When you are determined in life, you are equipped with the willpower to almost always arrive at an expected end or a desired goal.

This perfectly explains the story of Hezekiah Toyinbo, a 30-year-old resident of Igude, a village in the Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State.

In an interview with FIJ, Toyinbo told the unique story of how he overcame several challenges, included financial limitations and an uninspiring academic background, to emerge 2020/21 best graduating student of his department at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State.

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GROWING UP IN IGUDE

Toyinbo started his story by talking about the challenges he faced as a child trying to get the best of education in his village.

“Igude is a very rural area where majority of its inhabitants are into farming as a full-time job,” said Toyinbo.

“As a matter of fact, not all the villages under Ipokia LGA have primary schools.

“Also, all the major villages in Ipokia only have just one local government primary school each.

“In my own case, the primary school meant for kids from my village was quite far from our house. Funny enough, that particular school was all we had during that period. This then meant that children from our village had no choice but to trek to the school for more than one hour on a daily basis.

“For one to be able to attend classes in a day, one would have to wake up as early as possible to make sure one got to school on time. That alone discouraged some of my peers from wanting to go to school.

“When you also ended up getting late to school, you would get punished by the teachers.”

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THE SECONDARY SCHOOL CHALLENGE

Toyinbo talked about the challenges he faced after completing his primary school studies.

“The secondary school I attended was farther from home than my primary school,” said Toyinbo.

“The school is called Community High School, Tube. Children from more than 20 villages under Ipokia LGA left their homes every weekday to attend classes in that school.

“I had to walk for more than 2 hours and 30 minutes every day to get to that school. And you just could not get to school late; you would be severely punished.”

When Toyinbo was asked whether he ever thought of quitting school as a result of the distance he had to walk everyday, he said he had no choice but to persevere.

“It is when you have options that you’ll see the situations you are facing as challenging,” Toyinbo said.

“When you do not have options, you will not see the same situation as challenging. Instead, you will see it as a very difficult situation that needs to be tackled head-on and resolved.”

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AN ENVIRONMENT WITHOUT AN ACADEMIC ROLE MODEL

Toyinbo also pointed out that he had no academic role model to look up to while growing up in Igude.

“Growing up, I got to discover that the majority of the people in my village preferred to learn a craft and also go into farming after completing their primary school education,” said Toyinbo.

“They would spend three to four years learning apprenticeship and crafts and then marry and raise families afterwards. That was the environment I grew up in.

“But for me, I had always nursed the ambition of one day becoming a university graduate. That then geared me towards making sure I didn’t abandon my learning plans after completing my primary school education.

“The expectation in my house was that I would also quit schooling once I completed my primary school education.

“With this in mind, and without being told, I knew I would have to sponsor myself if I was to acquire a secondary school education.”

SECONDARY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

“When I eventually started secondary school, anytime my parents were able to support me financially, I saw such gestures as acts of kindness and showed gratitude,” said Toyinbo.

“Anytime they were unable to support me, I also understood and would always remind myself that the plan to acquire more knowledge was originally set in motion by me, not them.

“So, I did all I could for myself. I weaved baskets and sold them on market days.

“Monies from the sales I made were in turn saved and not spent on clothes and shoes.

“They were instead spent on school fees, books and educational levies.”

To make his journey easier towards the end of his secondary school education, he purchased a bicycle from the money he made from basket weaving.

From primary to secondary school level, Toyinbo always finished at the top of his class after exams.

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WHEN THE FUTURE LOOKED BLEAK

Toyinbo said despite putting in so much effort and zeal into making sure he had a university education, there were times he doubted if he would ever become a graduate.

“I must confess; there were times I thought the future looked bleak for me. Permit me to give you an example,” said Toyinbo.

“When I got to SS2, I had classmates who were already testing university waters by writing the UTME. In my own case, I just could not do that.

“There was no one to assist me, even with the purchase of a form. There was also no one to sponsor my university education if I had passed the exam as well.

“At that point, I then started thinking about my life and a funny thought would always creep up within me, and with the message that the future might not be bright for me after all.”

Toyinbo told FIJ that the doubts he nursed then made him to start asking his teachers serious questions.

“I then started asking a few of my teachers back then in secondary school for advice and guidance on how they thought I could navigate my way and find myself in the four walls of a university,” Toyinbo said.

“They all ended up coming up with different ideas for me. In the end, God led me in His own way and I eventually came up with a strategy.”

Unfortunately, Toyinbo could not immediately hatch the plan he had in mind because he still had no money.

This then meant that he had to work as a sales boy at a shop in Idiroko for four years. At that point, his secondary school classmates who had the means to progress to the university level had already done so.

“When I was seeking university admission thereafter, I ran into a former secondary school mate who was already in his final year in school,” he said.

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‘THE UNIVERSITY STRATEGY’

Toyinbo subsequently devised a plan in his bid to realise his dreams of securing admission to a tertiary institution.

“Before I could get admission into any university, I felt I needed to be deliberate in my plans and intentions. This then meant that I had to leave my place in Idiroko and move to Abeokuta,” Toyinbo said.

“I felt I needed to move closer to a school environment.”

When he moved to a location very close to the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), he rekindled friendship with some of his old secondary school mates.

“From then on, I learned a lot on how things worked, in terms of courses and university life, from them,” he said.

When Toyinbo decided to write his UTME exams, however, the thought of sponsorship made him develop a cold feet, forcing him to have a change of mind. This then led him into taking a very strange step.

“When I eventually purchased my UTME form, the fear that no one would be willing to sponsor me through school crept in yet again, and I ended up choosing a college of agriculture in Ibadan as my first choice while filling the form,” Toyinbo said.

