Olawore Memunat
The promise was not grand. There was no courtroom revelation , no impassioned speech that convinced her law was her calling. It started, as many life-defining decisions do, two young girls in the arts department, looking around at what the older students talked about, and deciding: that is what we are going to do.
Today, Olaore Memunat stands as the Pioneer Best Graduating Student of the College of Law at Fountain University Osogbo, graduating with a CGPA of 4.91. Her journey reflects not only academic excellence, but also resilience, faith, and intentional living.
At 24, Memunat describes herself simply as someone who enjoys sleeping, eating, reading, cooking, and baking. Behind the impressive academic record, she says, is a personality grounded in focus, honesty, and self-motivation. Soft-spoken yet determined, she is a “goal-getter,” someone guided by discipline, structure, and a clear sense of purpose.
A Promise That Started It All
Unlike many high-achieving students, Memunat insists her decision to study law was not born from dramatic inspiration. Instead, it began in secondary school.
“My best friend and I were both in the art department,” she recalls. “The most talked-about course then was law, so we promised each other that we were going to study law. That was the genesis of everything.”
While her friend eventually pursued a different path abroad, Memunat held firmly to the dream. The journey toward fulfilling that promise, however, would take an unexpected turn.
She did not begin university as a law student. Memunat first gained admission into the University of Lagos, where she studied Philosophy for two years while hoping to switch to Law by rewriting the JAMB examination.
“I wrote another JAMB so I could switch to law at the University of Lagos,” she says. “But then COVID-19 happened. Strike happened.”
The uncertainty that followed placed her plans on fragile ground. In the middle of the disruptions, her parents suggested an alternative: Fountain University in Osogbo, which had just launched its Law programme.
“They told me the university was starting their law programme and that my cousin was already going there,” she says. “They said it was an opportunity since I had always wanted to study law, but that they wouldn’t force me.”
Leaving UNILAG for a university she barely knew felt overwhelming.
“I cried,” she remembers. “How do I move from UNILAG to a school I’ve never heard of?”
But the decision happened quickly. Within days, she found herself on the campus of Fountain University a move that would eventually redefine her academic journey.
“I was asked on Friday. By Monday, I was already in school.”
Life At Fountain University
As a member of the pioneer class of the College of Law, Memunat and her classmates entered unfamiliar territory. There were no senior students to guide them, no past examination scripts to consult, and no established study culture to follow.
“It was daunting at first knowing we had no seniors to guide us,” she says. “I remember during a Legal Method test when the question ‘What is law?’ came up. I knew the concept, but I didn’t know exactly what the lecturers expected in terms of structure.”
Moments like that highlighted the uncertainty that came with being the first cohort. Without older students to consult, the pioneer class had to develop their own strategies.
“I reached out to law students in other universities to understand how they approached their coursework and exams,” she explains. “I also relied on online resources to fill the gaps.”
Gradually, the uncertainty transformed into determination.
“Everywhere we went, people reminded us that we were the first set,” she says. “It meant that everything we did would set the standard for those who came after us.”
That pressure, according to her project supervisor, also sharpened the set.
Dr. Zainab Shittu, describes the pioneer class as academically strong and driven. In her view, being the first set worked in their favour because it pushed them to take themselves seriously from the outset.
She says the students were conscious of the fact that they had no one ahead of them and had to rise to the demands of lectures, exams and legal writing on their own.
Building Discipline and Academic routine
For Memunat, discipline became the foundation of her academic progress. Much of her daily routine revolved around the library.
On a typical day, she attended lectures, reviewed notes from previous classes, and prepared ahead for upcoming lectures. When the library closed in the evening, she continued reading elsewhere on campus before returning to her hostel to revise again.
Weekends were reserved for revisiting everything covered during the week so that no topic accumulated beyond control.
Law courses, she notes, are often bulky and require consistency to stay ahead.
To keep herself organised, she relied heavily on structured timetables.
“I usually have a timetable for everything,” she says. “From this time to this time, I know what I should be doing. I try to follow it strictly, but if things don’t go exactly as planned, I adjust and continue.”
