Mother of Three Who Retook JAMB at 37 Becomes Medical Doctor

• Dr. Damilola Odukoya returned to education at 37 after nearly two decades, retook JAMB and gained admission to study Medicine at the University of Lagos.
• Despite being a mother of three and balancing family responsibilities with her studies, she persevered and graduated from the University of Lagos College of Medicine in 2022.

Dr. Damilola Odukoya has inspired many with her story of returning to school at 37, nearly two decades after her first JAMB attempt, to pursue her dream of becoming a medical doctor.

At the time, Odukoya was married, a mother of three and working full-time as a laboratory technician in a hospital. Despite her family and career responsibilities, she retook JAMB and eventually gained admission to study Medicine at the University of Lagos.

Her medical journey came with its own challenges as she balanced her studies with raising three children, including an infant. She also took study leave from work to concentrate on her education.

Being older than most of her classmates, Odukoya was affectionately called “Mummy” by some of her younger colleagues. However, she refused to let her age or responsibilities stop her from achieving her goal.

She also faced personal challenges along the way, including waiting five years after marriage before welcoming her first child. Her husband, Abiodun Odukoya, supported her throughout her journey.

After years of dedication and sacrifice, Odukoya graduated from the University of Lagos College of Medicine in 2022 and officially became a medical doctor.

In other news… Veteran Nigerian musician Innocent Idibia, widely known as 2Baba and 2Face, has visited survivors of a deadly attack in Benue State, where several residents were reportedly killed and others injured.

The music icon travelled to the Otukpo-Nobi community on Wednesday to meet with residents affected by the violence. During the visit, he expressed solidarity with the victims and offered words of encouragement to members of the community.

2Baba also used the opportunity to call on the authorities to take decisive steps to address the recurring violence in the state.

Speaking during his visit, the singer condemned the scale of the killings and urged the government to develop and implement a lasting solution to the crisis.

He expressed concern that the violence had continued for too long without sufficient intervention, stressing the need for urgent measures to prevent more lives from being lost.

Sharing a video from the visit on social media, 2Baba described Benue as home and emphasised the importance of standing with affected communities during difficult times.

“Benue is home. When home hurts, we all feel it. Today is about standing together, listening, and reminding one another that hope is never lost,” he wrote.