“Along the line, one of my secondary school classmates, who was then in his final year in FUNAAB, got to know of my decision to settle for the college in Ibadan and decided to have a discussion with me on it.

“He went on tell me that he knew my academic abilities back then in secondary school and was confident I would excel if I decided to opt for FUNAAB instead of the college I had earlier chosen.

“He ended by saying that I was destined for greatness and should not settle for less.

“His statement stung me like a bee. It also served as the tonic I needed to reverse my earlier decision and select FUNAAB as my first choice on the form.

“At that point, my aim was just to become the first graduate in my family, nothing more.

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“After I wrote my post-UTME, I came up with the idea to save up enough money to pay tuition if I eventually got admitted by the school.”

TOYINBO, THE BRICKLAYER AND OKADA RIDER

While anticipating a favourable UTME result, Toyinbo took up menial jobs, first as a bricklayer, and then as an okada rider.

“I first decided to take up bricklaying jobs at construction sites,” Toyinbo said.

“At the time, my decision to move closer to the university environment had also opened my eyes to the possibility that I could one day become a graduate. I then subsequently did most of the construction site jobs in the Obada area of Abeokuta.

“For me to constantly secure jobs as a bricklayer, I became friends with many bricklayers in the area. Once there was a job opportunity, they would call me on the phone and I would quickly join them at construction sites.

“I mostly worked as a labourer who transported mixed cement to wherever it was needed at ongoing construction sites.

“Through the plan, I gathered enough money and was able to purchase a fairly-used motorcycle. That was how I also became an okada rider in Abeokuta.

“The period then coincided with the time I finally got admission to study Animal Breeding and Genetics at FUNAAB.

“So, from 100 level, I would work as an Okada rider on weekends and then return to the school for lectures during weekdays. I also made sure I was frugal in my spending. I stayed in an apartment I could afford and only made purchases only when they were necessary.

“During test and exam periods, I would suspend Okada-related activities and focuse mainly on my studies.”

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THE ‘INTIMIDATION’ TOYINBO FACED IN SCHOOL

Toyinbo spoke to FIJ about the fears he subsequently nursed in class as an 100-level student.

“In my early months as an 100-level student, I felt intimidated a lot by the calibre of people I happened to be in the same class with,” said Toyinbo.

“The way some of my course mates spoke the English Language made me quiver. I was just a farmer, basket weaver, bricklayer and okada rider who had had to scale many hurdles in life to be among them.

“These were actually people who would constantly travel abroad during school breaks. Our orientations were different and there was no way I could relate with anything they said. This was because I had struggled all my life to get things to work for me.

“The academic discussions they would also have from time to time made me remember the secondary school I attended, where laboratories lacked the basic equipment needed during practical classes.

“I was only able to touch burettes and pipettes after I finished secondary school. All the discussions they had always made me feel I was lost and in wonderland.

“Those periods made me wonder if I would ever pass any course during the exam period.”

THE TEST RESULT THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

When Toyinbo wrote his first ever test as a FUNAAB student, however, he got the second best score in his class.

“When that happened, my mentality changed. At that point, I also remembered the comments of my secondary schoolmate who once told me I was good enough. I become quite confident and promised myself never to look back in my plans to excel academically. From then on, I told myself I belonged in the class; I belonged in the department,” Toyinbo said.

“By the time I finished my 100 level, my grade point average (GPA) was 3.8. That indicated that I was at an upper second-class level.

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“This then triggered something else within me; I no longer wanted to just be the first graduate in my family; I now wanted to graduate with a good grade.

“As God would have it, that ended up being the lowest GPA I ever had throughout my programme in school.

“When I got to 300 level, I ended the academic session with 5.0 as my GPA. This made do more academically.

“I no longer saw my chances of becoming a graduate as slim, I now saw my chances of graduating with a first-class degree as bright.”

The desire to graduate with first-class honours ultimately came with its pressures, forcing Toyinbo to make a much-needed adjustment.

“To achieve this, however, it meant that I had to spend more time on studying than on my okada business,” said Toyinbo.

“It affected my income and feeding, and after drinking garri most of the time, my vision became blurry.

“I did not get discouraged by that; I kept on pushing. I am glad all my efforts paid off at the end of the day, as I finished with a first-class degree in my department.”

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MASTER’S DEGREE PROSPECTS

Presently, Toyinbo runs a poultry project in Ipokia.

He also told FIJ that he was looking to start his master’s programme at a university in Nigeria soon.

“I am also open to scholarship studies outside Nigeria. At the moment, however, the master’s programme is what I am looking forward to starting soon,” said Toyinbo.

‘START YOUR JOURNEY TO SUCCESS BAREFOOTED!’

When he was asked if he had any advice for youths who were nursing the ambition of acquiring quality education but did not have the means, he said:

“They should never give up on themselves. They should also never make the mistake of comparing themselves to people who appear to have resources at their disposal.

“Without stealing and committing other criminal acts, there are actually several routes one can ply in life to achieve greater heights and success.

“Rule number one, however, is never to compare yourself with others. When you do that, you may get discouraged from taking purposeful steps in life.

“Sometimes, you would have to leave your I-can’t-do-it mindset behind and start your journey to success barefooted. As you take that walk, you stand the chance of getting noticed by people who would be willing to help you with shoes.

“If you decide not to walk because you don’t have shoes, it could be difficult for you to come across people who can assist you with a pair.

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“If I had not left my base in Ipokia to come to Abeokuta, I would not have met friends who would be willing to encourage and guide me in the right direction.

“You, however, have to do this with a strong will and utmost purposefulness.

“While you work towards your goals, pray as well.

“I used to read about how people overcame challenges to excel in life. I never, at any time, thought people would one day read about me as well. I thank God for everything.”