For the first few years of my undergraduate days in the Faculty of Law, Bayero University, Kano, I was the best student in my class. My CGPA hovered above 4.9, and the dream of graduating with a first class in Law felt entirely within reach.
Then came Level 3, when I encountered a major setback. A few courses were, in my view, wrongly marked, and I was shocked to see a D. I found it hard to believe, especially knowing what I had written in the exams compared to what my friends, some of whom I tutored, got.
So I resolved to apply for a review. But in the process, I met the shocker of my academic life. I remember vividly what two lecturers told me. One said:
“Hikima, forget it. You can’t make first class. It’s not possible. It has been almost 30 years since anyone made first class, and we don’t believe Law is a course where first class should be awarded.”
That moment broke something in me. I felt as though the system had resolved silently and unofficially to prevent anyone from breaking that barrier. And so, I let go of the dream.
I shifted my focus to extracurricular and non-academic pursuits. I still finished strong, with a solid Second Class Upper (2:1) and a final CGPA above 4.0 points. Then I moved on to become a lawyer and open my law office.
Years later, an intern named Aisha Yahaya walked into my office. She was in Level 2 at the time and already had an academic record stronger than mine at the same stage.
I looked at her credentials and her zeal, and from that day, I made it clear that we were going to make her first class a project. I remember also telling her:
“If you make first class, I will find a gift to give you.”
And so we began. We worked together—not in the sense of me doing anything for her, but in the sense that she regularly sought my counsel, shared ideas, and remained focused. I gave her the moral support and advice whenever she asked. She listened, applied herself, and kept breaking new ground. Above picture was during her internship completion certificate presentation from A.A. Hikima & Co. In 2022.
From time to time, whenever our paths crossed, I would ask if she was still focused. Her answers were always confident and reassuring.
Today, I am proud to announce that Aisha Yahaya has broken a 35-year-old jinx.
She graduated from the prestigious Faculty of Law, Bayero University Kano, with a First Class.
This is a personal victory. It is not just hers. it is for everyone who believed it could be done, for everyone who had once dared to dream.
I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Aisha, her family, and her husband.
Congratulations, Aisha Dahiru Yahaya.
They said it couldn’t be done. But you, did it.a
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