How blind UNILAG freshman beat brain tumour to top JAMB

Ogunsua-Dixon Tijesuni, a visually impaired freshman studying Mass Communication at the University of Lagos, has shared her remarkable journey of overcoming a brain tumor, multiple surgeries, and years of rehabilitation to achieve academic excellence.

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I was diagnosed with a brain tumour at age 11. At that point, I had lost partial function of my left limb. My parents did not want to disrupt my education, so they asked me to wait until after secondary school before undergoing surgery.

Tijesuni, who was recently honored at the maiden Rite Foods National Academic Excellence Awards, was recognized as the country's top matriculating candidate for Persons with Disabilities in the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Equal Opportunity Group. She achieved an impressive score of 288 in the 2025 UTME, with an aggregate score of 81.2 percent in her category.

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While writing my WAEC, I knew I was struggling to read the question paper, but I pushed on. I didn’t think it was blindness. I later wrote JAMB and scored 225 to study Law at the University of Ibadan.

Her health struggles began at age 11 when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor, which led to partial loss of function in her left limb. Despite her parents' desire to avoid disrupting her education, her condition worsened by Senior Secondary School 3, causing gradual vision loss. While she managed to write her WAEC and JAMB exams, scoring 225 to initially aim for Law at the University of Ibadan, she later collapsed at home, necessitating immediate surgery.

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Not long after writing the examination, I fainted at home, and doctors said the tumour had been there for too long and I needed surgery immediately.

Recounting the diagnosis at 11, Tijesuni described it as a deeply traumatic period that significantly impacted her self-esteem. The initial symptoms included severe migraines and weakness in her left arm, which were initially misunderstood. After undergoing brain surgery in January 2018 at the age of 16, her vision had deteriorated significantly, leading to her current visually impaired status.

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I was 11 years old when they told my parents I had a brain tumour. I remember looking at the brain scan and seeing the mass. I told the doctor, ‘I am not mad.’ I told my mum the same thing. I kept saying there was nothing wrong with me.