The Lagos State University LASU celebrates Oladimeji Shotunde for his sterling academic performance, as he recently sets a new CGPA record in the 37 years of establishment of the institution.
Shotunde graduated with a cumulative grade point average, CPGA, of 4.95 from a total CGPA of 5.00 scale academic performance, thus becoming the overall best graduating student
The 22 years old, who hails from Abeokuta South L.G.A, in Ogun State, graduated from the department of business administration and will be decorated on 16th of December 2020 at the LASU Ojo campus 24th Convocation Ceremony of the Lagos State University.
Dimeji expressed gratitude to his parent and also emphasized education as the bed rock of any civilized country.
He noted his peculiar parental circumstance, saying; “my Dad is a mechanic and my mom a trader but they place premium value on education, as I still help my mom to stay at her petty trading shop, to grind pepper with the aid of the grinding machine.”
He also reiterated that, overtime he had noticed that the Federal and State government and the Nigeria society barely rewards academically excellence, hence the Nigeria youth resolve to mundane extra curricular activities which has continually defeats the essence of educational pursuit among the Nigerian youth.
While noting lack of proper government and corporate organization recognition to academic excellence of sterling performance, he then cited the recently concluded big brother Naija reality show, where Olamilekan Agbeleshe popularly known as Laycon emerged as the BBNaija 2020 Winner, was rewarded with 85 million naira, whereby the Ogun State Governor Mr. Dapo Abiodun also rewarded Laycon with 5 million cash price, a bungalow house at choice area in the state and also appointed him as youth ambassador in the state.
“How can you motivate the Nigeria youth to excel in pursuit of academically excellence when their academic excellence is repeatedly downplayed and not celebrated by the government and their academic performance is not rewarded accordingly.” Dimeji said.
Dimeji Shotunde founded the foremost student-led academic platform in Nigeria, EXCEL MINDS Academic Support, an organization that caters for the academic welfarism of over 10,000 members. In addition, he was a pioneer executive of the first campus-led SDGs movement in Nigeria, SDGsACT LASU.
He once represented LASU as a delegate at the 2018 Edition of the Nigerian International Tertiary Institutions Model United Nations (NITIMUN) Conference, held at Abuja, where he scooped the much coveted award of “Most Outstanding Male Delegate”.
He was thereafter appointed as a Conference Official for the 2019 edition of the conference, where he displayed excellence to emerge the “Best Conference Official”.
He was among the 50 student leaders, selected globally in 2019 for the Hesselbein Leadership Summit/Global Academy, hosted by the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
In addition, he was among just 50 Finalists shortlisted across Africa, for the Afresist Youth Leadership Program that held in Kenya.
Dimeji is a prolific writer. He emerged prize winner of some Essay competitions held by both professional and humanitarian associations in 2020. He has won numerous awards and gotten various recommendations.
