Despite living in ‘miserable conditions’, twenty-six years old Salim Rufai has emerged the first to bag a First Class Honours degree in Business Administration from the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
Rufai, who hails from Mai’adua Local Government Area of Katsina State graduated with 4.54 CGPA in the department of Business Administration that was created in 2001.
While speaking TribuneOnline, he described Gidan Dalo village where he lived inside the university premises as ‘miserable’. He noted that the environment which lacked basic amenities including security, potable water and electricity did not deter him from achieving the feat.
“The challenges I encountered were many but the life at Gidan Dalo village, a village within school premises where students reside in private owned hostels was so miserable.
“I managed to survive without assured security, good water, electricity, and others. Of course, I was equally involved in social activities like football. I was involved in politics too because I was the President of the Association of my department and, I do attend MSSN programmes.”
Rufai further told TribuneOnline that prayers, dedication and good mentorship contributed to his success at the 43-year-old university.
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He said: “It always seems impossible until it’s done. I believe that when there is success, there are many roads that lead to it. Two of these roads are dedication and prayer. I also believe my success is based on the acronym I created as my roadmap, the 3P’s (Patience, Persistence and Perseverance) and the 3I’s (Intention, Insight and Inspiration). These are what I tagged ‘The Success Formula’.
Head, Department of Business Administration, Associate Professor, A S Junaid denied notion by students in some quarters that it is impossible to attain First Class honours degree in UDUS. Junaid noted no staff in any department can deny any student who worked hard to attain the honour.
“Salim is the first person since the inception of the department in 2001. It is the students that can determine if they want to get it. Any student from any department or anywhere can get it if he or she works hard for it. It’s not given for free, and nobody can give First Class unless students work harder for it and do remember, it’s base on merit.”
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