My name is Shehu Alaba, this is my Story.

I graduated from the University of Ilorin, making history as the first in my family to earn a B.Sc. degree. Reflecting on this achievement brings back memories of the struggles I faced. Growing up, my family didn't have it easy. During my secondary school years, I was often sent home for unpaid school fees, which was a painful experience for my dad. He knew how well I was performing academically, but we couldn’t always afford the basics for my education. Despite the challenges, my dad promised to do everything he could to support me, and his commitment inspired me to be the best version of myself and make his sacrifices worthwhile.

With that drive, I wrote JAMB and scored 300 out of 400, placing me in the top 1% of candidates that year. When I got admission into the University of Ilorin, my goal was clear: to graduate as the best student and honor my father’s efforts.

I’m proud to share that I graduated with the following achievements:

First Class B.Sc. in Mathematics✅
CGPA of 4.96 out of 5.0✅
All A's in 5 out of 8 semesters✅
5.0 GPA in 5 semesters✅
100 Level Departmental Scholar of the Year✅
Datacamp Data Science Scholarship✅
Certified Data Scientist✅
Internships with two companies during my time at Unilorin✅
Second Best Graduating Student, Department of Mathematics✅
Second Best Graduating Student, Faculty of Physical Sciences✅
Top 3 best graduating Student university of Ilorin✅
Mentored over 50 students✅

While these accomplishments are fulfilling, my greatest achievement has been creating The Emerging Minds Foundation I realized there are many students who, like me, want to learn valuable tech skills but can’t afford them. Remembering how difficult it was to pay for school fees, I felt compelled to help others. Through the Emerging Minds Foundation, we’ve introduced over 280 students from the University of Ilorin to high-demand tech skills, empowering them to become future problem solvers in Nigeria.

But the work is far from over. Our new mission is to revolutionize healthcare in Africa through Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.

Together, we will create a brighter future for Nigeria and beyond.