By Deborah Adeko-jinadu
“You can be in front, even if you come through a back door by mistake”. This is one of the many words written by Favour Ikechukwu, a student of the department of Petroleum and Gas engineering, and also the winner of the Tosin Adesile essay contest 3.0.
In his essay, he made it known that “confidence is not a loud drum, it’s a small bell you carry inside your pocket, and you ring it when you need to cross a street”, where he gave three campus experiences that boosted his confidence.
First, he had a class on the fifth week, GEG 311- Calculus of several variables, which was to take place in the Engineering Lecture Theater where he took garri and groundnut to face the course heads on, by matric number, he was to be in 400 level, but life took a bend and landed him in 300 level. He was given the attendance paper only to realize he has entered the wrong class, GEG 219- Ordinary Differential equations, a 200 level course.
He wasn’t sure what to do and to make matter worse, he was called on by the lecturer to answer an equation when he heard a small voice which said, “O boy, you don buy market.” He walked to the board, answered the question correctly and returned back to his seat, hearing the question asked if he was a Direct Entry (DE) student because of his unfamiliar face. This was when he knew, “you can be in a wrong class and still make sense.” After the class, he met a friend who told him about the class he missed and Favour’s reply was, “I found 219.”
The second experience was him presenting a group assignment PGG 324- Petroleum Drilling Operation, the project was on how to design a well path that would go from surface without kissing the wrong rock. He led the presentation with courage just as he did for 219 and he tackled all questions he was asked, though the project was not the fanciest, it was clean.
His third experience was going to the medical centre for a fever which made his head burn from a pot left too long, where a girl from English Education came and sat next to him, asked if he’s okay and his reply was “I will be.”
His name was called and he stood to go but looked back, asked for her name and collected her number which his former self would not be able to do but he was encouraged by the voice of the wrong hall that told him to “speak.” Till now, he gives thanks “to the courage to ask” which was a gift given to him by the wrong hall. Now when he enters any hall, he scans not for seats, but for the pulse of the place. “Who is lost? Who is trying? Where is the board kind, where is it hard?.
This year marks the third edition of the essay contest which started in 2022. The call for submission started August 7th 2025 with a total of 12 submissions. The essay contest is sponsored by Dr. Tosin Adesile who is the Chairperson of the Advisory Board of the club.
Favour Ikechukwu who came first was awarded with a prize of #50,000, Hephzibah Ayoola who came second was awarded #30,000 and Emmanuel Olugbadi, who was third was awarded #20,000.The presentation of awards took place at the induction ceremony of the Press club which was held on the 18th of December 2025.
About The Author
