TheCable

Ufot Ekong, a Tokyo-based Nigerian student, achieved the highest grades at a university in Japan for 50 years and solved a maths puzzle in his first semester that was unsolvable 30 years ago, The Independent reported on Sunday.

It quoted Flotilla Magazine as reporting that Ekong, who studied at Tokai University in Tokyo, achieved a first class degree in electrical engineering and scored the best marks at the university since 1965, breaking a whopping 50-year jinx.

The feat was deemed little surprise, as he was only in his first semester in the university when he solved a 30-year-old maths equation.

Throughout his university career, Ekong (pictured receiving one of his awards) won six awards for academic excellence despite maintaining two jobs alongside his studies to pay his way as a student.

The car he designed

Ekong also speaks English, French, Japanese and Yoruba, and won a Japanese language award for foreigners. He is currently working for Nissan and already has two patents for electronic car design to his name.

He is now studying for a Ph.D. For his project, he made the electric car, which travels as fast as 128 kilometres per hour, operating on charged batteries.

Founded in 1924, Tokai University is focused on the sciences and technology and roughly 60 per cent of all students are enrolled in these schools.

Photo Credit: CCTV Africa/RisingAfrica.org