Meet Ajala Abdulbasit, First Class Law Graduate of Al-Hikmah University

Ajala Abdulbasit has earned a Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours at Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Nigeria.

He achieved the remarkable feat 15 years after graduating from secondary school and, in the process, became the first President of the Faculty of Law at Al-Hikmah University to graduate with First Class Honours.

Reflecting on his academic journey, Abdulbasit described it as one defined by grit and grace.

He said the road was marked by delays, disappointments, setbacks and moments when the destination seemed distant. Yet, he did not falter. He remained unperturbed, kept moving and was sustained by faith and the conviction that great things take time.

Looking back with gratitude, he said the experience shaped him and taught him the power of resilience and what he calls “perhaps stubborn optimism.” Although the achievement gave him great satisfaction, he noted that it did not replace his long-held desire to obtain a university degree, a dream that found its turning point in 2021, a decade after he left secondary school.

Drawing on the words of Kwei Quartey, he said: “Those who are blessed with the soaring swiftness of an eagle and have flown before, let them go. I will travel slowly, and I too, will arrive.”

For him, the journey does not end here. In his words, “My ship has not reached its shores, the journey therefore continues.”