The University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) recently witnessed an unprecedented academic feat as a pair of twin sisters graduated with first-class honours.
Taiwo Hassanah Subair and Kehinde Aishah Subair are identical twin sisters and first-class graduates of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, University of Ilorin, for the 2020–2021 academic session. While Taiwo graduated with a CGPA of 4.53, Kehinde graduated with a CGPA of 4.59.
The twins’ academic feat was shared on Twitter as netizens celebrated it. Their certificates bore witness to their stellar performance during their undergraduate studies, signifying that they had both completed their degrees with distinction.
Based on data from the National Universities Commission (NUC), only 2% of Nigerian graduates achieve the prestigious first-class degree distinction.
The twin sisters, while describing the unique challenges and advantages of being twins at the same university and pursuing their education together, said in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, “We can say being twins in the same department is indeed a blessing. We received special treatment. Invigilators don’t allow us to sit beside each other during examinations unless we are wearing different clothes. We also had to answer tonnes of questions regarding if we were twins, sisters, or just friends. The most interesting part is that we don’t have to worry about having study partners. We are each other’s people.
Reacting to how they felt when they found out they were both graduating with first-class honours, the twins said: It was during our second year that we found out we would likely be graduating with first-class honours. This is something we have always wanted. We would say initially we didn’t put in much work during our first year because of the course we were given. Also, during that period, we were preparing to write another JAMB examination, so we focused more on that. Our thought was that when we eventually passed the examination, we would start afresh. However, alhamdulillah, Almighty Allah has His ways of doing things. It was at that moment that we realised that maybe that was what was good for us. There is a saying that if you hate something, it may be good for you, and if you love something, it may be bad for you.
The twins also disclosed that there was no time when either or both of them gave up on graduating with a first class.
“We tried as much as possible to put in our best. One thing about us is that we were both determined. For instance, when one of us wants to start reading, the other person will be ready to read too, and we stop whenever we want to. We believe that doing things together from the start has helped us achieve this.
Advising other students who are aiming for academic excellence, the twins said, “Do what works for you and trust the process. Success doesn’t come easily. It takes discipline, patience, hard work, and determination. Additionally, try to surround yourself with friends who can push you to excel.”
