By Gabriel Dike
A dream comes true! Fehintoluwa Ajayi as a primary school pupil dreamt big 20 years ago of becoming a lawyer. She worked towards actualising it.
In November 2022 that little lass, who showcased herself as a lawyer during her primary school career talk, graduated from the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos (UNILAG). She has been called to the Bar after graduating from the Nigerian Law School, Abuja.
An excited Fehintoluwa told The Education Report her story.
Who is Fehintoluwa Ajayi?
I am 23 years old. I hail from Kogi State, Yagba-East Local Government. I was born and brought up in Lagos. I am the third out of four children and the only girl of Dr. Bernard Adedokun Ajayi and Mrs. Oluwatomi Ajayi.
I studied Law at the University of Lagos and attended the Nigerian Law School, Abuja Campus. In my downtime, I enjoy reading, watching movies, going to restaurants and listening to good music.
How did your primary and secondary schools shape your career?
It was in my primary school (Gladtidings Nursery & Primary School) that we had that career fair and the photo was taken. I can still remember singing, “I am a lawyer in my country, everybody knows me well; if you look at me up and down, you will know that it’s true.”
I probably didn’t know the extent of what I was saying, or how it would impact my life later. But I can say it did have an impact and I subconsciously leaned toward that. It became clearer to me that I wanted to go into Law. Plus people jokingly called me a baby lawyer.
Then in secondary school (Evaton Comprehensive College), going into the art department was the obvious choice. I wasn’t enthused about science or commercial departments.
What did the two pictures mean to you?
Dreams indeed come true. It’s a pointer to how far I have come as a person. The first picture is a representation of my childhood dreams and goals. The second captures the actualisation of both.
It’s funny how a large part of me forgot about the existence of that picture. But it then resurfaced after I finished my Bar exams. I just couldn’t wait to show it to the world that I accomplished what I set out to do.
At what point did you make up your mind to study Law?
Ever since I was young, really. Honestly, I couldn’t exactly picture myself doing anything else. It has always been Law.
Which was tougher, university education or Law School?
I would say Law School was tougher. It was an entirely different ball game. Topics that took weeks to be taught in the university were taught in a day or two. A lot of information had to be retained within a short period of time. Law School is as demanding as they say.
Was there anybody that inspired you to study Law?
Yes, my mum definitely inspired me. She’s a lawyer and an alumnus of UNILAG as well. I think that just made it a bit easier to follow in her footsteps.
She’s now more into legal writing and has authored some books. I am extremely proud of her and I always want her to be proud of me too. All in all, my parents are my biggest support system. I am truly grateful to them.
Can you mention the toughest course at the university or Law School that gave you sleepless nights?
In Law School, it was Corporate Law Practice. It was extremely bulky and there were just a lot of procedures to be learned. Whenever in bed and I saw that I was struggling to recall a particular step, I jumped out of bed and opened my book to refresh my memory all over again.
Were you a triangular student at the university?
I had days where I was a triangular student and days where it was the complete opposite. It all depended on the circumstances. I like to compile my reading notes after lectures and I do that in the library.
Was there a time you thought of giving up?
Honestly, I don’t think I had that moment at the university. I think there was just a time I needed a break in Law School because every time seemed overwhelming. It wasn’t so serious to the point that I thought of giving up. I bounced back after talking to a few of my friends.
How did the ASUU strike affect your studies?
ASUU strike is one of the unfortunate aspects of schooling, especially since there was really nothing I could do about the situation. I didn’t let it weigh me down, regardless. I just took it as it came and hoped for it to be called off. COVID-19 really did a number on me than the ASUU strike. It turned my graduating class of 2020 into 2021.
Advise aspiring secondary students who want to study Law.
Do not give up on your dreams. Be very intentional about your studies. Pray hard as well. If I can do it, so can you!