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By Gabriel Dike
With a perfect score of 5.00 cumulative grade point average (CGPA), 33-year-old Stephen Adekunle Ogunkoya, a master’s degree graduate of Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, Lagos State, has made history. He spoke with The Education Report on the secrets behind his success.
Who is Stephen Ogunkoya?
I am the last child of the late Mr. Solomon Ogunkoya and Mrs. Rachael Ogunkoya. I hail from Poka, Epe Local Government, Lagos State. I currently work with the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) as a bus operations management analyst.
I studied Transport Planning and Policy at the Lagos State University and graduated in 2015 with a CGPA of 3.39 (Second Class Lower).
I studied Master of Science in Transport and Logistics, also from LASU. I graduated as the overall best master’s student with a perfect CGPA of 5.00.
How did you go through the COVID-19 pandemic?
My academic experience during the pandemic was far different from the norm due to the hybrid mode of lectures (online and physical). I worked harder and under more difficult conditions during the past academic year than my undergraduate days.
I will never forget how all postgraduate programmes (full-time and part-time) were scheduled to hold on weekends due to COVID-19 protocols and the social distancing policy. We had lectures via Zoom, which was a bit challenging at the beginning but we later got used to it.
My M.Sc. experience involved a situation where I had to combine studying with working. It was a very tough one.
I lost my dad a few weeks to to our first semester exams. It was a very tough period for me because I was the last child and closest to him.
How did you achieve the feat of a perfect CGPA of 5.00?
It was through hard work and God’s help. I was fully prepared for the programme. I told myself that I would graduate with distinction. I knew what I wanted before I applied for the programme. That was the same goal I set for myself during my B.Sc. programme.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t achieve that due to a poor start in my first two years. I graduated with Second Class Lower division. That restricted me from a lot of job opportunities and scholarships. Most people thought I graduated with Second Class Upper Division.
I remember I had a conversation with one of my lecturers. He was surprised when I told him I graduated with a 2:2. I am an avid and wide reader.
Prior to the commencement of the programme, I enrolled in free online courses. At the time I finished my M.Sc., I had done over 60 free online courses from the World Bank Open Learning Campus (OLC), UNITAR, Coursera, etc. The majority of these courses were transport/logistics related and they helped me during my M.Sc.
In addition, I was the head of class. So, I attended all the classes during my M.Sc. programme, except for the week I lost my dad. When all the postgraduate lectures were moved to weekends due to COVID-19, I could not attend church services for about six months due to Sunday lectures.
One of the events that pushed me harder was the LASU 20th convocation in March 2016. I was the only student who represented the School of Transport at the convocation because the event was two days after we left NYSC orientation camp. Most of my classmates couldn’t attend and those that showed up came late.
On the convocation day, during the admission to first degree session, when the registrar said, “Will the graduands for the award of Bachelor of Science in the School of Transport please stand?” I was the only one who stood up. I got a round of applause for about three minutes and a standing ovation not just from the students but also from every member on the high table.
Perhaps, they thought I was the only graduating student from my faculty. I was emotional and tears of joy rolled down my eyes. That was the day I said to myself that I had to repeat that feat by graduating with a distinction anytime I would be doing my master’s.
To be God be the Glory, the feat was repeated by graduating as the overall master’s student, with a perfect CGPA of 5.00. This was achieved through God’s grace, hard work, dedication and commitment.
What is the title of your M.Sc. project and its relevance to the society?
The title of my M.Sc. project is “Challenges of Construction Site Traffic Flow Management (A Study of Ikeja Overpass).” The study evaluates the challenges of construction site traffic flow management at the ongoing Ikeja Overpass. It is a known fact that traffic flow is disrupted and delayed at a work zone because the traffic capacity and the vehicle speed are lower at the work zone section than at other portions of the roadway.
Traffic delays at a work zone include delays caused by deceleration of vehicles while approaching the work zone, reduced vehicle speed through the work zone, time needed for vehicles to resume freeway speed after exiting the work zone, and vehicle queues formed at the work zone. It becomes necessary to study and quantify the challenges of the construction site traffic flow management.
The study highlighted some remedies to improve traffic flow around construction zones. It also provided suggestions on how to implement Traffic Management Plan effectively within construction zones.
The recommendations are made based on findings and are offered to transport planners, transport engineers, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Ministry of Transport and other relevant agencies. They are to identify and implement the best requirements, in respect of the management of traffic associated with construction zones.
How did you receive the news of your 5.00 CGPA?
I got a call from the School of Transport and Logistics postgraduate programme coordinator, Dr. Ibraheem Abdul-Azeez Forson. Prior to that official call, I had seen some of my grades. I had a feeling that I might graduate with a distinction. I said to some of my coursemates jokingly that my target was 5.00.
What was the highest CGPA at M.S.c level before your record?
I think someone graduated with a similar CGPA some few years back.
How did you combine work and study?
Combining work and study was the toughest thing for me. I applied for a study leave, which permitted me to attend lectures during weekdays because my programme was full time.
My salary was usually prorated based on the number of days I went to work. I collected half salary at some point.
What next?
I will apply for my doctorate degree and some other professional courses in transport.
Would you accept lecturing job?
Yes! It is my childhood dream to become a professor. Lecturing job is something I’m looking forward to.
Who is your mentor and how did he or she impact on your studies?
Prof. Charles Asenime, Dean, School of Transport and Logistics, LASU. He takes special interest in helping his students develop academically and career wise.
I have Mr. Seyi Osiyemi, an urban mobility expert and Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps who I look up to professionally. These three great men are instrumental in my academics and my career.
