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Legacy of firsts as Nigerian siblings bag first class honours at home and abroad

In a world where academic excellence is often celebrated as an individual feat, the Okezie-Okafor siblings are proving it can run in the family. Just months after Solace Olanma Okezie-Okafor graduated with First-Class Honours in Microbiology from Nile University of Nigeria – topping her faculty and collecting multiple awards – her younger brother, Moses Chibuikem Okezie-Okafor, has followed suit halfway across the world.

On stage at the swanky Atlantis The Palm Resort in Dubai, Moses donned his cap and gown to receive a First-Class B.Sc. in Information Technology from Middlesex University, Dubai. The moment wasn’t just a personal victory for the 19-year old – it was the continuation of a legacy built on discipline, intellect and the pursuit of excellence.

Their parents, Honourable Barr. Moses Okezie-Okafor, Director-General of Research and Development in Kogi State, and Ekenma Okezie-Okafor, PhD, a senior prosecutor with the Federal Government of Nigeria were full of gratitude at their children’s accomplishments, attributing the rare succession of first class output to God.
‘We do try to model excellence for our children in our own work and studies, so there’s that culture of hard work, but it takes God for hard work to bear the desired fruit’, said the proud father. ‘To God be the Glory,’ he concluded, offering prayers for even greater achievements ahead.
A First-Class degree in any discipline is more than a mark of academic brilliance – it’s a statement of mastery, resilience and the ability to grasp and deploy complex intellectual challenges – qualities that set graduates apart in a hyper-competitive global arena. At a time when many young Nigerians are making waves across industries and on the global stage, the Okezie-Okafor siblings are reinforcing a powerful lesson: talent and effort, when nurtured, can take on the world.
For Solace and Moses, the future is wide open. And if their track record is anything to go by, this is only the beginning
