In this interview with MyNigeria, Samuel Badekale reveals what inspired him to achieve a 5.0 CGPA that made him a joint-best graduating student at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and what his life was like all through his stay on campus.

Photos of Samuel Badekale went viral on social media over the week after netizens got the news that he graduated with a perfect CGPA from the Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, UNILAG.

Many wondered how such a feat could be achieved amid the stress and rigours associated with campus and academic life in Nigeria.

According to Badekale, his determination to reach for excellence was fueled by a similar achievement made by a fellow in his community.

He said, "I think it was a divine coincidence. The year before I gained admission into the University of Lagos, someone from my community in Mushin also graduated as the overall best student of his time. So, I think that kind of triggered something in me that if someone from my community could achieve such a thing, I could also achieve the same if I put in the required hard work. So, I went to UNILAG with that mindset to strive for excellence. I came in with the mindset of having a perfect CGPA but didn’t expect I could have it because I knew situations could happen. But I give God the glory that such a dream could come into fulfilment."

Most people often associate eggheads to be without a social life. However, Badekale's campus life was different, depending on how you see it.

"Social life means so many things to different people. Some people see social life as partying as you like. I didn’t attend many parties in school but I had social interactions. Most of the parties I attended were actually during my final year week and they were Owambes, seminars and family gatherings. I wasn’t all about books. Apart from having an excellent academic standing, I commanded a club in UNILAG that created awareness of different mental health situations faced by students. I was the coach of my departmental football team. I had to organize training sessions, the formation of lineups and kits for the players. I was also part of my debating team in my final year. I represented the department and even won a medal. I could go on and on. So, it wasn’t just all about academics, I had impactful social gatherings," he said.

Born to a pastor, Badekale also had a religious life on campus and did his best to balance it with his academics.

He said, "Everything I’ve achieved is based on my religion. I’m a Christian by the way. Most of my extracurriculars were church-based. I was a regional teen president at a point, where I had to mentor quite several teenagers. I was also a Bible study and prayer coordinator who organized weekly Bible studies and prayers. I started a study group in my hostel in Jaja Hall. I remember that the date for a Bible quiz I organized coincided with the day of an exam I had to write. I remember going from an overnight meeting to writing the exam. All of these are to the glory of God.

Campuses are known to be a hotbed for relationships, with some leading to marriages while others were simply for casual sex. According to Badekale who keeps his relationship status private, his foundational mindset of striving for excellence helped him avoid such distractions.

"If I say there was no distraction, it would be a lie. Even the night before my convocation ceremony, I still had a lady come into my DM expressing how she felt about me. I think priorities matter. If you know what you want to get, you will want to minimize distraction as much as you can. That’s one of the mindsets that helped me throughout my stay at UNILAG. I knew I wanted a perfect CGPA and I knew the things that could lead to distractions; relationship is one of them. It might not be the relationship itself but the result of a failed relationship. I’ve seen people unable to concentrate in school after having a failed relationship. So, I knew I had to minimize such as much as possible, despite the attraction from the opposite gender," he said.

The graduate revealed that the news of his achievement has inspired so many people in the same way he was inspired by the fellow in his community.

"I’ve been getting quite a lot of DMs and comments saying I inspired them to achieve. That’s something I’m grateful for because sometimes we do things without knowing the ripple effect of what we’ve done. I’m glad I’ve been able to inspire a lot of people that dreams are achievable as long as you put in the required hard work and also put your faith in God," he said.

Badekale was named joint-best graduating student alongside Damilare Adebakin, both of the same department.

On their relationship, he said, "He’s a good friend of mine. I was the coach of the football team and he was the captain. We also came together to draft out tactics. We also organized tutorials together to help the class throughout our second year. So, we have a close rapport."