Despite surviving a brain tumour, multiple surgeries and the loss of her sight, a visually impaired undergraduate of the University of Lagos, Ogunsua-Dixon Tijesuni, has emerged as the highest-performing matriculating candidate in the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Equal Opportunity Group for Persons with Disabilities.
The 100-level Mass Communication student shared her remarkable journey after being honoured at the maiden Rite Foods National Academic Excellence Awards, where she was recognised alongside six other outstanding students admitted during the 2025 academic session.
A native of Ondo State, Tijesuni scored 288 in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and recorded an aggregate score of 81.2 per cent to top the disability category.
She recalled that her health challenges began at the age of 11 while she was in Junior Secondary School Two, when doctors diagnosed her with a brain tumour after she developed persistent migraines and weakness in her left arm.
According to her, her parents delayed surgery to allow her complete secondary school, but her condition deteriorated over the years, leading to the gradual loss of her eyesight during her final year in secondary school.
She said she managed to complete both her West African Examinations Council examinations and the UTME despite struggling to read. She initially scored 225 and secured admission to study Law at the University of Ibadan before her health worsened.
Shortly after the examination, she collapsed at home and was rushed for emergency medical treatment, where doctors recommended immediate surgery after discovering that the tumour had remained untreated for too long.
Tijesuni underwent brain surgery in January 2018 at the age of 16. Before her illness, she had been actively involved in sports, serving as captain of her primary school’s girls’ basketball team while also participating in football, badminton and swimming.
Following the operation, she spent three years undergoing rehabilitation in Ibadan before moving to the Blind Centre in Oshodi, Lagos, where she received training in mobility, independent living, hospitality and broadcasting.
Determined to continue her education, she rewrote both her WAEC examinations and the UTME in 2025 before gaining admission to study Mass Communication at UNILAG.
She disclosed that medical experts believe she may regain her sight in the future, although the neurological rehabilitation technology required for such treatment is currently unavailable in Nigeria.
Tijesuni said her childhood dream was to become either a doctor or a lawyer, but her circumstances compelled her to choose a different academic path.
She praised UNILAG for providing an inclusive learning environment, noting that the institution’s accessible infrastructure, supportive lecturers and classmates have made academic life easier.
She also commended JAMB’s Equal Opportunity Group, led by Registrar Ishaq Oloyede, for creating an examination process tailored to candidates with disabilities through the provision of accessible facilities, accommodation and support personnel.
Expressing gratitude for the Rite Foods Academic Excellence Award, Tijesuni described the recognition as one of the greatest moments of her life.
She, however, called on government and private employers to expand educational, welfare and employment opportunities for persons living with disabilities, stressing that many capable individuals continue to face discrimination despite possessing exceptional talents and abilities.