A social entrepreneur and girl-child advocate, Deborah Oludimu, who was homeschooled from JSS1 to SS3 without tutors, has graduated with a First Class in Law from the University of Ibadan. Her journey first gained national attention on March 25, 2023 when she disclosed that she wrote made her West African Examination Council (WAEC) papers in one sitting at 14 and scored 290 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). From UI she graduated with a CGPA of 3.83/4.0.
Oludimu’s homeschooling began after a prolonged medical challenge. Born with syndactyly, a condition in which fingers are fused, she was in and out of hospital between 2010 and 2013 and missed parts of JSS2 and JSS3 after surgery in Lagos State.
In an interview with Nigerian Tribune, she said the condition caused repeated muscle pain, especially when writing for long periods.
Oludimu said: “My mom didn’t want me to start again but to start from SSS 1 and all these schools wanted to rule me out. It was there she asked me if I’d like to study at home.”
She then explained how her mother sourced textbooks and consulted educators to structure her learning. The physical strain followed her into university.
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She added: “I couldn’t finish my first law exam. I had to answer four questions but I could only write two and a half.” She said she earned a B in the paper.
Adapting to university structure came with its own pressure. “What became difficult for me was deadlines when I came to the University of Ibadan,” she said, describing the shift from self-paced study to fixed schedules.
Oludimu also admitted she did not enjoy physical classes, preferring independent study. “I self study and only go to class for attendance, cos I don’t know how to listen in class,” she tweeted.
Her 2023 post generated about 1.3 million impressions and 13,000 likes. “Until the time that I made that tweet, not many people knew I was homeschooled,” she said, adding that the reaction surprised her.
“When I made that tweet, a lot of parents or people reached out to me personally saying that they’re trying to homeschool their kids but don’t know how to do it,” she added.
On her career path, Oludimu said: “Like every other child, I wanted to be a doctor, then I wanted to be a banker and then I realised I want to be a lawyer.”
She has expressed interest in tech and intellectual property law and is the founder of A Pad For Her, an initiative addressing period poverty.
On February 16, 2026, she announced she had graduated with a first class, closing a journey that began outside the traditional classroom. From home lessons without tutors to first class honours, Oludimu’s path reflects self-directed learning shaped by resilience and advocacy.
