Folake Mercy Olaniyi, who gained admission into Adekunle Ajasin University in 2008 to study Economics, has finally completed her higher education after a 17-year delay caused by manual record errors.
Olaniyi was set to graduate with her peers in 2011 but was held back after being told she had failed a 100-level course, despite being certain she had passed it. At the time, results were manually compiled, and crucial records that could have defended her case were lost in a fire accident at a classmate’s house.
The setback forced her out of school and into years of depression. As the first child of a single-mother household, she carried the additional weight of expectations. However, she eventually redirected her focus to work, family, and faith.
In 2022, Olaniyi enrolled at Nexford University, an online institution in Washington, D.C., to study Business Administration with a specialisation in Digital Marketing. She graduated in 2025 with a First Class degree.
Alongside her studies, Olaniyi founded BMVirtual, a virtual assistance and social media management company, and launched “Re-Introducing Yourself,” a movement encouraging people to overcome setbacks.
Reflecting on her journey, she said: “Delays are not denials; they are often divine positioning. What feels like wasted years may actually be preparation years.”
