Michael Agwulonu, helped him understand the academic terrain and reinforced the value of discipline and collaboration. He formed study groups with like-minded peers, sharing ideas and pushing one another forward.
The road, however, was anything but perfect. There were moments when life seemed determined to test his resolve. During one examination period in 300 level, severe tooth pain left him writing exams in tears. Another exam season came with a painful skin infection that forced him to cover up fully just to sit his papers. Then, just days before exams, his iPhone that was used for content creation and academic materials was stolen. Shortly after, his Android phone developed a fault. The timing could not have been worse. Still, he showed up for his exams, reminding himself that no one else would carry the burden if he gave up.
Even excellence had its humbling moments. In 400 level, a ‘B’ grade in a course he had poured himself into dropped his CGPA from 4.99 to 4.97. For someone already known across campus as an academic pacesetter, the pressure was intense. Rumours spread quickly. Expectations weighed heavily, but Akindunbi chose reflection over despair. Life, he learned, does not always reward effort immediately. What matters is the strength to recover. He returned the following semester, earned a perfect 5.0, and lifted his final CGPA to 4.98.
Outside the lecture halls, Akindunbi is far from one-dimensional. He is a video editor and content creator, skills he developed while in school, supported by scholarships he earned along the way. He enjoys watching football and spent part of his time mentoring younger students and serving in student leadership roles that deepened both the pressure he felt and the purpose he carried.
When his name was announced at convocation as FUTA’s overall best graduating student, it marked more than academic recognition as it was the culmination of years of quiet resilience, timely mentorship, personal sacrifice, and unwavering consistency.
In the end, Aduragbemi Akindunbi’s story is not defined by a near-perfect CGPA alone, but by the discipline to pursue excellence when conditions were far from ideal. From delayed admission and financial strain to health challenges and public pressure, he chose persistence over excuses. His record-breaking 4.98 is a quiet but powerful statement: that consistency compounds, resilience matters, and extraordinary outcomes are often built through ordinary, repeated acts of commitment.
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