Sixteen-year-old Abubakar Shamsudeen Osikhena of CTY Model College, Ibadan, scored A1 in seven subjects, with a B3 in Physics and a B2 in Biology in the 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WAEC); and 353 in the University Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). In this interview by LAOLU HAROLDS, he speaks on his philosophy of life, goals, and journey to excellence.
Tell us about your background.
I am from a family of eight. I have five siblings. I am the third child and the second boy.
What do your parents do?
My father studied Accounting but now owns a business, an agricultural business.
Before achieving this feat, were there flashes of brilliance you had exhibited? Is this the first time you have had this kind of a result?
When I was in primary school, I wasn’t that brilliant; but when I started going into the senior classes, I started tasking myself, telling myself that I could achieve better.
What exactly did you do? How did you effect that change?
When I was going to JSS1, somehow, I was tired of being mediocre because, in my family, my brother and sister were the tops in their classes. So, I felt like I was not measuring up to them. I kept trying, and suddenly, I improved. That’s what happened.
How do you study? What study pattern have you adopted that is working for you?
I study at any time. But, I’m able to assimilate more in the night and where there is silence.
What kind of influence do your parents have on your study life? Do they force or tell you when to study?
No. They don’t force me to read. They want me to know where I’m supposed to be. My dad always tells me to read, but he doesn’t force me. My mom does not force me to read either.
At your age, there is usually a lot of pressure from peers to play and get involved in many things. How much of this pressure affects you? How have you been able to control yourself?
No, because I believe I have a particular aim. I’m aiming for something. Whenever I think of the aim, I don’t allow anything or anyone to distract me.
What is this personal goal you set for yourself that is driving you?
I want to be knowledgeable, achieve success, and be able to take care of my family.
Did you at any time have such a goal of emerging the best in what you do?
Yes.
At what point did you make that decision?
It started when I was in JSS1. When I entered SS2 and we were preparing for these external examinations (WASSCE and UTME), I told myself that people had been doing these exams and saying they were difficult, let me try them and show that they are not difficult.
Were there things you naturally enjoy doing but which you denied yourself to achieve excellence?
Yes. Whenever my mates are doing fun things, something would caution me. I’m supposed to join them to do it, but I would tell myself I have something ahead of me that I’m focusing on, and I would withdraw.
Do your parents restrict you when it comes to mingling with your peers?
My family is not too free; not too strict either.
Do you have people you look up to, that influence you?
Yes. Albert Einstein.
What exactly inspires you about Einstein?
It is not only him, but what he did that inspires me was that he brought some development that several years ago the human mind could not think of. What he did, his science, and what it brought, was amazing. So, on my own, I intend to follow that route, to develop new things, things that man could have thought impossible.
Albert Einstein lived and died a long time ago, and you are inspired by his works. Do you have role models in contemporary Nigerian society?
My dad inspires me.
What inspires you about him?
He is hard-working. He is determined. Whenever anyone thinks I can’t do something, he believes I can do it. He keeps motivating me.
Are there some people who contributed one way or the other to the current feat you achieved?
Yes, my teachers. If they had not done what they did, I would not have achieved this today. And, my parents − they made the sacrifices. They were supposed to do some other things, but they left them to satisfy my needs. Then the school management made some sacrifices trying to prepare us, to make sure we succeed.
Were there some low moments and discouragement, times your parents couldn’t provide some things you wanted on the way to achieving your aim?
No. Anything that I can’t achieve or get, I believe I should not force it. I believe that it’s God’s making. It doesn’t really bother me. I see life as God would not burden you with more than you can do. Anything that happens, I believe it’s probably destiny.
What course of study or career do you intend to pursue after secondary school?
I intend to study Mechatronics Engineering at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.
You were not the only one among your mates here in your school who desired to excel and worked towards it, yet you stood out. What do you think helped you?
It’s God. I don’t believe it’s what I read or studied that made me have this kind of a result. If He had wanted to give me something better than this, He would have given me; and if He wanted to give me something less than this, He would have given me.
Do you have a smartphone?
Yes.
You must have noticed that young people your age often have this fixation on social media. How are you able to insulate yourself from this addiction?
My parents do not allow us to use smartphones anyhow in school. They regulate it.
What advice do you have for other children who desire to excel in their studies?
They should stay away from distractions, like playing games and spending time on social media. I don’t really like social media. I don’t know why people are so hooked on it.
And, one thing I’ve noticed is that people don’t want to put in the hard work. They just want to get the results. They don’t want to struggle to get it. And God would not bless what one has not worked for. They should not focus on just getting the results without working for it.
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