EKSU Best Graduating Student Gets Selected for Master's Scholarship at Canada University, Celebrates

• A young Nigerian man graduated as the Overall Best Graduating Student at Ekiti State University with a 4.89/5.0 GPA in Statistics
• The EKSU first-class graduate was selected as a Mastercard Foundation Scholar for a postgraduate programme at one of Canada's leading universities
• He announced on X that he would be starting his master's programme at the Faculty of Medicine at the University

Oyelakin Olumide Oluwapelumi, the Overall Best Graduating Student from Ekiti State University (EKSU), has announced that he will be pursuing a master's degree in Canada as a Mastercard Foundation Scholar, sending his story viral on social media.

The statistics graduate made the announcement on X on 9 September 2026, sharing the remarkable back-to-back milestones that had defined his recent journey: finishing at the very top of his graduating class and landing a fully funded scholarship to one of North America's most prestigious institutions.

From EKSU to a university in Canada

Oyelakin graduated in 2024 with a First Class Honours degree in Statistics from the Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science, Ekiti State University (EKSU). His cumulative GPA of 4.89 out of 5.0 earned him not only the title of Best Graduating Student within his department but also the Overall Best Graduating Student award across the entire university for that graduating class.

He will now take his academic career to McGill University in Canada, where he has been admitted to the MSc programme in Biostatistics at the Faculty of Medicine. McGill, based in Montreal, Quebec, is consistently ranked as Canada's top university and among the leading research institutions in the world.

His place at McGill is supported by the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Programme, a scholarship initiative that funds academically talented young Africans to access higher education and develop the skills needed to drive transformation on the continent.

Sharing his achievements, he said:

"Through every trial that sought to break me, through every temptation that tried to sway me, there was always One who remained steadfast: my God. When the nights were long, when exams seemed impossible, when self-doubt whispered lies into my ears, His faithfulness never wavered."

See the post that sparked the celebration below:

Graduate who promised uncle first class fails

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a Nigerian graduate has shared his Second Class Upper result after falling short of the grade he promised his uncle. He also revealed how the painful exchange pushed him to update his CV and search for opportunities.

What made the moment sting was his uncle’s blunt Yoruba response, “Oti padà ni girlfriend,” which roughly means a girlfriend had changed or ruined him. The graduate’s post has sparked reactions from Nigerians familiar with the pressure of meeting family expectations.