Ex-Unilorite emerges CMU-Africa valedictorian
By Mustafa Abubakar
A First Class graduate of the Department of Computer Science, University of Ilorin, Mr Mustapha Olalekan Alaba, has emerged as the valedictorian of the Class of 2026 at Carnegie Mellon University Africa, Kigali, Rwanda.
Mr Mustapha, who graduated from the better by far University in 2015, completed his Master of Information Technology programme at CMU-Africa with perfect A grades in all courses.
In a statement issued during the graduation ceremony of the Institution penultimate Friday(May15,2026), CMU-Africa described Mustapha’s emergence as a reflection of academic excellence, resilience and dedication.
While at UNILORIN, he combined academic engagement with a printing business and earned both the University Scholar Award and the MTN Foundation Scholarship Award due to his exceptional academic performance.
Following his graduation and National Youth Service Corps programme in Kaduna, Mr Mustapha co-established a technology hub focused on mentoring young people in digital and technical skills.
He also worked as a freelance software developer for clients and startups across more than 22 countries and later contributed to the digitisation of transport infrastructure while working with the Kaduna State Government.
Mr Mustapha is currently a Research Associate with the Kigali Collaborative Research Centre and has also been selected among the 2026 AI for Good Scholars under the Innovate for Impact initiative of the International Telecommunication Union.
