Fatima Akinola breaks 42-year Usman Danfodiyo record, then graduates with Perfect Grade at US varsity

After breaking a 42-year-old record at Usman Danfodiyo University where she studied Mathematics, Fatima Akinola went ahead to achieve a perfect grade of 4.0 at Marshall Univeristy, United States. In this interview by ENIOLA OYEMOLADE, the mathematician talks about how her love for mathematics started, her journey so far, among others.

How did the love for Mathematics start? 

I would say it started way back in my junior secondary school, or I will say I became aware of my love for it at that time. While watching the advertisement of the Cowbell Mathematics Competition on television, I wanted to be a part of it and luckily, I was chosen to represent my school. I came first in the state and went down to Lagos for the national stage. I also went for other mathematics competitions.

 

Was studying Mathematics at Usman Danfodiyo University a choice or an accident?

My first admission to the university was agriculture in 2012 and I accepted it. I retook the United Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and was offered Mathematics by the university and Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB). It was a closer choice to what I wanted which was engineering, so I decided to accept it wholeheartedly.

What were some of the challenges you faced and how did you solve them?