By Prosper Mene
April 29, 2026
Meet Fareedah Adedoyin Adeowu, a proud graduate of Common and Islamic Law from the University of Ilorin, who has just added another feather to her cap by bagging a First Class honours from the Nigerian Law School, Kano Campus.
In a candid narration that is already warming hearts online, Fareedah opens up about how graduating with a First Class was never part of her original plan. In fact, she had her sights set on a solid 2:1 — just like many of her seniors whose results had inspired her.
“I just wanted to have a very good grade,” she shared. “I had always thought First Class was for very smart people.”
Posted to the Kano Campus (a placement she had actually prayed against during Ramadan), Fareedah embraced the journey with faith, famously telling herself, “Allah knows best.” She embarked on a nearly 21-hour bus ride from home, arriving with swollen feet but fully prepared — having “emptied” her dad’s account on provisions, snacks, new dresses, scarves, and everything she needed to settle in.
Her routine at Law School was anything but glamorous. Classes kicked off around 9 AM, but Fareedah made sure to handle her Fajr prayers and get to the venue early enough for the attendance thumbprint. A self-proclaimed back-bencher, she rarely took notes during lectures. Instead, she diligently prepared handwritten notes from lecture slides, PDFs, and trusted materials by lecturers like Badmus, Mayowa, Agbata, Sarumi, and Caleb — often burning the midnight oil until 1 or 2 AM.
“My notes were golden,” she said with a smile.
After classes, she prioritised power naps (at least an hour-long siesta), observed Maghrib, and stayed disciplined with her revisions. She memorised cases for those extra marks, quizzed her roommates, and used the recall method — revising key points right before sleep. During exams, she could be heard whispering to herself: “General rule, then exception. General rule, then exception.”
Life in Kano wasn’t without its challenges. The intense schedule, trekking to Maami Market, poor eating habits (hello, noodles, garri, and endless snacks), recurring headaches, a bout of malaria, and the inevitable weight gain that made her beautiful dresses tighter. She kept her circle small, avoided intimidating group meetings, and found solace reading in the mosque or deliberately leaving her phone behind to stay focused.
Yet, through it all, Fareedah remained consistent, praying after every paper that God would “crown my efforts” and spare her any sympathetic results.
When the results finally dropped, the joy hit differently.
“Graduating with First Class is bliss,” she described. “Academic validation is sweet like mad; you’ll get it, and your stomach will be filled with butterflies and lilies.”
In her words of encouragement to aspiring Bar students: “Don’t be like me. Dream it, and get it. If anyone can do it, you can do it.”
Fareedah’s story is a beautiful reminder that sometimes, when you show up consistently and put in the work — even without aiming for the stars — the stars align anyway.
Huge congratulations to Fareedah Adedoyin Adeowu on this remarkable achievement! May your legal journey continue to shine brighter.
