Inside OAU: How Student-Athletes Balance Sports and Academics Amidst Examination Pressure
Israel Bakare “For learning and culture… sports and struggle.” Beyond its place in the GreatIFE anthem, this phrase continues to reflect the lived reality of many students who are juggling academic demands with active participation in sports. As examination pressure intensifies across campus, lecture halls, libraries, and reading rooms are filled with students preparing for their examination. Yet, in a striking contrast, football pitches, basketball courts, and other sporting arenas remain active, occupied by student-athletes determined to keep both their academic and sporting ambitions alive. Speaking with the ICONS correspondent, Emmanuel Ahononvi, who featured in a church football match between FYB and Household Brethren on Sunday, August 2, explained that his commitment to football remains unwavering despite the demands of exams. According to him, his approach to academics is strategic rather than time-consuming. “Once I h...