Ayodeji Felix Isarinade is a First Class graduate of the Department of Pure and Applied Mathematics, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, for the 2022-2023 session. He graduated with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.64 on a scale of 5. In this interview by Kingsley Alumona, he speaks about his academic journey and other issues.
Mathematics is not a course most people apply for in the university. Did you directly apply for it?
Yes, I chose Pure and Applied Mathematics while registering for LAUTECH’s post-UTME in 2019. I developed an interest in mathematics when I was in JSS 3. On getting to SS 1, we had an outstanding mathematics teacher who opened my heart to know that mathematicians are critical thinkers. My problem-solving mentality and love for mathematics inspired me to choose the course.
How would you describe the kind of education you had at LAUTECH?
The education was a life-transforming one that will forever be cherished. My department has always been blessed with outstanding lecturers whose research and teaching skills are unparalleled. I will remain grateful to God and my lecturers for the academic and moral impartation I enjoyed throughout my stay in the university.
I would not say that the university wholly met my expectations in terms of quality education and innovation, but it did its best to instill in me its three core values which are excellence, integrity and service.
One of the key challenges that the university encountered before Governor Seyi Makinde came on board was poor funding. Despite the challenges bedeviling the Nigerian education system, in November 2023, LAUTECH was ranked the best state university in Nigeria by The Times Higher Education. In 2024, the ranking body also rated the institution as the 11th best university in Nigeria.
What areas of mathematics interest you more and why?
The two key areas of mathematics that interest me are applied and computational mathematics, and biomathematics.
Applied and computational covers two different things. Applied has to do with the physical sciences — when you are trying to model different things using mathematical ideas and methods. Computational comes in when you want to improve the way you model these things by creating and implementing different algorithms. Biomathematics is an applied aspect of mathematics which involves using mathematical models to predict, analyse, and describe different biological processes that are complex to explain.
I have an interest in these two areas because they are focused on proffering solutions to real-world problems which makes them non-abstract in nature.
To make a First Class is not easy. What did you do differently to achieve this feat?
This feat is a reflection of God’s grace, dedication, commitment, perseverance, and diligence. I have always believed that no one will entertain any flimsy excuse from anyone for failing. This was part of what helped me to pursue nothing but academic excellence. During my undergraduate days, I ensured I read and studied ahead, even though I was fully involved in a plethora of academic and extracurricular activities.
As a student, proper preparation will prevent poor performance. A personal reading timetable also helped me. I used to structure the timetable in a way that complex courses with higher units would be given special attention.
To achieve academic excellence, move closer to God who is the custodian of wisdom and success. Understand who you are and know why you are on campus. Set goals at the beginning of every semester and be conscious of those goals. Associate with your colleagues who know more than you do and those ahead of you in your field of study. Don’t retire to bed without cross-checking what you have been taught in the day. Read, study, and be prayerful.
You will achieve academic excellence if you diligently follow these simple steps.
What was the title of your final-year project and what were the major findings from it?
My final-year project was titled ‘Hydrodynamic flow of an Arrheniusly reacting micropolar nanofluid fluid with thermal radiation over an inclined permeable stretching surface’. It was supervised by Professor Amos Wale Ogunsola.
I examined the combined effect of Arrhenius chemical reaction, thermal radiation, and magnetic field on the steady and unsteady flow of micropolar nanofluid with a specific interest in the flow behaviour over an inclined permeable stretching surface using the shooting method and the Runge-kutta 4th order. The effects of the thermal radiation parameter, magnetic parameter, and thermophoresis parameter among others on the hydrodynamic flow were also investigated. It was observed that the thermal boundary layer increased with an increase in thermal radiation and thermophoresis parameters. I was also able to observe that the application of thermal radiation on arheniusly reacting micropolar nanofluid would always enhance the temperature profile of the hydrodynamic flow while the inclination angle would decline the velocity profiles.
Most people do not know the real use or application of mathematics to everyday societal problems. Could you offer a simple use of your course to society?
Mathematics is not just a course or a subject, but a language of life upon which all sciences are built. It is a language spoken by everyone on a daily basis. By implication, for you to be able to proffer a solution to any problem, you must be mathematical with your thinking. There is no scientific breakthrough or innovation without the input of mathematics. Mathematics remains one of the tools that keeps driving the financial, information communication and technology (ICT), health, transportation, and agricultural sectors, etc. Mathematicians are unapologetic problem solvers.
In your LinkedIn post, where you announced your First Class feat, you stated that “It was a journey that was filled with pleasant and unpleasant memories and stories.” What were the unpleasant memories and stories?
This question makes me feel nostalgic. It reminded me of days on campus when I couldn’t afford what to eat. It also reminded me of the year that I lost someone so dear to me.
In the course of your studies, what were the situations you think the school could improve on to make life and schooling comfortable for students and staff?
The Oyo State government, with the support of TETFUND, has been performing wonderfully well in terms of infrastructural development. Now that some new courses have been introduced, the school management must look into the issue of accommodation that quite a large number of students have been having by releasing the two high-impact students’ hostels which have been completed to students for use at an affordable price.
Considering the current economic quagmire that Nigeria is experiencing, the management — with the support of the state government — should also consider building staff quarters for staff, especially for those who come to school every day from outside Ogbomoso.
All the laboratories should also be revitalised.
Apart from academics and the usual coursework, were you involved in any social or advocacy cause on campus?
Yes. As an advocate of academic excellence, throughout my stay on campus, I tutored students of the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences and Faculty of Engineering by taking them on courses including mathematical methods, engineering analysis, numerical analysis, complex analysis, etc.
I also participated actively in students’ unionism. I was once a LAUTECH Students’ Union Government (SUG) presidential candidate. I served as the Attorney General of the Liberal Movement. I served as the Director of Training and Resourcefulness of LAUTECH Drug-Free Club, served as an ambassador for some brands like TECNO, INFINIX, SQI College of ICT, etc, and also served as the chairman of the Nigerian Youths For Peace Initiative (NYPI) Osun State chapter, to mention but a few.
For me to take my social impact journey to the next level, I participated in the Millennium Fellowship, a semester-long leadership development programme, and became a Millennium Fellow of class 2023. In recognition of the completion of my Millennium Fellowship project titled ‘Drug and substance abuse awareness’, I was awarded a certificate by the United Nations Academic Impact and Millennium Campus Network.
A First Class degree is not a first-class ticket to a lucrative job. Many First Class graduates are roaming the streets looking for jobs. What special skills or training do you have that distinguishes you from the gang of Mathematics first-class graduates?
It is not enough to graduate with first-class honours. No one will reckon with a first-class graduate who cannot offer value. I am a seasoned tutor with outstanding teaching and research skills. I am a data analyst, an educational consultant, and a freelance writer. My fellow first-class graduates must know that, most times, it’s not always about the class that we graduated with, but about what we can offer the people around us and society at large.
What is next for you now after graduation? And where do you see yourself in five years?
As God will be leading and helping me, the next thing to do after my national service is to pursue a postgraduate degree in Applied Mathematics.
In the next five years, I see myself in academics, technology, and politics, using my mathematics knowledge to proffer solutions to real-life problems.
What is your advice to students who are aspiring to achieve the kind of academic feat you achieved?
Dear students, know that success does not segregate and that God alone is the custodian of lasting success. If I could do it, you can also do it. Don’t ever settle for less. Don’t give room for excuses. Rather, strive to be the best anywhere you find yourselves and do well to consider those simple steps I highlighted earlier.
Let ‘work and pray’ be your motto even as you remain intrepid and undaunted to face your fears.
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