Her attitude was visible even to the staff. Dr Shittu, her project supervisor and lecturer says, “Everyone in the law library knew her. “She was always reading.” That consistency, she adds, was one of the things that set Memunat apart. Beyond being hardworking and focused, she was also deeply committed to service. From 100 level to 500 level, she served as class representative, a role that reflected a leadership streak her supervisor noticed early.
According to Dr. Shittu, Memunat was not only academically serious but also leadership-driven, someone who knew what she wanted and pursued it with intention.
From the beginning, graduating with a first class had been a personal goal. Even during her days at UNILAG, the target remained clear in her mind.
Transferring to another university and being a pioneer at a new college, did not change that ambition. Instead, it strengthened her to leave a mark in the new faculty.
“I don’t really need people to push me to read,” she says. “I’m self-motivated. But being surrounded by classmates who were also serious about their studies helped a lot.”
While she initially focused on achieving a first class degree, the idea of becoming the Best Graduating Student emerged later in her academic journey.
“After my first-year results, I started to realise it was possible,” she says. “There were moments when I thought it might not work, but I still kept the goal in mind.”
Her academic discipline, she explains, did not begin in university.
“I’ve always been a top student,” she says. “My parents didn’t have to force me to read. I knew when it was time to study.”
Growing up in a home where education was valued helped reinforce that habit. After school, she attended home lessons and madrasa classes, experiences that strengthened her commitment to learning.
At university, however, the level of academic demand required a more strategic approach.
“The workload is very different from secondary school,” she explains. “You have to be more serious and more tactical in managing your time.”
Beyond academics, Memunat also participated in extracurricular activities. She completed several online internships and was actively involved in the Moot and Mock society within the College of Law. Managing these responsibilities, she says, came down to knowing that her books had to remain first.
“I always remind myself that my studies come first,” she says. “Before any activity, I make sure I’ve read to a satisfactory level.”
Her supervisor saw the same seriousness in her academic work. As a project supervisor, Dr. Shittu says Memunat showed intellectual depth, especially in research.
According to her, when given an academic problem to investigate, Memunat did not settle for shallow answers. She went deeper, researched thoroughly, and returned with results.
One of Memunat’s most memorable moments came during her final year while working on her long essay. After reading through her work, her supervisor told her, simply, “I am proud of you.” That moment stayed with her. She deeply respected her supervisor, hearing those words felt like a quiet confirmation that her effort, seriousness and depth were being seen.
For all the recognition that came later, Memunat says her greatest challenge was not external hardship, but pressure, especially the pressure to outdo herself.
“The pressure to outdo yourself can be intense,” she says. “You might have a 5.0 one semester and want to maintain it the next.”
At such crucial moments, Memunat had to lean on both effort and faith. “After doing everything you can academically, there comes a point where you leave the rest to God,” she says. “But you must first do your own part.”
By the time final results were released, Memunat had graduated with a CGPA of 4.91, just 0.01 behind the university’s overall Best Graduating Student.
Her reaction, she says, was simple.
“Allah knows best. What is meant for you will not miss you.”
Rather than dwell on how close it was, she chose to focus on the growth behind the number.
Looking Back On Her journey
Memunat believes her story is bigger than grades alone. For her, it is about building something from scratch, not just personally, but collectively, as part of the first law graduating class in the university’s history.
“We built from scratch,” she says. “We didn’t have past questions or seniors to guide us, so we had to be resourceful.
Her message to future law students is not just to inherit that foundation, but to improve on it.
“Be intentional with your life,” she advises students. “Have a vision for what you want to achieve.”
She also encourages students to pursue opportunities beyond the classroom and to remain open to learning from others.
“If something doesn’t work out, see it as redirection,” she says. “Work hard, pray, and be willing to adjust your strategies.”
Faith, she adds, remained central to her journey.
“Take your faith seriously,” she says. “Pray, give charity, and stay grounded.”
For Memunat, the story of her academic journey is not simply about grades or rankings. It is about the discipline required to pursue a goal and the faith that sustains the process.
And for the pioneer class of Fountain University’s College of Law, it is also about building a foundation that future students will inherit.