Meet butcher’s son who is Nigeria’s best medical graduate

The Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, recently churned out 43 first class graduates. Among them is Dr. Alabi Olugbenga Saheed, who is the overall best ever medical student.

Speaking ahead of its 35th anniversary and convocation slated for January 31, the vice chancellor, Professor Saburi Adesanya, said the school produced 41 Ph.D graduates, 379 masters degree holders, 110 postgraduate diploma, 811 second class upper, 2,319 second class lower and 1192 third class.

Saheed who is said to be this year’s Nigerian best medical graduating student in an interview with Vanguard spoke about his childhood and the challenges he faced.

The Ogun state indigene said his mother sells herbs while his father is a butcher.

He attended Ritlad Nursery and Primary School, Meiran, Lagos and Salawu Abiola Comprehensive High School, Osiele Abeokuta.

When he wrote his WAEC, he passed with eight distinctions and a credit.

According to him, his teachers thought he would do better with engineering but he chose medicine because it had always been his passion to be a doctor of repute right from his early days.

"I chose OAU for my first JAMB, but I think I was offered Biochemistry, 2nd JAMB, UI gave me Zoology (I started, but left after 100 level) and the third, I chose the best state university, OOU," he said.

Saheed noted that funding was a major hindrance especially when studying a course like medicine.

He appreciated his parents who he said were a major foundation when it came to funding. He also enjoyed MTN foundation scholarships and the Federal Government scholarship which was an award he got after passing his Part 1 MBChB professional exams.

"I graduated with MBChB with Honours. That is the first in the history of the university’s medical school. I made distinctions in anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology and surgery," Saheed added.