The department of Mass Communication University of Lagos made history by graduating all female students with first-class honours since it was established 59 years ago.

The female students were among the graduates at the last convocation held in January 2025.

Some of these ladies have shared their journey towards achieving this great academic feat.

Igbinlade Princess who emerged as the department’s overall best graduating student with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CPGA) of 4.78 narrated how her academic voyage was greeted with disappointment as her first admission was withdrawn.

Despite her short-lived joy, Temiloluwa rose above the setback, coming out victoriously to secure her admission into the University of Lagos, but stressed that her academic journey did not escape the stings of recurring Academics Staff University Union (ASUU) strikes and the lockdown during Covid-19.

“My admission was withdrawn at first and I had to start again. I had delays in academics during ASUU strikes and Covid-19,” she said.

Conversely, Princess described earning first class honours as not proof of academic excellence, underscoring the virtues of goal-setting, perseverance and faith in God as the qualities that helped her in her journey.

“Aiming to excel academically is not just first class; it is literally doing, being consistent and putting your trust in God.

“It demands perseverance for everything that will come your way; you will be tested and tried. Just take one step at a time, set your goals for what you want to see, imagine it, meditate on it and match your actions with your faith and you will get results,” she said.

She alluded her source of motivation to the scriptural verse which says “Whatever your hands find to do, do it diligently,” acknowledging the roles of her parents and friends to the feat she achieved.

“I have a friend who started calling me my BGS from level 300. I am most grateful to God for the wisdom it took to overcome them all,” she said.

Prior to gaining admission, Princess revealed that part of her plans was to graduate at the age of 22, but could not achieve it, expressing optimism to follow God’s plan for her life.

“My diary as a 15-year-old child was to finish school at the age of 22, get my first job and car at 23 and be married at 24, but I am 24 anyways, that dairy is thrown out. It was during the COVID era that I felt like I am going to use this certificate and glory be to God. I am going to use my certificate by God’s grace.

“I am not rushing. I am just taking it one step at a time. I am just trusting God. I am not flowing with life. I am flowing with God,” she said.

Faith Enang’s exploit had come to bear before the public display of her earning her first-degree with a CGPA of 4.58 as she served twice as the Managing Editor and Editor-in-Chief of Unilag Sun – the institution’s newspaper.

Describing her journey, Faith, who was full of joy, said it was a learning curve for her.

“Studying Mass Communication at the University of Lagos was a blessing. Not only because of the school or course but because of the people with whom my path crossed,” she said.

She, however, stressed that her journey was laced with hurdles, highlighting the choice to major in and navigate the path to excellently deliver her quotas in several positions she held.

“However, my six years were not without its challenges. One of which was deciding what sequence I wanted to major in. I tested the waters before settling for the print where my strength lies.

“To be honest with you, I never struck a balance throughout my years on this campus. I understood seasons so I prayed, planned, showed up, and worked hard as God gave me strength,” she said.

Chelsea Jegede who finished 4.70 emphasised on the demands on achieving academic excellence, highlighting effective time management, goals setting and pursuing it with the needed actions as the ladder to climb to the height of reaching the top.

Chelsea who explored her entrepreneurial acumen; setting up a makeup business named CHECHEL and running a non-governmental organisation, NGO named Selfless Service Foundation, attributed her feat to prioritising her commitment.

“I’m incredibly proud of all I achieved during my time at Unilag. I successfully balanced my academics with running a thriving makeup business, building my career, running an NGO, serving as a student executive, and actively participating in ministry—all while maintaining a balanced social life.

“Balancing everything required me to prioritise effectively and lean on God for guidance. I learned how to manage my time, set clear goals, and approach each responsibility intentionally. It was a lot of work, but I stayed committed to succeeding in everything I took on. Looking back, I’m deeply grateful for the journey, the lessons, and the strength that carried me through,” she said.

She admitted that her journey was fraught with challenges, saying she approached them with the mindset of emerging victoriously,

“I saw each one as an opportunity to shine even brighter. I have always believed that the path to greatness is never the smoothest or most convenient but with Christ in me, I approached every obstacle knowing I would win. There were moments when things felt overwhelming, but over time, I learned to handle challenges one at a time,” she said.

Demiladeogo Bankole who finished with 4.59 underscored the importance of striking a balance between her academics and other areas she was committed to.

“Balancing academics with other aspects of my life was much more difficult and overwhelming, especially since I had numerous responsibilities. Thankfully, I struck a balance to some extent by creating a schedule to structure my days. Never underestimate the power of planning, time management and discipline,” she said.

She expressed her faith in the country, revealing her intention to embark on her Masters’ Degree abroad but will return to invest in her country after the completion of her programme.

“I will go for my Masters abroad but I am not a Japa girl. I plan to come back to Nigeria. There are a lot of things to do in Nigeria. I believe Nigeria can and will be better, and if you are running away who will do the work? That is one of the goals for me.

“I own a cake brand, and I want to build my business. So, that is the plan; go get the knowledge and come back,” she said.

Eunice Obidi who blogs on her personal website earned a CGPA of 4.64. She described her undergraduate journey as a story of discipline, acknowledging how it shaped her from being weak to strong.

“I initially struggled, but I learned that if you’re going to achieve anything worthwhile, it’s not enough to work hard on some days. Every day, you have to do what you need to do, when you need to do it, even if you don’t feel like doing it,” she said.

She expressed delight in shutting the doors of distractions and buried herself into productive endeavours.

“I’m proud I could divorce my distractions and shoot my best shot at every assignment, test, or exam. I don’t think I have mastered balancing my academic and personal life. I just prioritised. Every day, I had a list of things (academic, personal and social) that I needed to achieve regardless of what happened. During the day, I always worked through this list, and glory to God, no aspect of my life suffered,” she said.

Feranmi Abiola, a fast-growing filmmaker who finished with a CGPA of 4.69 narrated how she balanced her filmmaking career with academics, saying in her final semester she was faced with preparation for exams and leaving the country to United States to begin a new chapter in filmmaking, courtesy of the US Department of State’s Community College Initiative (CCI) Program.

“In my final semester, I was preparing for my exams in Nigeria while preparing to leave the country for further studies. The pressure was relentless, and many nights, I didn’t know how I’d make it through. But somehow, I did.

“My greatest achievement wasn’t just maintaining a first-class degree—it was excelling in every space I found myself. From academics to sports, student politics, and extracurriculars, I gave everything my best. And while it often felt impossible, I’m proud of the resilience it took to show up, to keep going, and to succeed.”

Reflecting on her journey, she thanked her lecturers; Joseph Tejumaiye, Husseini Shaibu, Vincent Obia and Olunifesi Suraj, expressing optimism to uphold the virtues of their lectures and represent the institution better in her current institution.

“I will carry these memories and lessons as I embark on this exciting new chapter. Thank you, University of Lagos, for propelling me forward and giving me a solid foundation to dream even bigger,” she said.