I am Amina Yusuf, a graduate of the Faculty of Law. I hold the distinction of being LASU's all-time overall best graduating student, finishing with a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 5.0, the first of its kind in the history of the faculty. I grew up as the first child of a journalist father and a businesswoman mother, raised with a discipline that shaped how I approached everything, including my studies. My desire to defend truth and protect justice drew me to Law long before I fully understood what the profession demanded, and looking back, it was one of the wisest choices I ever made.
Maintaining that CGPA was never a given. It took a consistent pursuit of excellence at every single examination, long reading hours, and a stubborn inquisitiveness that pushed me to question everything I didn't fully understand rather than let it slide. My father's early encouragement to always speak up when a subject felt difficult built that habit in me, and it carried me through some of the toughest semesters of my degree.
My biggest challenge wasn't academic, it was financial. Legal education comes at a steep cost, and as my parents' first child, I held off on asking for help until I had exhausted every other option. I ate cheaply, studied and slept in far from ideal conditions, and I wasn't alone in that struggle, many of my peers were living through the same reality. In hindsight, those difficult years became fuel rather than setback, shaping the resilience I carry today.
I stayed off most social media throughout my studies, not as some grand act of discipline, but simply because I found it distracting and unnecessary to my goals. I focused instead on sharpening the skills that actually matter in legal practice: research, writing, analysis, and clear communication. My mantra as an undergraduate was simple, read hard, pray hard, and it never once failed me.
Looking ahead, I intend to specialise in Law and Technology, an area I believe will shape the future of legal practice, and I plan to pursue a PhD in that field. To students who find Law intimidating, I'll say this: it is not as difficult as people make it sound. Master your subject, understand the reasoning behind the authorities you cite, and put in a little extra effort, it will always take you further than you expect.